Some Tips from the book (Part 1): 500 Digital SLR Hints, Tips and Techniques

As I have finished the book, and I am now due to return it to the library, I’d take note of some of the hints, tips and techniques that I think would matter to beginners in the DSLR photography world.

1. Time and Date: set your camera’s time and date to follow the time zone you are in, which makes most sense when you are travelling. Reset when you come back.
2. Do a full charge of your battery. If ever being tempted to immediately use your camera right out of the box, hold your horses. The beneficial impact will be realized in the long(-er) run.
3. Battery life. Keep your battery warm. Keep it close to your body when shooting in cold places. That way they won’t be discharged fast. And always follow the battery usage instructions closely to extend their life.
4. Switch off unused features. Turn off any features that you don’t necessarily need, such as the automatic preview function. This will help maximize the battery’s life.
5. Conserve power. Another way to conserve battery power on lengthy shoots is to switch off the camera when it is not in use.
6. Memory devices: size does matter. The trade-off between bigger size is the risk of losing all photos all at the same time, and the other one is a frequent change during shoots. Knowing the pros and cons, the choice is all yours to make.
7. Photo file type. Professional photographers usually use RAW file type, while beginning photographers settle for JPEG or TIFF, and the likes. Some go for both. JPEG usually gives you more room for more photos, while RAW gives you more freedom and flexibility when doing photo editing. Your level and need should dictate your choice.
8. Photo size. The print size is what usually mandates which photo file size you are using. Other than that, it is the usage, such as in the web, where at the sacrifice of clearer pictures (when enlarged), smaller files are easier to upload and download.
9. Microdrive, SD and CompactFlash. Microdrive is utilizing mechanical parts, while SD and CF cards are all solid-state devices. Mechanical parts are prone to wear and tear; that will make SD and CF cards more reliable. Do take note, however, that these are not faultless devices.
10. SD and CF Cards Class. If you have a choice, and if you can afford it, go for the higher class rating of these cards, especially if your interest in photography requires speed. The higher class rating means a higher speed in reading/writing on the cards. Besides, DSLR photography hobbyists shouldn’t be overly stingy.
11. Format before use. When using your memory card for the first time, make sure to format it.
12. X-ray machines. Memory cards are not affected by x-ray machines, so that should not be your worry when passing through the airport scanners, even the powerful ones.
13. Review only what you need to. Turn off that auto-review function. Check only what you need to check. That will help conserve the battery life.
14. Review using zoom. The small LCD screen will easily fool you into ‘seeing’ that the picture taken is already tack sharp, but that isn’t always the case. Zoom in 2 to 3 levels, and you’ll know the real score.
15. What you see isn’t really what you get. Don’t think that the LCD display is your final viewing screen. It is always wise to do your final edits using computers.
16. Watch the highlights. Check if any part of the picture is burned out, so you can retake if necessary, unless that section is the sun, or any other bright source – which is a valid burn out.
17. Use the histogram. Check that none of the highlights that you wanted in the photo is missing by using the histogram. No matter how powerful or complex your photo editor is, it simply can’t recover what isn’t there.
18. Delete as you shoot. When a picture is poorly composed, better have it deleted. Keep only those that counts. You’ll be saving yourself time to clean-up later. Also, you’ll be surprised ‘how good’ your pictures are!
19. When to use single-frame advance. Stationary objects, such as still life, certain forms of macro photography, and landscapes, rarely require multiple-frame advances. Set the shooting mode to single frame.
20. When to use continuous-frame advance. If your subject is moving or in a dynamic environment, such as during a high-speed sporting event, then selecting continuous-frame advance will help to ensure that you don’t miss any of the action.
21. Photographing people. Apply these settings when shooting people (if they apply to your camera):

• Color space = sRGB (natural skin tones)
• Sharpening = normal (medium level)
• Tone = normal (medium level) in  average light, or slightly less than normal in bright conditions.

To be continued…

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