1001 free photography tips that you might be able to do without. But then again....

If your camera allows you to set your shutter and aperture, use a large aperture to create a shallow depth of field (range of focus) to isolate your model from her or his surroundings. This will also have the advantage of increasing your shutter speed which will reduce the risk of camera shake causing your photo to seem blurry. With such shallow depth of field, however, be careful to select your focus point as to minimize recomposition after you focus. Recomposing may cause your subject to move outside of the zone of good focus.

Use a simple uncluttered background if possible--and watch the background carefully. Poles or trees that appear to stick out of your model's head can be avoided by simply moving around and changing your position. If necessary, use a long focal lenth and large aperture to throw the background out of focus to islolate your subject from the clutter.

Use soft lighting to minimize minor imperfections in the skin. Soft lighting mean a large light source - an inexpensive way to do this is to hang a white sheet in front of your light source to diffuse and soften it. Lighting doesn't have to be complicated, but you can have fun playing with it.

Don't mix your light sources - don't try to use tungsten lights with light streaming through a window and a flash. Your photo colors will be all over the place. It's okay to use flash and daylight together (they are very close to the same color temperature).

For portraits or glamour, if you must shoot outside during the bright part of the day, shoot in open shade and use a flash. With Canon DSLR and Film cameras, when shooting in Av or Tv mode, the flash's output will be automatically reduced and will "fill" in the shadows. Understand how your flash and camera work together to provide fill flash.

Circular polarizer - another method:

With your hand, form a pretend pistol. Point your index finger at the sun and extend your thumb at a 90 degree angle to your index finger. Now rotate your wrist while keeping your index finger pointing at the sun and your thumb at 90 degrees. Wherever your thumb points will be the maximum effect of the filter.

When your primary source of lighting is fluorescent, choose a shutter speed that is a multiple of the light's source frequency so as to avoid color shifts from the fluorescent spectrum: This thread explains it in detail: https://photography-on-the.net …d%2C+fluorescen​t+lighting

Challenge yourself to get out of your box: if you're a landscape photographer, shoot some street photography or some portraits, even if you dislike it. And vice-versa. You will learn and grow from the experience.

If you truly love photography and want to be better at it, no matter your present level, then study it. There ain't a darn thing on TV worth your time, anyway. Instead, read blogs, read online tutorials, get books.

Read. Study. Learn. Improve.

Don't walk around with slide-in filters on the front of your camera (unless they are covered) They will get scratched/broken.

Landscapers (and others shooting outdoors): when shooting long focal lengths with those big, ol' long lenses, remove the lens hood unless needed to shade or protect the lens.

The hood forms a "cup" that catches wind like a sail. Even the slightest breeze can catch that cup and move the camera. At long focal lengths, even the smallest movement is amplified and can blur your picture.

Above all, get the shot!! All these pages and pages of rules are helpful, but don't let them stop you from taking that once-in-a-lifetime picture!!

bjyoder wrote in post #8465401
Above all, get the shot!! All these pages and pages of rules are helpful, but don't let them stop you from taking that once-in-a-lifetime picture!!

But who is going to categorize, database and cross reference them? I am SO glad I wasn't the OP.

BTW - ATTN MODS: I know that somewhere out there is a "What's the best tip (advice?) you've been given." I'm sure there will be a lot of overlap with the content here. Maybe folding the threads together to eliminate duplication? For example, I know all the "Show us your office, setup, workstation, computer" threads got folded into one and it makes it much easer.

Rad

So, on that topic - I have at least one:

Photography tip: It is too east to get so blinded by "the shot" that you fail to be aware of all the other shots in your envornment: Take at least one shot of whatever's behind you.

Landscape and wildlife photographers: When shooting during sunset - always make sure to check behind you and shoot away from the sun; sometimes the most dramatic scenes are what the sun is in the process of illuminating - not directly towards the great fireball melting through the horizon.