Here are my top-ten last-minute tips to help you get the most from our Wilmington Photo Walk on Saturday:
1. Prepare Your Gear!
There's nothing worse than showing up for a shoot and realizing that you forgot something critical. Similarly - and this happened to me a lot - you do your on-location shoot, then get home ready to review your images, and you realize that you had a wrong setting on the camera. Examples of this would be -- the autofocus mode, the metering mode, the white balance, and others.
It's a good idea to prepare everything the night before, get a good night's sleep, and before you take off in the morning, do one last check of things.
I prepared for my photography students a handy checklist modeled after my own. I think you may find it helpful, too - whether you tend to travel with lots of camera gear or you like to keep it simple. I have a PDF version of my checklist that you may download directly by clicking on this link.
2. No SLR? Not-a-problem!
You certainly CAN do a photo shoot and win contests with a "point-and-shoot" camera and even a cellphone camera. Those of us who need tip 1 above and use lengthy checklists might be gadget geeks and have all the latest gear, but that DOES NOT assure success as a photographer! Remember, if you grasp the basic concepts of photography-- composition, exposure, and light -- you can and will make incredible images! Think of this: "it's not the violin, it's the violinist!"
3. Keep Things Simple!
As I mentioned in a previous post, there is nothing wrong with limiting your gear to one camera and one lens. When I do this on a particular shoot or trip, it forces me to be more methodical with my photography. It helps to really get down-and-dirty with the particular camera or lens and really understand how to get the most out of it.
4. Give Yourself an Assignment - and Stick To It!
When going out for a Photo Walk, an interesting approach might be to have a particular goal or theme for the shoot. Some examples: Photographing people (how about just photographing the other participants), local architecture, angles, wide-angle photography, HDR (High Dynamic Range photography), depth-of-field manipulation for selective focus, certain compositional elements (eg; circles, leading lines, etc.), or a particular color. Giving yourself such assignments can often get you out of the photographic doldrums!
5. Take lots of pictures!
There is no excuse for not taking tons of photos with today's digital cameras! These little computers with lenses allow us to capture boatloads of images at no cost. The instant feedback we get on the LCD display is one of the greatest learning tools around. It opens up many doors to creativity and experimentation. You can't fully grasp the concepts of photography without lots of practice, so go out there and shoot like a nut! Study your images during the shoot and afterwards at the computer. Analyze themetadata from your camera so you understand how the settings (aperture, shutter speed, ISO, etc) you selected affected the resulting image.
6. Make Friends; "Network."
We photographers are a geeky bunch. We love to get together to talk photo gear, the old darkroom days, get into Nikon vs Canon debates, and show each other our best images. A Photo Walk is a great opportunity to meet like-minded enthusiasts who share this passion called photography. So bring your smiles and your business cards! Get to know your fellow walkers, and join us for our"Chimp and Chew" after the walk. [If you never heard that term - Chimp - and how it relates to photography, ask me at the Walk].
7. Respect People and Property.
Although we will be photographing in a public area, please be mindful of the people around you. Be particularly careful if you choose to photograph strangers, and especially children. You will find that most people do not object to being photographed - particularly if you approach them and tell them that they have an interesting look. Ask if they wouldn't mind photographing them for your own photographic education. Remember that if you want to use images of people for publication and/or commercial use, you will need to obtain a signed release from them. A nice gesture would be to offer to mail them a copy of the photo.
As for property, one pet peave of mine is when photographers move objects (chairs, tables, trash cans, etc) to clean up a scene for a photo, and then don't replace the items back in their original places. Please be certain to leave a scene as you found it. Some property might require a release for photography as well. I don't think we need to worry about this for Saturday's shoot, but just keep it in mind.
8. Learn From Others <> Share Your Knowledge With Others.
Get to know the photographers you will shooting with. Share techniques, tips, perspectives on the scenes at hand.
9. Stay Safe!
Be aware of your surroundings as you walk around concentrating on the little monitor on the back of your camera. You don't want to end up in the Delaware River! Stay out of restricted areas while participating in the Photo Walk. Finally, stay hydrated! Bring water, and protect yourself adequately from the sun rays by using sun screen and wearing a hat.
10. Have Fun!
As with any other activity you engage in, if you don't have a good time with photography, then think about getting out of it and trying something else to give you satisfaction and a way to temporarily escape from life's pressures. Let's face it, unless you do photography professionally, you're engaging in photography because you are passionate about it. Learn by your mistakes, take things in stride, relax and enjoy this wonderful pass-time!
As always, let me know if you have any questions!
Sandro V Cuccia
Leader, New Castle Photo Walk
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