[clmathers]

My favorite light is the light on the front edge of a thunderstorm. When something in rolling in during the day I keep an eye on the radar and go after landscapes when the storm front is almost on top of me.

[AyiteyHammond]

Try experimenting with photos to find what satisfies your creative lust and not what is popular. The more you strive towards that self expression the more you'll find yourself behind the lens.

[zephyr]

If you are using digital, BACK UP YOUR IMAGES!
Upload them to a web site.
Copy them to an external hard drive.
Move them to a folder that is backed up to a friends computer using Crashplan.
There are hundreds of ways to do this.
Pick at least one and do it!

One more thing; if you are using Lightroom, clicking the "Backup" button when it asks does not actually backup your images.
" Backups executed from Lightroom include only the catalog file. You must independently back up your edited photos and anything exported from Lightroom."
-Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Help

P.S. Tons of great tips, as always....Thanks everyone!

[suzyq]

Suggestion of place for a nice non-tourist Tokyo tower short (if you come here),
Sunset to night is the best timing, so go with your mid to large steady tripod. Mini tripod won’t work. Cars will run left and right. And if it possible, go with a DA15 for kickass starburst!

location : https://goo.gl/maps/HkNmZzxJGV72

I love taking night shots and light trails. Maybe I will get to Tokyo to take this shot one day!

[Mothballs]

No amount of expensive glass will ever make up for poor composition or planning. It doesn't matter if you're shooting with a $20 Super Takumar 50mm f2 or a $600 43mm f1.9 FA Limited, you have to get the lens to work for you.

Always think about not just what you're shooting, but what's around it, and how it all works together. Focus on the picture, not just the subject.

[alemelo]

I do a lot of street photography.
If you need a little more stability, get a small and cheap tripod and use it against your chest: then your camera, tripod, arms and trunk will then act like a solid object, pivoting on your waist and dampened by your legs and knees.

[siva.ss.kumar]

This tip is on how to import and sort your photos from SD card. This is for Mac and would work for Windows too.
I organize my photos by hierarchical folder in the form 'Pictures/yyyy/mm/yyyy-mm-dd/'.
Within this folder, I rename the image name in the format 'yyyymmdd-hhmmss-camera name-filename'
This is mainly because, during family trips, pics from Pentax K-x, K30 and K5ii has to be differentiated.
I use 'exiftool' to accomplish this task.
First I copy the images from SD card to a staging folder (I called Pictures/_Input)
I open a terminal (in Mac) go to the Pictures folder and run the following two exiftool commands

Command 1:

Code:

exiftool -v -r '-FileName<${CreateDate}_${Exif:Model}_${filename}' -d "%Y%m%d_%H%M%S" _Input

Command 2:

Code:

exiftool -v -r "-Directory<DateTimeOriginal" -d "%Y/%m/%Y-%m-%d" _Input

Now open Picasa and see all your photos organized neatly by year/month/date.

[junousia]

When using a remote controller or a timed launch, cover the viewfinder then the picture is exposed correctly, otherwise light coming through the viewfinder may cause underexposure.

[Ira Crummey]

Composition, rules can be important but most of all, have fun.

One of the most difficult things I have to deal with as a Hobbiest Photographer is the concept of developing your own "style". To some this is easy because they have the innate talent and sense of confidence that allows them to explore their own vision of the world. To paraphrase a statement made by a friend recently, they have the nerve to venture beyond their comfort zones. Not all of us have that, as a result our work often stays within a fairly formulaic zone of mediocrity. We sometimes create great images accidentally but we rarely stray far from the subjects we feel more at home with. Sometimes it becomes an exercise in attempting to emulate the work of photographic masters we admire. Whatever the case we need to break free from the tyranny of comparisons and strike out on our own path. Look to the masters for inspiration, not a recipe book. Dare to try things, digital has allowed unlimited experimentation so use that gift. Don't just snap indiscriminately, remember that composition is still important, but that doesn't mean slavishly following some rules read in a book.


Most of all, have fun.

[Nerdlinger]

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!

Please let me win Lord above!

---------- Post added 01-21-16 at 08:36 AM ----------

Ok I would recommend that all levels of photographers get familiar with setting up and being able to quickly manipulate the USER setting on the mode dial. You will find that once you have mastered this that you will not us any preset modes and your images should be better.

[templets]

What is the best camera? The one that you have with you! Some of my favorite shots have come from my iPhone and not my K-5II, because well its what I had at the time.

---------- Post added 01-21-16 at 03:53 PM ----------

What is the best camera? The one that you have with you! Some of my favorite shots have come from my iPhone and not my K-5II, because well its what I had at the time.

[OhioAngie]

I don't have the confidence to tell any of you how to take a good picture! All of the photos in here just humble me, and the tips are great.!

However, my tip is about equipment. One of the best investments I have made was in a sling style camera strap that connects to the tripod mount on my camera. I like to hike into the woods and look for wildlife and I could never find a position for the strap that was really comfortable for me, except across my body, which was awkward when I needed to get the camera into position quickly. Now that I have the sling strap, I can walk for miles, even with my heaviest lens. The camera hangs upside down, but it fits across my body, my neck doesn't ache and I can raise the camera for a quick pic with greater ease. That makes this eager photographer happy!

[Hegemon]

Here's my tip guys and gals: avoid condensation when going from cold outdoor temperatures to hot indoor temps. Leave the camera inside its bag for a couple of hours until the temperature equalizes gradually. Here's a helpful link: Cameras, Humidity and Condensation

[Geodude]

As someone who’s worked his life performing left-brain work, I’m now shifting to right-brained activities using photography as that bridge. Here are a few suggestions that have helped me in improving my photographic skills…

1. I read A LOT of articles on principles and techniques of how cameras work, on taking good landscape, macro, profile images, and processing. The owner’s manual explains the features of a camera, but not the hows and whys of using these features. Reading articles (and watching videos) really help.

2. I’ve looked at thousands of images, especially from postings on 500px and Nat Geo. Yes, they can be highly processed, but they give me great insight on perspective, composition, use of light and what makes for just an outstanding photo.

3. I take many photos of a variety of subjects using different techniques, not necessarily trying to specialize in any particular type of photography, such as landscapes or street shots. That helps me learn about the capabilities of my camera (K30) so they become second nature to me, thereby spending less time referring to the manual.

4. When I’m at a location where photographers tend to gather (national parks), before wedging myself to the front to try to get few shots in, I watch them to see what they’re taking shots of and how they’re doing it. Then I try to position myself in ways that they haven’t so I can get a shot that will be different and unique from what the rest of them will be taking home.

Lastly, I enjoy reading the comments and tips offered by fellow members on this forum, and have managed to pick up some good advice, too, this way.

[Jean Poitiers]

I hope that someone has not ready mentioned this ... but if so, here's some more info about slide projector lenses .

Cheap and easy to use with a bellows, an extension tube, a de-glassed lens ... or just a plastic tube.

You can see more here : https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/122-lens-clubs/264161-projector-lens-club.html

If you come across one, give it a try !!! Cheers, J