Thought I’d share a few things that are so obvious to experienced photographers that they never think of sharing them !
The best time to shoot night shots is not at night ? One of the problems of shooting once the sun disappears is that the contrast of a scene is increased and the continuous tonality of scenes is reduced , shooting when it feels too light to shoot a night shot and a blueness remains in the sky is the optimum opportunity to make “Night Shots” , it doesn’t last long so be ready and work fast during dusk !
Don’t buy expensive lenses and then fail to use a lens hood , those of you who want to exploit the resulting flare as an effect by not using a hood can save piles of cash by using shit glass in the first place ?
The old rule of using shutter speeds that match your lens focal length to reduce camera shake is less true than it once was , it should be remembered that a 50mm lens is a effective 75mm lens on a cropped digital sensor , therefore a speed of 1/80th of sec would be preferable to a speed of 1/60th of a sec in old money , with longer focal length lenses this really matters , its not all bad news though , cameras and lenses with inbuilt image stabilisation never fail to surpass my cynical expectations ?
Switch it off and switch it on again is a great rule of thumb for the twenty first century , it works with your camera too ! I’ve found that digital cameras seem to get lost in themselves when heavily used on hot days , removing the battery without switching off can often help the camera reboot itself , quickly ! No guarantees , be careful , this is not without risk , it works for me …
My Street Photography is carried out with one lens one camera , I use a 20mm fixed focal length lens ( 30mm Equiv ) on a cropped sensor camera for almost everything , if I’m shooting thick and fast at a festival or carnival I will carry a second camera and lens , I do not usually have a different lens on the second “Backup” camera as the spare camera is exactly that “Spare” it is fitted with the same lens as the camera in use , it might sound obvious but cameras / batteries only ever fail when your using them and sods law over-rides all other laws , failure only occurs when the shot of the day is in front of you and you don’t have time to change bodies, lenses or batteries !
I need a identical set up with fresh batteries at hand all of the time not a spare camera with a different lens , this belt and braces approach is a carryover from my professional practice , in short if you can, buy two copies of your camera body and prime lens !
This might appear to be over the top to those of you who have not missed the money shot or the shot of a lifetime yet , it also covers you when servicing or repairs are necessary ?
I hope one of these “Top Tips” makes a difference to your next shoot , it might actually justify you buying a second set up , just like the one you already use ?
A spare set up saves the day every now and then , its surprising how some shoots try to sabotage themselves ? Lens hoods keep more than stray rays out ! !
David Barrett shot the pandemic crisis during 2020, The Testing Times project is in progress and can be seen by clicking above .
The State Of Britain series is complete, it explores everyday life during the Brexit era and gives visual insights into British identity, aspirations and post-truth uncertainty .....
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He is based in the South West of England .