"Last Light" taken in Baja, CA
- Go out when the light is interesting. Sunrise, Sunset, "the Golden Hour," Storms, Misty Days, ect...
- Remember that light makes your picture. If you start to think about photographing light versus the subject you will probably surprise yourself.
- If you can, always have a tripod and shutter release cable with you. You never know.
- Pick subjects that are interesting and that get you excited. If you aren't excited, then your pictures probably won't be exciting either.
- If you are going to shoot something that is photographed a lot (monuments, tourist attractions, sunsets, ect) think about a way that would make the shot different from everyone else's. Use an ultra wide angle lens, go when the light is especially interesting, take the shot from a unique angle, experiment and have fun.
- Shoot a lot of pictures. The great thing about digital is that you never run out of film. Shoot, shoot, shoot and edit later. I probably have one shot that I really love for every fifty I take. Get the picture?
- Preview your images if you are unsure about exposure or composition. Be aware though, this will burn your battery faster than normal, so if you're on the tail end of your battery life, don't hit that preview button.
- If you aren't sure about the right exposure, BRACKET!!!! The camera is smart, but you are smarter.
- Remember that taking the picture is only half the battle. Making a nice print is something completely different. Make sure you have a program that you feel comfortable using to get the most out of every picture you take. Look at a digital file as a negative. Many times cameras do a great job of getting a good shot, but it's in your digital darkroom where extra fine tuning can be done, to make a great picture outstanding.
- BACK UP ALL YOUR FILES!!!!!!!!!!! If your computer crashes or gets a virus you may loose everything. I highly recommend owning an external hard drive with duplicates of all your work. Can you imagine loosing every picture that you have ever shot?
"Dry Creek Sunrise" taken in the Dry Creek Wine Country, CA
Tags: advice 
• baja • camera • digital • dry creek • equipment • help • instruction • list • photograph • photography • shot • sunrise • teach • teaching • technique • tips • top 10 • wine country
