Incident Light Meter --
Use a styrofoam coffee cup over your lens (note: styrofoam cups are different thicknesses, therefore you may wish to "calibrate" this approach using the f/16 rule on a clear sunny day). Stand where the subject will be, use the camera on manual and set the exposure to the reading of the light diffused through the cup, then walk back to your spot to take the picture.
Ice Chest Camera Bag --
Use an ice chest as a camera bag for your equipment and film when you’re at the pool or
beach and want protection from the water and sun. It offers heat pro-tection in the car on hot days too.
Security may also be enhanced - most thieves wouldn’t think of stealing an ice chest!
Carry a Compass - Keep a compass in your camera bag. When exploring new areas you can determine the direction of sunrise and sunset to help visualize the direction of lighting at different times of the day. Our Sun Bearings CheatSheets can help too.
Step up, or take a seat - A lightweight folding step stool is handy for gettng above the crowd and keeping heads in the near forground out of the shot. Conversely, a simple 3-leg fold up camping stool lets you sit while shooting from a lower vantage point.
Use your lens hood -- Most photographers only use lens hoods when they're shooting into the sun to prevent flare. But the hood also improves contrast, even when the sun is behind you. Objects anywhere in front of you reflect sunlight that can enter your lens, reducing the contrast of your images. A lens hood is the most effective way to minimize this stray light.
Stuck Filter -- Having a filter on your lens that won't come off is a common problem. The solution? Stretch a rubber band over the rim of the filter to improve your grip. Usually, the filter will come off easily.
Day Becomes Night -- To make a picture taken during the day look like one taken at night under moonlight, try using the following filters, and expose for the highlights in the scene:
- light blue filter (82C)
- light red filter (10R)
- polarizer
Use Reflections at Night -- To achieve a sense of depth in night shots and avoid "flat" looking pictures, try to include
reflections of lights on water or other reflective surfaces.
"Red eye" Preflash for Indoor Photography -- If you're taking an indoor shot, use the “red eye” reduction feature of your built in flash - even if there aren’t going to be people in the picture. When you take the picture, watch to see if there are any reflecting surfaces. If there are, move to a different position and take a second shot.
Unusual Wedding Photo -- Use a full-frame fisheye and take a picture of the bride & groom seated in the back seat of a limo from the front seat. Because the wedding couple is in the center of the picture, they are pretty much undistorted. However, the limo will appear to be blocks long.
Flash for Snowflakes -- To show snowflakes in a winter scene, pick a viewpoint with a dark background for the flakes and use flash to brighten the flakes without affecting the rest of the scene.
Shooting from a plane -- For the best results, don't rest your hands, shoulders or elbows on any part of the plane - let your body cushion the plane's vibrations. Hold the lens as close to the window as you can without touching it. During landings or takeoffs, use a shutter speed of 1/200 sec or faster. At other times, a 1/100 sec shutter speed will be adequate.