[Pete Glastonbury]

buy the best tripod you can afford and use it as often as possible.

PeteG

[jgirl57]

My favorite shooting tip of all time...

Use and buy a black rapid strap, a good tripod and program your user settings. The user settings and the back focus button has saved me from missing a lot of shots... Like this shot here done with my Pentax K-3

If I didn't have my camera ready I coulnd't have gotten this

[alaricxyz]

I saw a documentary on White House Photographer Pete Souza and I adapted the way he holds a camera:forefinger below the lens, thumb on the base of your camera.

This helps stabilize your shot immensely especially while using long lens.

[crussellsprout]

This can be an odd but interesting effect to play with, if you want to highlight what a shot would look like when the focus point is switched between a near and farther subject.

Start by finding a composition that includes an interesting near subject and one that is further away, and then take a pair of photographs using a relatively shallow DoF -- one shot with the focus set to the nearer subject, and one with the focus set to the further subject. Then in your image editor of choice, mirror one of the images, and merge half of it with the opposite half of the second image, to achieve something like below. You may have to experiment with which parts of each image to mask out or smudge/heal along the boundary until you are happy with the result.

[stillshot2]

It's a lot cheaper to camouflage yourself to get close bird photos than it is to drop $1,000+ on a super telephoto lens.



Taken with K30 and Pentax M 200mm f4

[Adam]

It's now February and on that note, I'm closing this thread to new submissions.

Feel free to browse and Like your favorite submissions. We'll post the finalist poll on the 4th and announce the results on the 8th.

Thanks for entering, and once again, good luck!

[bertwert]

We'll post the finalist poll on the 4th

It's the fourth today - almost over.

Is the finalist poll anywhere?

[Adam]

It's the fourth today - almost over.

Is the finalist poll anywhere?

Nope, I'm extending the "Likes" period to let more people browse through this thread. Wasn't quite expecting to see this many entries. This is also why the thread has been unlocked.

We'll start the voting phase once we reach 1,400 Likes or by February 8th, whichever comes first. At that point picking the winner shouldn't take long.

[Andrewdsmit]

1. If you want to keep your camera clean and free from dust, carry around a tin of Mr Min or furniture polish and a fine bristled soft paint brush. Spray a bit of Mr Min into the cap and dab the brush in it and then polish and brush it all over your lens body and camera body. The polish acts as a dust repellant and will most of the time keep the dust from clinging to your equipment. Even spray the inside of your bag. It leaves it clean, smelling fresh and shiny. The brush is also useful to dust off any excess dust before you change lenses.

2. If you don't have money for a ND filter, look at some camera shops and ask for Neutral Density Gel paper. it's cheap and comes in various sizes like A4. Cut multiple pieces and stack to increase density.

WOW, no likes. Clearly everyone knew about keeping things clean. Nice

[fotograffiti]

Wi

We'll start the voting phase once we reach 1,400 Likes or by February 8th, whichever comes first. At that point picking the winner shouldn't take long.

Will we be sticking to the original rules of the contest? For instance, if someone garners enough votes to put them in the top 15, but they submitted in excess of five sentences or the one stipulated picture, will they be disqualified?

[Adam]

Wi

Will we be sticking to the original rules of the contest? For instance, if someone garners enough votes to put them in the top 15, but they submitted in excess of five sentences or the one stipulated picture, will they be disqualified?

Unfortunately, yes those entries will have to be disqualified to be fair to everyone who followed the rules.

[gedasst]

Don't waste money on any UV or nano-super-duper filters for protection.
For protection of front lens use hood.

Chance to front filter can protect Your lens if You dropped camera is 1:1'000'000.
If You drop lens (especially plastic) - is chance 1:2, to your optical axis is changed - no one filter can help.

Chance, to filter change your lenses work is 1:1, because any filter is piece of glass (or even plastic) and:
1. Changing optical construction of lens;
2. Flatting front element;
2. Increasing reflections and flare, especially with front artificial light;
3. Changing work of autofocus.

Use filters only, when is necessary - gradient, CR-PL, ND, or during rain, sand storm, etc...

P.S. Personally tested on many lenses with Hoya HMC, Schneider and other expensive filters.

You Tube

You Tube

[fotograffiti]

Don't waste money on any UV or nano-super-duper filters for protection.
For protection of front lens use hood.

This is a debate that has been going on for a hundred years. I just bought two of those rubber extendo-hoods for my M-28mm and my Mamiya-Sekor 55mm. I don't use "protective" filters—often don't even put the cap on when the hood is extended.

The only exception to this that I see might be a skylight filter if you're shooting film; you might even want to leave that filter on the lens forever. But with digital bodies, even using vintage lenses?

This is my MO and it works for me: Leave the "protective" filters off your lenses and your hood on.

[gedasst]

if you're shooting film

On film - UV, Skylight and other making different.

[cloud cave]

As someone who is new to close-up and macro photography I find that when photographing flowers and plants, there's an added level of interest when capturing them after a thunderstorm or an early morning dew.

Or, always carry a small spray bottle filled with water! Add interest yourself and give nature a helping hand.