Taking photographs is fun, or for some of us it is work as well. Over the years we learn things, develop techniques and realise that often we get things wrong. Even now, I can go into a shoot and realise I have forgotten to format an SD card, or charge the battery etc. These 20 tips should help you on your way.
20 Tip Top Tips
01. Be prepared the day before – Forget all the worry and charge all your batteries the day before a shoot, if there is one thing that you can’t recover from, it is not having enough battery power!
02. Format your SD cards once your batteries are charged – There’s nothing worse than being mid-shoot and a card fills up unexpectedly. Always check before you leave that your card is empty, no matter how large your cards capacity!
03. Make sure you make the most of your User Quick Settings – These allow you, to at the touch of a button set you camera settings to a default. It’s handy to make the first setting for general shots (perhaps base ISO, film type etc), another setting for fast objects, another for low light etc.
04. Make it routine to check your dials on your camera – So many people wonder why they are shooting black and white, or burst shooting etc. Set all your dials before you make a start. It is so easy to accidently turn your aperture ring, and it is something you may just not notice.
05. Make sure you have your electric horizon turned on! If you don’t have an electric horizon, use the focus points as guidelines – Straighter photos means less cropping!
06. Make sure you have your live Histogram turned on! – You can keep an eye on your highlights and shadows. Of course, you do not have to rely on it, but make sure you check it.
07. Use live Exposure & live White Balance in your EVF – See what you shoot before you shoot it. If you can see that the image is too dark, or the white balance looks wrong before you even press your shutter button, it will go a long way to helping you getting things right in camera.
08. Take shots with your mobile device of subjects or compositions you really like – Sometimes it helps to see the view through a bigger screen and take test shots quickly with your mobile.
09. Choose a focal length for the day (on a per subject basis if necessary) and stick to it – keep it consistent and your work will look better. Have a plan in mind, consistency with focal lengths just looks more professional
10. Take multiple shots from multiple angles – Use burst mode when possible, you can never take too many shots. Forget about those people who say it’s just “spray and pray”, when you are making money, or just want to ensure you get the shot of a lifetime, you can never take too many shots. You can be mindful and use a burst mode when it is needed.
11. Move around, use your feet not your lens to zoom where possible – Honestly, this advice should be taught to every photographer. You see so many of them standing in one spot and missing out on so many composition ideas!
12. Use your gut instincts – They are usually right, and those photos will usually be the best.
13. Don’t be afraid to try something new – If you have an idea, try it, it’s the only way you’ll learn. Maybe you’ve never used a certain filter, a tripod, a setting etc. Whatever it is, do not be afraid to try something out of your comfort zone.
14. Don’t be afraid to use any mode you want in your camera – If it means you get the shot because you flicked your switch to fully automatic, don’t worry about it because nobody knows or cares. Stop believing the bullshit that professional photographers always use manual mode, we don’t! Spend time with us an you’ll see we use what is needed, when it is needed.
15. Take a break – Make sure you have a snack and fluids and take a break. You’ll see things differently after that.
16. Don’t “chimp” – Looking consistently back at your photos means you’re missing an opportunity. By all means check your first shot of the day to check everything is working, but after that, try and concentrate on the photography.
17. Make sure you take your images off your card as soon as possible, then look through them – Get your photos backed up as soon as you can, just look over them, perhaps do some minor edits, then leave them for a short while. Your brain will have chance to digest what you’ve taken and you’ll have better ideas for post processing.
18. If you want an image to be proud of, think what it would look like on your wall – This one is most important. If you want to improve your photography, think how an image will look on a wall. Sometimes they can look great on a computer or phone screen, but picture them on a wall. People will request your work of they can picture it on their wall. Print out a few A4 images to try it out.
19. Move on – The lifespan of an image you think is awesome it’s just a few minutes or a few hours to a maybe a day on social media, longer on your website and infinitely longer when printed. Don’t dwell on your images if you don’t intend to print them.
20. Enjoy your photographing – If you’re happy photographing something, you’ll take better photos because you’re interested. If others are shooting landscape around you and you don’t care for that, photograph them, or do some macro.
Conclusion
As important as your gear is, your biggest friend (and your biggest enemy) is your state of mind. Preparation is key, having a plan and taking the time to just check your settings, surroundings and composition ideas.
Some people will always say, “stop listening to others advice and just go out and shoot!”. That sums them up nicely, they have no idea that for many people, photography is not an everyday thing, and lessons are learned. Hopefully the above tips will be useful.
If you have any tips, please feel free to share them below, and don’t forget to subscribe, like and look through the website!
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My name is Mark G Adams and I run Photography By Mark G Adams. I am a professional photographer from South Wales, shooting weddings, events and portraits as well as running meets and workshops. For fun I like to shoot landscapes, wildlife and occasionally do street photography. Enjoy my website as I share my knowledge learned over decades of working and having fun in photography. Feel free to like, comment and subscribe!
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Some great tips here Mark, especially to transfer images from camera to computer or hard drive. I back mine up each day, even when I travel and carry a passport drive with me to keep a second backup. Have a great day. Allan
Thanks Allan. Too many people simply don’t back up enough, and it’s scary! Have a great week.
Excellent Mark, thanks, shared to mastodon.scot
Thank you very much Brian 🙏
Great list, Mark! I especially like tip 10. I take short bursts because this increases the chance of getting a nice, sharp photo. And I like having a choice at home where I can pick the best shot. My favourite tip has to be number 20. In fact, my subjects have changed over the years: from sunsets, through landscapes, to wildlife. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you very much. It’s surprising the amount of people who simply won’t use a burst mode at all! Take care Mike 🙏
Cheers, Mark! It really is worth using. All the best! 🙏