50 Tips from 50 Years Behind a Camera

I picked up my first camera in September, 1966. In the five decades since then, I’ve come to understand a number of truisms about the art and craft of picture taking.

The following are 50 tips I’ve compiled, based on my professional and personal experiences shooting with film and digital cameras, ranging from 8mm Minox spy cameras to 20 x 24" studio salon cameras.

My list is broken down into two sections: Basic and Advanced. Some of these tips are obvious, others less so, but they all hold true as guides for better picture-taking habits.

Basic

1. Read the manual. Your camera should be transparent to you and intuitive to use. Even seasoned pros don’t know everything about their new cameras.

2. Open your eyes better cameras do not make you a better photographer. If you’re not visually attuned, your choice of camera is inconsequential.

3. Unless your subject can maul you, get closer. Tight close-ups have better visual dynamics. If you prefer more personal space between you and your subject, use a telephoto macro lens.

4. Can’t get closer? Try cropping. Today’s higher-resolution cameras allow you to crop deeper into the frame with less impact on image quality. (Bonus tip! Yes—it’s OK to crop. If anybody tells you otherwise, have them to talk to me.)

5. Want to isolate your subject from the foreground and background? Shoot at wider apertures.

6. Want maximum depth of focus? Stop your lens down to smaller apertures.

7. It’s far better to take fewer, strong photographs than lots of so-so photographs.

8. Don’t chimp. It’s counterproductive. Stare at your pictures when you get home.

9. The “correct” exposure isn’t always the best exposure. Sometimes lighter or darker is preferable.

10. The best light occurs during the first and last hour of daylight. And don’t forget the half-hour preceding sunrise and half-hour after sunset to make sure to bring a tripod for that. 

11. Turn off Auto White Balance when taking pictures during the first and last hour of the day. AWB tends to neutralize the magical golden light that made you take out your camera in the first place.

12. Midday sun is picture-friendly during winter months and dreadful during summer months.

13. Be patient. Sometimes you have to wait for the photograph (or the light) to happen. Some things cannot be forced or faked.

14. Taking great photos on sunny days is easy, but not so easy on cloudy days. On cloudy days, try warming the scene by setting the white balance to the Cloudy or Overcast icons, or by adjusting the Kelvin rating.

15. Clean your lenses regularly and always have a lens cleaning cloth within arm’s reach.

16. Always breathe on the lens surface or moisten the lens cloth with a few drops of lens cleaner before cleaning lens elements. Never dry-clean a lens and never apply cleaning solutions directly onto the lens—only on the lens cloth.

17. Recharge your batteries as soon as you return from a photo shoot.

18. Insure your gear. Make sure your cameras and lenses are insured against theft under your business or homeowner’s policy. Many plans can also cover you when traveling—check with your agent.

19. Purchasing clean used or refurbished gear is a good option for stretching your budget.

20. Before you buy another lens, master the lens(es) you already own.

21. Adjust your diopter. Even if you rely on autofocus, make sure your diopter is properly adjusted for your eye.

22. Aim your camera face-down when changing lenses. Dust falls downward, not upward. Let gravity work in your favor.

23. Use a tripod whenever possible. Tripods guarantee sharp pictures and allow you to move about without affecting the camera position.

24. Turn image stabilization off when using a tripod to prevent damaging the IS mechanism.

25. Don’t grip telephoto lenses overhand like a binocular—palm them in your hand and tuck your elbow against your rib cage for added stability.

26. Exhale before squeezing off longer exposures. Holding your breath tenses the body and increases the pulse-rate. Exhaling relaxes the body.

27. Look at other people’s photographs—there’s always something new to learn.

28. Avoid busy backgrounds—keep things simple.

29. There’s no rule that says your subject must be centered.

Advanced / Professional Tips

30. Always pack a low-profile camera support that allows you to shoot from ground level, tabletops, and other places tripods are too large to access.

31. Color or monotone? Some pictures are all about color, while others are better in monochrome. Fortunately, digital RGB files can easily be turned into monochrome files. The trick is to know when a photograph should be black-and-white.

32. Avoid shooting from eye-level—get higher or lower for different points of view.

33. Shooting landscapes or architecture? Always pack a bubble level.

34. Whenever possible, scout your intended location beforehand. Study the light, stake out camera positions, and resolve any roadblocks that might impact your plans.

35. With the exception of protecting your front lens element, the need for filters is debatable when shooting digital. Polarizing filters, which cannot be emulated electronically, are the exception.

36. Buy the better lens. It’s invariably built better, takes better pictures, and when treated properly, can outlast your next few cameras.

37. Larger and faster or small and lighter? Is f/4 fast enough for you, or do you really need f/2.8?  Comparable lenses with a slower aperture are typically smaller, lighter, less expensive, and equally sharp (or sharper).

38. Learn how to clean your camera sensor—it’s not hard and it reduces post-capture editing time.

39. Nothing juices up a color photograph like the color red.

40. Listen to your gear. You should know the sounds of your camera and lenses, and be able to recognize when something doesn’t sound right.

41. Just as you should know the sound of your gear, you should be aware of unusual vibrations, grinding or meshing, or camera and lens controls that start feeling tight or perhaps too loose or wobbly.

42. Shooting in sandy, gritty, wet, and/or windblown environments? Clean your gear before heading out on another adventure. Empty your camera bag and vacuum every pocket, corner, and recess.

43. Originals: Unless you’re getting paid very well, never surrender original (or raw) files to anyone.

44. Got everything? Make a checklist of everything you need before heading out the door (Batteries, chargers, related cords, adapters, cable release (or remote), gaffer tape, a flashlight, a Leatherman or similar utility tool, etc.). If you say that you’ve never arrived at your destination only to find you left your memory cards at home, I won’t believe you.

45. Back up your files—all of them, and keep at least one set of backup files in the Cloud and/or a remote physical location.

46. Always make sure any software-dependent device or accessory you purchase is compatible with your computer’s current software and operating system.

47. Auto ISO is a good alternative to slowing your shutter or opening the lens when shooting under low light.

48. If you have to choose between getting a blurry low-noise image or a sharper but noisier image, choose the sharper but noisier option.

49. Before posting pictures online, embed a watermark and copyright notice.

50. Don’t start breaking the rules until you know and understand them.

There are dozens of other must-do tips for better picture taking. What are yours? I’d love to add them to my list in the Comments section, below!