Are you guilty of some of the most common mistakes made by photographers? Time to quiz yourself:
The Gear-Are your batteries charged? We can’t think of something more frustrating than being out on a shoot, ready to capture some beautiful shots, then having your device die because you forgot to charge the night before. Make a habit of packing spare, fully charged batteries in your camera bag every time you’re traveling for a shoot to avoid this disaster.
Is your memory card full? Another bummer. Every time you return from a shoot, especially if you took a ton of shots, make sure to remove your CF card and wipe it. Again, if possible, try to keep a few spares in your bag just in case.
Is your gear clean? Take the time to browse the internet and learn the right way to clean and prepare your gear. Follow any care instructions given to you when you purchase something new, and add a cleaning routine to your work process to keep your devices working their best.
Do you take good care of your gear while you’re out on a shoot? Remember to take advantage of helpful tools like rain covers when you’re working in harsh conditions. Again, it would be a shame for your gear to be working less than optimally simply because you got careless with your upkeep routine.
The Process-NYIP mentor Chris Corradino said it best. "When traveling and moving from place to place quickly, it’s tempting to get the shot and move on to see the next thing," he shares.
"This pace can make it difficult to be creative however, and try new things. A better approach involves slowing down, and spending more time to really observe and connect with the subject. Photography it seems, can lead to more than just a set of photos, but also life experiences and knowledge. That’s one of the underestimated parts of being a photographer, and something that’s too easy to lose sight of. By studying subjects through the lens, it leads to a deeper understanding of the world around you. No subject is insignificant as we’re all connected no matter how many miles apart." If you’re in a major rush, what are the odds that you aren’t really spending careful time adjusting your settings to create the best composition of whatever you’re shooting? Trust us, a few moments spent making helpful adjustments before the shot will save you much more post production time soon down the road.
