Outdoor Photography Tips - That Shiny Round Thing Is The Lens...

Here's a stunning concept to get a grip on before you buy that $4,000 middle of the range Canonikon. The first rule of outdoor photography is... Go outdoors!

Imagine this: You just sent your credit card into cardiac arrest. You have a beautiful black beast THAT NO ONE IS ALLOWED TO TOUCH! It's probably going to sit in your
cupboard until it becomes obsolete (and has zero resale value) so GET OUT THERE AND TAKE LOTS OF SHOTS!

If you're going to sit at home and read articles like this one you're really missing the point. Don't read any further, get your butt out of that chair right now, grab the camera, go outside, and shoot what you see.

But it's night time...

So? This is the DIGITAL age! Here's the first tip:

Shoot What You See.
You can shoot anything you can see and fix it in the computer later. YOU see the photos - the camera doesn't. So, it's night. Night shots can look stunning. Shoot the cityscape (it's outdoors isn't it?). Shoot your own house with the big yellow moon behind it. Shoot people shopping. Shoot your local park with mist shrouding the ground and shafts coming down from the streetlights... Just GO OUT AND SHOOT!

Here are some more very basic tips:

Get A Camera.
You probably already have one, but if you haven't, go buy one. Don't spend a fortune. The bottom of the range Sony Cybershots are excellent little cameras for beginners that take great pictures.

Shoot Lots Of Pictures.
Do I need to explain this? This is what cameras are for. They don't survive for long in captivity... They DO take photographs.

Read The Manual That Came With The Camera.
No, really? Oh, yes, Grasshopper. Those manuals are jam-packed full of useful stuff. You have NO IDEA what your camera can do until you study the manual. No kidding!

Put A Skylight Or UV (Ultraviolet) Filter On It.
Outdoors you can get dust, pollen, mist, water on your lens. Lenses are expensive, filters are cheap. So get a filter on the lens fast and if you have to clean things, clean the filter while the lens stays protected.

Buy Another Battery.
Don't be a wimp. Just buy another battery and keep it charged.

Buy Another Memory Stick.
Ditto.

Get Some Kind Of Real Software For Editing Your Shots.
Most cameras come with a CD of software and it's specifically designed for people with low expectations. I always go back to Photoshop Whatever or Corel Something. You usually can't fix a shot if it is blurred, out of focus, or seriously over-exposed (too pale or whitish) or under-exposed (too dark) images. But you can always try...

Get A Tripod.
Some purists say you shouldn't leave home without one. If you want a love/hate relationship, buy a cheap one. A tripod's main purpose is to eliminate blurred images due to camera movement. Unless you have trained as a Special Forces sniper, when your shutter speed goes below 1/60th of a second, you'll probably get camera movement. Think wisely before purchasing...Remember that you have to carry it around with you.

Polarizing Filter.
These filters work the same as Polaroid sunglasses. They eliminate reflections off water, shiny objects and so on. The air is full of water particles, so... When you see a shot with a vivid blue sky, it is usually because the photographer used a polarizing filter.

Other Nifty Filters And Stuff.
Where do you stop once you've started? If you want to be a perfectionist about Outdoor Photography - or if you want to do it semi-professionally - just take the family down to your camera shop and ask if they will do a trade-in. Who knows? Anyway, most filter effects can be fudged in a decent photo editing program.

Shoot It Now - Fix It Later.
Dr Photo Editing Software can treat most illnesses. Don't hesitate - shoot it now! Don't wait for a better moment. THIS is the better moment. Shoot now, repent later.

He Who Hesitates...Can Always Go Back The Next Day.
Shoot lots of pictures. (Did I already mention this?) The only really bad picture is the one you missed because you hesitated. But everyone blows it at some time. Don't panic. Just go back the next day. Maybe the shot will still be there. Maybe there'll be a better one. Maybe you really blew it. Go somewhere else and keep shooting.

Cameras are built to take photos. Make yours happy.