Do You Have a Photography Checklist? You Should. Here is a Quick Start

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• Do You Have a Photography Checklist? You Should. Here is a Quick Start
• Interesting Photo of the Day: Man vs. Fish
• Photography Q&A with a Nikon Pro Photojournalist

Do You Have a Photography Checklist? You Should. Here is a Quick Start Posted: 05 Jun 2013 03:21 PM PDT Modern DSLRs have so many features that it is sometimes difficult to keep track of all the settings. One of my biggest concerns is that a shot will be ruined because some switch was not in the correct setting for what I wanted to create. I don’t want to be like the wedding photographer that shot an entire wedding with the camera set to the small JPEG setting. “wedding photo” captured by Konstantin Koreshkov (Click Image to See More From Konstantin Koreshkov) To help ensure that such things are unlikely to happen, I decided to take a lesson from the way pilots operate. Pilots don’t just jump in the pilot’s seat and take off. Instead, they have a list of items that they check. Similarly, photographers can have a list of things to check before starting a photo session. Thus, the subject of this article is creating a photographer’s list of things to check to make sure that everything is done right. Camera Items to Check Sensor: Is the sensor free of dust? Lens: Are the lenses and filters clean? Battery: Is there enough power in the battery? Are spare batteries easily accessible? Memory: Is there enough space on the memory card? Are spare memory cards easily accessible? Image Recording Quality: Is the image quality set properly? “Morning Glow” captured by Debra Vanderlaan (Click Image to See More From Debra Vanderlaan) Image Settings: If not shooting raw, are the image settings set properly? ISO: Is the proper ISO for the shot selected? White Balance: Is the white balance set correctly? Metering Mode: Is the proper metering mode selected? Shooting Mode: Is the camera in the correct shooting mode (e.g., fully automatic, manual, aperture priority, or shutter priority)? Drive Mode: Is the drive mode set properly (e.g., single or continuous shooting)? Auto focus: Is the auto focus turned on? Scene Items to Check Image Periphery: Are any objects protruding into the image from the periphery? Objects in the Image: Are there any unwanted objects (e.g., an old beer can) in the image? Tripod Items to Check Camera Level: Is the camera level (this is best done with a bubble level)? Tripod Levers/Knobs: Have all of the tripod levers/knobs been tightened? Tripod Weighted: If desired, has the tripod been weighted? Remote Switch: If desired, has a remote switch been connected to the camera? Mirror Lockup: If desired, has the mirror lockup been enabled? “Tidal Pools” captured by Debra Vanderlaan (Click Image to See More From Debra Vanderlaan) Summary That’s pretty much it. At some point, this all becomes automatic. Until then, it is not a bad idea to memorize your list. About the Author Ron Bigelow (www.ronbigelow.com) has created an extensive resource of articles to help develop photography skills. Go to full article: Do You Have a Photography Checklist? You Should. Here is a Quick Start What are your thoughts on this article? Join the discussion on Facebook or Google+ Article from: PictureCorrect Photography Tips

Interesting Photo of the Day: Man vs. Fish Posted: 05 Jun 2013 01:10 PM PDT Sometimes photographers just get lucky. They’re in the right place at the right time to capture a once-in-a-lifetime image. This is one of those moments. In this gravity-defying shot captured off the island of Maré in New Caledonia, an French territory and archipelago in the Pacific Ocean, we see a man engaged in traditional spearfishing, suspended parallel above clear aqua water, forever frozen in a key moment of his battle against a large fish. Did he get it? Spearfishing off of Maré Island, New Caledonia (Click for larger size, Imgur) Taken by photographer Stéphane Ducandas, the photo was originally submitted to the 2011 National Geographic Traveler photo contest under the category of “Spontaneous Moments” (Via Reddit) Capturing unexpected moments — ones that are surprising, or extraordinary, or stunningly beautiful — is one of the joys of photography, so always be on the lookout; you never know when you’ll encounter a once-in-a-lifetime photo opportunity. Go to full article: Interesting Photo of the Day: Man vs. Fish What are your thoughts on this article? Join the discussion on Facebook or Google+ Article from: PictureCorrect Photography Tips

Photography Q&A with a Nikon Pro Photojournalist Posted: 05 Jun 2013 10:44 AM PDT There are those who dream and those who do. When it comes to photography, David Dare Parker is obviously the latter. A photojournalist of 28 years, he has covered conflicts and other social issues across the Middle East, Europe, Asia, and Australia. His work has graced the pages of several international publications, including The New York Times and TIME Magazine. As part of Nikon’s In Focus series, the brand ambassador offers insights into his photographic process in the video below (for those of you reading this by email, the interview can be seen here): Being a Nikon photographer, David is all praises for the flagship Nikon D4 full-frame camera and its incredible low-light performance, saying “I can go anywhere, I can shoot in the dark.” He gamely answers reader-submitted questions from photographers of less experience: When shooting leisurely, what is your favorite subject? What do you tell people before taking a photo of them? Do you carry your camera wherever you go? To me, it gets more insightful when he is asked questions that pertain to the conflict photography side of the job: What’s been the most volatile situation you’ve ever had to shoot in? “Over the years I’ve been shot at, I’ve had film confiscated at gunpoint, I’ve been detained, I’ve had a machete thrown through a glass door… But as yet, I’ve had no serious personal injury. So far so good. But it is part of the risk. It’s not something you expect when you go out on the field, but it’s something you should have some sort of preparation for. You should have a good knowledge in first aid, at least. Understand applying a pressure bandage can save your’s or somebody else’s life so you should be well-equipped if you’re gonna take on these assignments or jobs. I guess the real skill in this is being able to work under pressure and not take it personally.” When shooting a conflict, do you find yourself  picking one side over the other or can you remain bipartisan? “To be a photojournalist, you have to be a human being first. In the times and stories you’re covering, it’s hard to be bipartisan. You find yourself taking sides. What you’re trying to do is reveal what’s happening in front of you… I’m not trying to influence an event, I’m just trying bring people to it. I still believe what we’re trying to do is to reveal that, the truth, and not color it up. Try to stick to the facts. That’s about as bipartisan as I can be.” When asked for the best advice, he quotes Arthur Felig’s “f/8 and be there.” and Roberto Capa’s “If your photographs aren’t good enough, you’re not close enough.” To which he adds, “You can’t take a good photograph from a hotel room or the back of car. You got to be in the moment, in close.” Good words from one who has been there and certainly done that. Go to full article: Photography Q&A with a Nikon Pro Photojournalist What are your thoughts on this article? Join the discussion on Facebook or Google+ Article from: PictureCorrect Photography Tips

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