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The Rule of Thirds. Sunny 16. Always shoot in RAW. The books are full of photography tips, some
essential, others downright constrictive. But the photography tricks that border on life-changing
often aren’t the ones picked up in books and blogs but from years of shooting and trial and error.
To get the most effective pointers, we went directly to the folks who use them day-in and day-out:
Professional working photographers. Most pros like to assemble a field kit that includes some basic
supplies and accessories that they always bring with them on location. And most remember where
they came from, along with the little tricks that took them up the skill ladder.
We spoke with three pros — Caio Guatelli , Adrian Henson , and Scott Mead — to share their tried-
and-true tips and a quick breakdown of the inexpensive gear they’ve used the most over the years.
In addition, we added some of our own tips to the mix, lessons we’ve learned from years behind the
lens.
The takeaway: A pricey camera with more megapixels doesn’t make you a better photographer, just
someone who dabbles in higher resolution. But there’s more to photography gear than a good
camera and a lens. In fact, some of the best pieces of photography gear aren’t specific to
photography at all — and aren’t very expensive, either.
“One of my most consistent uses [for Gaffer’s tape] is to cover the switches on my lenses,” says
Adrian Henson, who photographs everything from senior portraits to commercial work. “Camera
manufacturers have gotten much better about making switches on lenses with a low profile, but
there are still plenty of lenses that have raised switches. I cover these with a small piece of gaffer’s
tape so that they can’t inadvertently be switched away from your desired setting. Shooting a session
with the lens set to manual focus when you thought it was in auto can be disastrous.”
Velcro the remote shutter release
A remote shutter release is a must when shooting from a tripod, says Scott Mead , a landscape and
nature photographer based in Maui, Hawaii. But fumbling for a dangling cable or wireless remote
can mean the difference between getting or losing a shot when the light is changing fast. “By
attaching a piece of industrial strength Velcro to the top of a tripod leg and the back of the remote,
you’ll always know where your remote is, and it’ll be close at hand.”
Invest in gels and a good organizer
Henson often uses colored gels on his flashes. He will buy a few of the Rosco Cinegel
Swatchbooks , for about $8 apiece, so that he has every color imaginable.
“The problem is that once you disassemble the swatchbook, the gels are impossible to keep up with.
So to manage my gels, I write the color code on the gels with a fine point Sharpie and then use a
business card organizer to store, protect, and organize them. I also pre-cut bits of gaffer’s tape to
the size I use when attaching the gels to my speedlight [flashes] and stick it all over the outside of
the organizer. This system ensures that I always have the gel color I want and the tape I need to
attach it.”
Sao Paulo, Brazil, June 18 of 2013: 50 thousand demonstrators occupied the most important places
of Sao Paulo city. (photo: Caio Guatelli)
Keep things at level ground
“When shooting on uneven terrain, it’s sometimes difficult to optically set a level horizon,” Mead
says. “Acratech makes a neat Double Axis Spirit Level that slides into the hot shoe of your camera,
making leveling your camera an easy task.”
“There’s a plethora of photography apps available for Apple and Android devices, but there’s one
that’s a must for every nature photographer: The Photographer’s Ephemeris ,” Mead says. “With its
sun and moon calendar working with Google Maps, it gives photographers satellite views of their
location, with overlays of the sun and moon’s path anywhere in the world. It’s a must for setting up a
shoot, when getting to the site a day early to scout the location isn’t possible.”
For even more great apps, check our list of the best camera apps for iPhone users and the best
photography apps for Android .
“In a pinch, you can also use clear wastebasket bags. Just poke a hole in the bottom with your
finger, and gently stretch the plastic to accommodate the end of the lens for a 15-cent solution,”
Mead adds.
“Most outdoor photography is shot in lighting conditions where the camera’s screen doesn’t faithfully
represent the tonal details, especially in the image’s shadows. Reflections on the camera’s screen
or the surrounding lights or darkness can create the sensation of incorrect exposure. The
photographer is betrayed by the misrepresentation of the shot and instantly adjusts the controls to
make the scene lighter, exposing the image more than necessary.”
Ametista do Sul, RS, Brazil, 28/02/2008, 09h08: Searching for amethyst, a semiprecious stone,
miners dig tunnels through the mountains in southern Brazil. (photo: Caio Guatelli)
He recommends using a photometer while in spot-metering mode. “Choose the lighter side of the
scene to set the metering. If you don’t have spot-metering mode, try underexposing by 2/3 and don’t
follow your camera’s screen results. Wait to check it at your computer, inside a low-light room. The
correct exposure gives the photograph more saturated color, better contrast, and has much more
room to be processed, although an image like this almost doesn’t need any manipulation.”
“I always want as much detail as possible in my images, and this requires that the exposure be as
bright as possible without blowing the highlights,” Henson says. “While the histogram is useful
information, I find that the flashing highlight feature in almost all cameras is more useful for attaining
maximum detail in my shots.”
“I will generally push my exposures right to the point where the highlights start to flash, then back off
my exposure 1/3 of a stop for my final shot,” Henson adds. “This creates a file with the most
information possible for the scene at hand.”
“Before you start shooting, you can change the factory configurations of your camera,” Guatelli
says. “Set your camera’s contrast, sharpness, saturation, and tonal adjustments. It’s almost the
same thing that old-school photographers used to do when choosing a specific kind of film. Some
used to have richer reds, others had more contrast, and others were grainy. Each situation requires
a different set of contrast, saturation, etc. Getting used to it can push your creative possibilities.”
Flash has a manual mode, too
Most new photographers learn manual modes on their way to becoming more seasoned
enthusiasts. But often too many call themselves “natural light photographers,” not because of the
nature of natural light, but because they don’t actually know how to use flash. Flash doesn’t always
result in harsh shadows and that obvious flash look. When shooting with flash in manual mode, you
can match the light in the scene to make subjects pop, and the untrained eye won’t be able to tell
you even used a flash. A manually-set flash is essential for mastering tricky lighting –like sunny
days and backlit subjects — and represents the next step after mastering exposure basics.
Unlike learning manual exposure, there’s no meter to guide you, but with some experimentation,
manual flash can be an incredible tool. Even the pop-up flash on more advanced cameras has a
manual mode, which means you don’t need to invest in a hot shoe. If you happen to have a hot
shoe, however, adding a flash diffuser will also help.
https://ph.yahoo.com/news/17-tips-tricks-better-digital-142629317.html