Photo Tip Friday: Be Prepared to Take Great Photos

by Mary Denman  @MaryDenman

If you've been doing photography for any length of time, you've probably found yourself in a situation where you weren't prepared for a great photographic opportunity. 

I know I have. Kind of like a fisherman's story about the fish that got away. I have one of those too! 

So, what photography tips can you learn from my mistakes?

Let's get started! 


TIP 1: BE PREPARED. CARRY YOUR CAMERA WITH YOU. 

This may seem obvious, but you can't take any shots without a camera. New smart phones can function as your camera, but carrying your DSLR or Point & Shoot allows you more control. Personally, I carry my Canon with me regularly. It's amazing the opportunities I find to take pictures while going to the doctor's office or driving my kids somewhere. You may even see my by the side of the road taking photos. 

TIP 2: CHECK YOUR BATTERY LIFE BEFORE YOU NEED IT. 

You know how frustrating it is to get ready to take a spectacular shot, only to have your camera shut down because the battery is drained. Yes, I've learned this hard way. Which leads me to the next tip.

TIP 3: BUY GOOD SPARE BATTERIES.

Whether you use Double A batteries or a particular brand like Canon or Nikon, have spare batteries charged and ready to use. I tried a knock-off brand battery for my Canon because it was so cheap. I got what I paid for which means not much. So, spend the money and get high quality back-up batteries. Drop them in your purse or in the camera bag. 

TIP 4: GET A SPARE BATTERY CHARGER, ESPECIALLY ONE FOR YOUR CAR.

In this case, you might be able to get a cheaper charger than the manufacture's charger. Just be aware it might take longer to charge the battery. I left a charger at a friend's house 1 hour away. Without the back-up charger, I would had to of driven 2 hours just to get it back. Too, having one for your car can be a life saver. If I've been out shooting for a while, it's awesome to be able to recharge the battery while I'm driving to the next location, 

TIP 5: MAKE SURE YOU HAVE ENOUGH SPACE ON YOUR CARD.

It's no fun to run out of room on your card and have to delete some shots just to take another. 

TIP 6: KEEP A SPARE CARD WITH YOU. 

• Why? Because the cards can become corrupt and stop working. 
• Also, this is especially helpful when traveling. While in Italy with my husband, we didn't want to carry the computer with us. So we needed enough cards to be able to just take pictures and not have to worry about down-loading them.

TIP 7: DON'T DELETE PHOTOS OFF THE CARD FROM YOUR COMPUTER. ONLY DELETE THEM IN CAMERA. 

Why? Letting the computer program delete the photos off the card can possibly corrupt it. After putting the shots on your computer, the program will usually as, "Keep the photos or delete them?" Keep them on the camera. THEN delete them with the camera. 

TIP 8: IF YOU CAN INSERT THE CARD DIRECTLY TO YOUR COMPUTER INSTEAD OF USING A USB CORD TO YOUR CAMERA, THE BETTER IT IS. 

Why? It saves your camera battery strength and it's FASTER! I was thankful when the Apple guy told me this trick. Downloading is so much easier now. 

The big lesson is to think ahead so you're always ready to get the great shots! 

One thing I love about photography is that it's so visual. But another thing is that it can illustrate lessons you can apply to other areas of your life. 

Because lots of you are also bloggers, I want to share how today's photography tips can help you BLOG BETTER:

• Be prepared for blogging. 
• Take your blog with you mentally and look for inspiration around you.
• If you can, write 2 or 3 posts at the same time and have a spare post in reserve.
• Make sure you have enough memory and write down post ideas when they strike. 

I hope these tips help! 
Keep on clicking.
Mary

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