[Tandrew]

in difficult situations don't hesitate..perfect conditions do not mean perfect photos...don't be intimidated when you don't have them. In low or challenging light I put my focal point slightly left or right to increase chances for good composition, use a tripod,then shoot with rapid-fire..you can capture a story or an essence or the spirit of the subject even if a dozen things are technically against it. this picture is f 1.7, 1/100. iso 400 pentax k-3, sigma 24 mm. To whatever degree you call yourself a perfectionist, be willing to be an imperfectionist to the same degree.

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[getbrett]

Most people have seen those very slick flexible reflectors that are reflective silver on one side and white on the other.
They are called FlexFills
Every pro shooter (stills and motion) has at least one of them and they are great for reflecting light to where you want it.
Only trouble is like lots of photo gear they are expensive. minimum is like $50 for a small one.

There is a fantastic alternative sitting almost every dollar store and dept. store that costs almost nothing and does quite decent job and will fold away just the expensive ones.
A car windshield sun shade.
Go to a store and search till you find one with a nice shiny or silvery matt reflective surface depending on what you need. heck why not buy both.
They typically don't have a white side but if you need a pure white reflector then walk down the aisle and buy $1's worth of form core board and you have all situations covered.

If you get the foam core just run some duct tape around the edges to keep it in good shape.

for under $5 you'll have a really decent set of reflectors that will give you loads of new options to paint with light and experiment without breaking the bank.

shine on you crazy diamonds!!!

[kbear]

I already entered my "tip" but thought this might get a smile. I recently discovered that an old school Lite Brite makes a perfect light box in a pinch. Simply remove the black plastic cover (with holes, where all those infernal little plastic pieces went), and you can use it as is, or put a page-sized piece of plastic over it as a colored filter! I found several different kinds of lightbulbs for it in the appliance section so I can change the kind of light I want easily. Fun!

[FreezeFrame]

Camera companies make a lot of profit on accessories, and if you like supporting your favourite camera company in that way, I don't want to stop you, but I prefer saving my cash for brand name purchases of camera bodies and lenses.

Many accessories, like battery holders, camera remote controls, ring flashes, step up rings, and other items which don't get heavy use can be bought on line for 5-10% of the regular retail if you buy no-name products, like a camera remote for $1- at those prices you can buy a spare at the same time.

Check out places like ebay for product shipped directly from China or Hong Kong, which is where they are all made anyway, as they often include free shipping, and although they can take up to several weeks to show up, my experience is they arrive intact and work fine.

My only caveats would be to check if you have to pay entry fees or taxes for your country on such goods, and in regard to replacement lithium batteries for cameras, they can be hit and miss in quality and often have lower capacity and higher failure rates that OEM product.

Lastly, open a Paypal account, as most of these sellers only use that form of payment, and it provides substantial protection if you do not get the product or it arrives broken, or is not as described.

[KierraElizabeth]

A photography tip and a mood booster:
If you're feeling glum about something--the endless snowy weather, the nearly dried river, the annoying woodpecker trying to get through your siding, etc--take its picture. Work to make the annoyance beautiful through photography. It will force you to reach outside your perspective to get a shot, which can lead to some really creative photos, and it will help you feel better about circumstances you may not be able to change (or give you an idea about how to fix a situation).

[zkarj]

If you're taking pictures of something moving past you very fast – an aircraft at an air show or a car or cyclist at a race – plant your feet a little way apart parallel to the direction the target is travelling. If you face forward, the target should be travelling from left to right or vice versa and the nearest point will be directly in front of you. Now you can swivel your body through everything from the approach to it receding away without having to change your footing and lose your balance. The more flexible photographer can manage well in excess of 180º if you're on the inside of a curve!

[miklog]

• When shooting streets photographs of random people (candid portraits) do not try hard to behave like a invisible street ninja.
• Instead let the people know about your ideas and interest in them as a subject.
• Mostly people are interested and the opportunity for better close up shots opens up.
• Also having a business card is almost always a door opener in many situations!
• Ask the subjects for their email address (to sign a model release and send them their pictures because mostly the will not contact you first.

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[vow20]

Sometimes a scene catches my eye as I walk by, but as I look at it, I realize that it would be better if there were extra elements like people or a boat. Or maybe none of them. Of course, depending on the context, you can expect something or someone to eventually pass by and then frame your shot. For this particular shot I was enjoying a beer while watching how the scene changed over time. Whenever I saw someone or something interesting happening within the frame I had in mind, I would put down the beer, up the camera, and shoot!

[rus]

IR photography is just another game. Doing the opposite of normal is welcome, and much recomended. So, snap pictures at noon during the maximum illumination, and the best stage for the year is when you have a lot of greenery. Of course, short exposures are possible if you convert camera to IR - by replacing the filter on the sensor with IR filter. If you have not made the conversion, you can do it with long exposures and IR filter on the lens with optional tripod or other stabilization. Night photography also can be excellent with IR set up. After taking pictures it will be necessary to make small intervention in RGB channels in PS. And that is it. Invest and be impressed with results.

[James also]

Go take photos as much as possible. And most importantly, read your manual from front to back, more than once. Keep it by your bed.

The Most Obvious, Yet Elusive Technology Tip of All: Read the Manual

I can't do that I'm a boy. On a more serious note the manual goes everywhere with me. great for last minute advice.

James

[gloaming]

Regarding landscape and nature photography, the best piece of advice that I ever came across was in a book by Freeman Paterson. He refers to a state of mind that he uses when photographing subjects in nature. This goes well beyond mere photographic technique. He calls this "relaxed attentiveness". Although it takes some practice, his own sublime images are proof that it is well worth the effort. It is like being "in the zone", almost a Zen like state of mind, in which one becomes so attuned to nature as to almost become one with it. The photographer no longer merely sees through his own eyes, or the camera lens, but he almost enters the subject itself, penetrating to its very essence. Viewers of the resulting images often see beyond the mere physical presence of the object photographed. Some of them also experience a bit of what the photographer may have seen and felt when he created the image.

[Legonet]

Hi Pentax fellows as everyone of you I hope to win it but unfortunately I'm not good at words needless to say taking pictures too. But The only 2 good advices I can give are:

1) take with you your camera every day
2) do not put it in a camera bag as it take time to pull it out (most of the time you have to struggle to get it and the action, light, etc.. are gone). a good shoulder strap is much much better..

Wish you good luck to all of us

---------- Post added 01-19-16 at 04:55 AM ----------

Use a Pentax camera to withstand the harshest elements, and with an HD Pentax-DA 55-300mm lens attached to it, you can face almost anything mother nature throws to you.
Enjoy the elements, enjoy the trustworthy weather sealing and take pictures where others don't dare to, the only limits are in your mind.

So daring!!!!

[c_kamb]

With the use of bellows and a good legacy lens with manual aperture you can get into macro photography and have lots of fun on budget.
It can also give you more magnification than a macro lens.

[TazmanDownunder]

Using your Camera's user manual, set your green button up to give auto exposure when using an old manual lens.
Once set up, choose the aperture on the manual lens (M etc), focus your shot and then hit the green button to set your exposure/shutter speed.
This will help new users that use older lens's get a better exposure.

[Sudhakar]

You might be having multiple lenses in your bag or at home and you are tempted to use all of them when you are in a good mood for photography. This symptom is prevalent for novices and advanced learners. Pick a single lens for the day or trip and stick to it. You will get get to know more about the lens and master over it. You will be concentrating more on learning curve rather than switching the gear and ignoring the wobbling mind saying to you "I need to shoot all of them". Never afraid to experiment with your glass/gear.