[Priscilla Turner]

I still find corrective filtration very useful: the 80A plus Daylight WB setting for incandescent helps the cam to make a good calculation of how much usable light there really is. The light meter is really badly thrown, with most sensors of any type, by incandescent and fluorescent, seeing more useful light than there is, and hence producing an aberrant exposure. I perform the same trick with an FL-Day filter in season. You don't actually lose two stops of light, just two stops of light which will otherwise be read but won't produce correct exposure, resulting in horrible noise that you don't need. If you filter, you'll get not only excellent indoor people-pictures, but a lovely balance of interior and exterior lighting, for instance inside a big church lit by incandescent but with stained glass windows transmitting natural daylight.

[ERNR]

Use a lens hood. It protects your images from flare and your lenses from physical hazards. (I use hoods instead of UV filters, which would add extra glass to the front of my lenses and possibly introduce flare.)
Carry spare batteries.
Check the foreground, the background and the perimeter of the image.
If I'm tempted to consider a new camera, I often go back and reread the manual and, if available, reviews of the camera I already own. This is to remind me of what a cool and exciting piece of gear I chose to acquire. Sometimes it also brings to my attention some feature or technique I haven't tried yet, which I can try for free because I already own this tool.
As 'most everybody else is saying, carry a camera all the time; explore the possibilities of each subject thoroughly; experiment with new angles and techniques; look at the work of good photographers and maybe read about them as well.

[irnoham]

My tip would be press the shutter button and enjoy

[pimentel1980]

Here is my tip: When shooting landscape or nature use an aperture of f/16 to get a bigger area of sharpness in the picture, also focus on one third of the image from bottom to top to get a deep depth of field from that point until the top of the photo.

Attached Images

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[normhead]

I've never seen so many posts by people with less than 200 posts. I guess a good contest brings everyone out of the woodwork.

[Priscilla Turner]

If you have you ever had a filter stuck on a lens, here is how you can remove it . Place a piece of rubber on a flat surface (if noting else is available a dishwasher glove will do). place the lens on it, filter side down ; press down a little, the rubber will grip the filter and just rotate the lens by hand to remove the filter.

The oldest 'stuck filter' trick is the wide elastic band wrapped around the edge.

[vinceloc]

A humble tip to newbie photographers here - don't go chasing after the best equipment. Photography is about creativity and inspiration, and how best a photographer can connect with others through his/her photographic creations. It is true that you need the "photogapher's eye" to stand out, together with the skill set to understand lighting and exposure, but all these can be improved through practice and experience, not with spending all your time and cash on acquiring the best equipment available. In fact, having the best equipment may sometimes prove to be a drawback, as one gets frustrated and disillusioned more rapidly when, after investing heavily in the best equipment available, he/she may still not be able to get the results he/she seeks. But if you decide to be content with the equipment you have, and spend your time in refining and improving your craft, you will feel a much better sense of satisfaction and accomplishment, with your results.


K200D+FA20-35/4

[Patrick Quinn]

The time has come for us to offer the final prize from our Holiday Giveaway! Enter in this thread for a shot at winning a brand new HD Pentax-DA 55-300mm lens



How to enter:

As a reply to this thread, post a photography-related tip or suggestion for fellow users. It can focus on cameras, lenses, technique, accessories, post-processing, or other related topics you think would be helpful.

Limit your submission to no more than 5 sentences and no more than 1 image/link.

Winner selection:

The top 15 replies with the most Likes in this thread will be voted upon by forum members in a separate thread, similar to how we pick our monthly contest winners. Submissions will be accepted through January 31st, and voting will be between February 1st and 8th.

Submissions may be compiled into a reference article to serve as a community resource.

Good luck!

Winter tip. February is the coldest month in Quebec, temperatures dropping to - 30c. Although wind chills factors only apply to humans, problems at these extreme temperatures may not only affect the photographer but also result in mechanical issues. Equipment should only be exposed when you're shooting, and secured in warm dry place, paying special attention to moisture caused by rapid change in temperatures.

[Jordan217]

If you haven't already, make the switch over to Back-Button Focusing. Although it may take some time to get used to, BB Focusing is far superior to auto focusing by half-pressing the shutter.

If you want to continuously track a moving subject then you simply hold in the Back Button, allowing you to take the shot at any moment without having to re-adjust your focus due to half pressing the shutter. BB Focusing is also perfect for landscape photography, you can lock your focus on your subject (for eg. a log bottom right of the frame), then recompose and take the shot without the camera trying to re-adjust the focus.

Since we're limited to five sentences this is difficult to explain in detail, so I recommend watching the following YouTube video:

You Tube

You Tube

[bandarbalu]

I made it to page 15 before running out of time to review the previous tips, so my apologies if these were already mentioned:

1) The most important characteristic of a lens is its focal length (or range), so learn more about that term if you don't already understand it.
2) Metering is a really important function, and can be hard to understand, so study-shoot-study-repeat until you really know what it means for your camera(s) and lens(es).
3) "photography" is really a family of activities. Sports photography is way different than street photography is way different than portraiture, etc. and becoming good at one doesn't make you good at them all.

[Joe2]

A sweet and simple TIP:

Composition & Lighting are the greatest skills that make a winning picture - not aperture, shutter or ISO so much - which can be taken care by your auto everything camera. Master these two through practice and going through the hundreds of free stuff on the Internet. You will surely become a delighted Photographer.

See Link to the best resources on the subject: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/5cczpn64jj35ctf/AAB2_3SKiWc7p-1jRUnE57Iga?dl=0

Great tip.

[zing007]

tips for better photography
In low lights higher ISO and wider aperture
In bright lights higher shutter speed and preferably smaller aperture
Higher ISOs and lower shutter speeds may cause grain in images and motion blurs due to camera shake, but can also capture more details.
Finally, composition is the key, everything else is just the procedure

[Irfanintekhab]

If you have only one flash and wish to create the look of multiple flashes, keep the camera on a pretty small aperture like f8 or smaller, shutter speed on 30 seconds or bulb. In a dark room. And then flash your gun several times from the angles you wanted your multiple flashes to be in. For example. Top, sides etc. Every flash that you burst will be like creating a flash from that position.
This was done in the photo I am attaching here. Because I had only one flash at that time

[doroth2]

I am still learning to use my DSLR, but have a lot of experience with a film camera in manual. Knowing how to use my film camera in manual has made learning how to use my digital camera so much easier. If you're new to the digital world, ignore all the fancy functions on your camera and focus on the basics: aperture, shutter speed, ISO, and white balance. Adjust these for every occasion. Once you've got the basics down, then start playing with different settings. You'll have a better understanding of what's wrong in the event that your images do not come out as expected, and a better understanding of the choices your camera makes in automatic and partially automatic modes.

[Badger Logic]

Always take your camera. Always check to see you have battery life and a memory card. Always take the road less travelled. Always try to tell a story. Always have passion.