Every now and then, when I think of a quick photography tip, I’ll post it to my Twitter stream. As part of the Problogger 31 Days to Build a Better Blog Challenge, day two calls for participants to make a list post. I thought this would be an ideal subject for the post. So here you go, 18 bite-size photo tips:
- Wearing a white tshirt outside can be a handy fill card, to light your subjects front.
4:29 PM Dec 23rd, 2008
- Timing is critical. Practice your timing by photographing sports or people on TV. Catch interesting moments.
10:20 AM Jan 4th

- A tip re dog/cat #photog: Fisheye lens, camera on monopod, held upside down (camera near ground) remote trigger= http://is.gd/eyCf
10:25 AM Jan 5th
- Tip re changing light in timelapse. Set to manual, use natural light if you can, if artificial set exp to <60th/sec
2:23 PM Jan 5th
- If you’re a #photog and haven’t seen “The Genius of Photography” you’re missing out. Watch it here http://is.gd/fNrb
1:57 PM Jan 14th
- When buying a tripod resist the urge to get the lightest. Sturdiness is key, light=flimsy.
11:38 AM Jan 27th
- When shooting macro, focus is tough. Rough focus, then use yr body to move back/forth while looking thru viewfinder & shooting.
1:15 PM Jan 27th
- On very hot days like today, don’t leave camera gear in car or outside. The glue on rubber feet and grip rings can loosen.
9:52 PM Jan 29th
- #tip for daylight lightning #photog Stop WAY down to lengthen exp time &increase chances. Use ND or polarizer for same reason. Keep shooting
1:15 PM Jan 30th
- If you need to use a tripod, you probably should use a cable release or the self timer to minimise potential shake.
1:12 PM Feb 5th

- If stability is critical, eg for astrophotography, do not extend tripod post or legs. Shorter=stiffer=less shake.
1:15 PM Feb 5th
- Improve stiffness @ slow shutter by twisting camera slightly, like wringing a cloth. Makes grip firmer w/o shakes
12:49 AM Feb 20th
- When shooting handheld with slow shutter, shoot several frames in a burst. It dramatically increases the odds of a still shot
11:54 AM Mar 25th
- If you are one of two or more photogs at a wedding, work out who will be a “lead” to direct the action, or no one will.
1:10 PM Apr 8th
- A couple may request photos b4 ceremony. This is challenging cos the mood isn’t same. Push them to interact. Avoid if poss.
1:12 PM Apr 8th
- If friends are hanging round, get them in the photos or leave. Time chatting takes from photos, and eyelines from camera.
1:14 PM Apr 8th
- Take charge of a wedding shoot. Don’t just wander around and shoot. Suggest ideas, ask for poses. Aimless session=lame shots.
1:17 PM Apr 8th
- Pocket Wizards (or reliable flash radio remotes) are AWESOME. High reliability wireless flash shooting was a revelation for me.
1:19 PM Apr 8th
I’ll continue to offer such tips via twitter as I think of them, so be sure to follow me there. Every few months I’ll collate the new ones and post them again as a blog post.
I was inspired recently by posts of a couple of blogging friends to try a camera-on-a-stick approach. I’ve tried doing this before of course, but only hoisting the camera overhead. Their idea was to keep the camera very low, and to walk around with it. One comment they both made was that it was difficult to get a good shot, because the lenses they used weren’t as wide as they liked. I smelled another fun use for my favourite lens, the 8mm fisheye! So I stuck the camera, with fisheye and wireless shutter release on my monopod, and walked around outside with it dangerously close to the ground.
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I’m very happy with the results of this experiment! I’m very keen to try this on an interesting subject, so I think I’m going to have to keep an eye open for possible interesting subjects. Thanks for the inspiration guys!
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