# 100 tips from a professional photographer



## luvmyfamily (May 22, 2012)

My dad emailed this to me.  Loved the humor in this, this is great.....  

100 Tips from a Professional Photographer


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## HughGuessWho (May 22, 2012)

Thats a pretty good list.

15 & 45 confuse me;
15. Don't take your DSLR to parties.
45. Carry your camera with you everywhere. Everywhere.

My favorites;
16. Girls dig photographers.
72. People with DSLRS who shoot portraits with their grip pointed downwards look like morons.

My favorites on a more serious level;
71. You don't need to fly to Paris to get good photos; the best photo opportunities are in your backyard.
77. Be original in your photography. Don't try to copy the style of others.
92. Don't be afraid to take photos in the rain.
Thanks for sharing.


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## luvmyfamily (May 22, 2012)

HughGuessWho said:


> Thats a pretty good list.
> 
> 15 & 45 confuse me;
> 15. Don't take your DSLR to parties.
> ...



My favorite was #18, I have friends who know nothing about photography.  I hate when they say, "Was that photoshopped?"  So now I will always say I process my images in "The Digital Darkroom."  LOL.


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## 12sndsgood (May 22, 2012)

92. Don't be afraid to take photos in the rain.


last few weeks I had been putting off a few shoots because of the rain, then I got the idea (im know its been done milllions of times) to go ahead and shoot in the rain with an umbrella with my flashes to catch the rain etc. and since I thought of it, it hasnt rained or came close to raining since.


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## luvmyfamily (May 22, 2012)

12sndsgood said:


> 92. Don't be afraid to take photos in the rain.
> 
> 
> last few weeks I had been putting off a few shoots because of the rain, then I got the idea (im know its been done milllions of times) to go ahead and shoot in the rain with an umbrella with my flashes to catch the rain etc. and since I thought of it, it hasnt rained or came close to raining since.



I haven't attempted shooting in the rain yet, however I would love too.  Water and electronics dont mix


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## 12sndsgood (May 22, 2012)

well im thiniking at the park i can be under the shelter with my flash setup so it stays dry, have her a few feet out in the rain under the umbrella. also want to play with taping another flash up inside the umbrella to light her up. I think it would be fun.


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## HughGuessWho (May 22, 2012)

Best $6.50 you will ever spend.

Op/Tech 18" SLR Rainsleeve for Digital & Film Cameras


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## luvmyfamily (May 22, 2012)

12sndsgood said:


> well im thiniking at the park i can be under the shelter with my flash setup so it stays dry, have her a few feet out in the rain under the umbrella. also want to play with taping another flash up inside the umbrella to light her up. I think it would be fun.



That is a great idea.  One of the cutest photos I ever saw was a little girl in braids wearing a light blue raincoat, rain hat and umbrella


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## The_Traveler (May 22, 2012)

7. Always underexpose by 2/3rds of a stop when shooting in broad daylight.

this ensures that anything in a shadow is totally underexposed and unrecoverable.


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## HughGuessWho (May 22, 2012)

The_Traveler said:
			
		

> 7. Always underexpose by 2/3rds of a stop when shooting in broad daylight.
> 
> this ensures that anything in a shadow is totally underexposed and unrecoverable.



IMO that's better than blown out and unrecoverable.


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## luvmyfamily (May 22, 2012)

One of first thing said was shoot RAW, always, so if you take it down a stop, I believe it can be recovered  JMO.


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## HughGuessWho (May 22, 2012)

Without multiple exposures, (e.g. HDR, merging, etc) one or the other will be blown out, it the range is too wide. Shooting in RAW does not change that fact, it just gives you control over the exposure after the fact, whereas, if you shoot in JPEG, it is what it is, for the most part. My point, and probably that of the author of the list, is, I would rather see a picture with black lowlights than blown out highlights. That just my personal preference&#8230; your may be different.


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## The_Traveler (May 22, 2012)

HughGuessWho said:


> Without multiple exposures, (e.g. HDR, merging, etc) one or the other will be blown out, it the range is too wide. Shooting in RAW does not change that fact, it just gives you control over the exposure after the fact, whereas, if you shoot in JPEG, it is what it is, for the most part. My point, and probably that of the author of the list, is, I would rather see a picture with black lowlights than blown out highlights. That just my personal preference&#8230; your may be different.



If you shoot a very bright-all-over scene then the image is liable to be  under-exposed as the in-camera meter tries to make everything middle  grey.
I shoot a lot of people in the street with direct sunlight overhead.  Tsis makes their faces  shadowed (often).  Since I want the faces, I adjust exposure to get detail there and let the sensor worry about the highlights.


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## gsgary (May 22, 2012)

No 36 is rubbish i take great shots when pissed


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## HughGuessWho (May 22, 2012)

The_Traveler said:


> HughGuessWho said:
> 
> 
> > Without multiple exposures, (e.g. HDR, merging, etc) one or the other will be blown out, it the range is too wide. Shooting in RAW does not change that fact, it just gives you control over the exposure after the fact, whereas, if you shoot in JPEG, it is what it is, for the most part. My point, and probably that of the author of the list, is, I would rather see a picture with black lowlights than blown out highlights. That just my personal preference&#8230; your may be different.
> ...



Great advice. Thanks


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## table1349 (May 22, 2012)

If it hasn't been posted, more food for thought. If Carpenters Talked Like Camera Geeks


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## Bukitimah (May 22, 2012)

Good tips and generally very true. Must start to practise more


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## 2WheelPhoto (May 22, 2012)

Nice!


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## Kerbouchard (May 22, 2012)

My biggest issue is #7, "UV filters work just as well as lens caps".

After that, I stopped reading.  That 'tip' is horrible.


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## Patriot (May 22, 2012)

Some of those made no sense at all.


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## HughGuessWho (May 22, 2012)

Kerbouchard said:


> My biggest issue is #7, "UV filters work just as well as lens caps".
> 
> After that, I stopped reading.  That 'tip' is horrible.



Agreed


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## BlairWright (May 22, 2012)

HughGuessWho said:


> The_Traveler said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



yup - I agree 100%


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## BlairWright (May 22, 2012)

Kerbouchard said:


> My biggest issue is #7, "UV filters work just as well as lens caps".
> 
> After that, I stopped reading.  That 'tip' is horrible.



Kinda confused me... does it mean physical protection or was that a slight at filters?


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## Kerbouchard (May 22, 2012)

BlairWright said:


> Kerbouchard said:
> 
> 
> > My biggest issue is #7, "UV filters work just as well as lens caps".
> ...



I didn't think to read it like your second interpretation.  If that was what he would have said, I would have thought it was funny.  I don't think that is what he meant.


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## imagemaker46 (May 22, 2012)

Not sure I missed one that should be on every list.  "Try shooting from the darkside"


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## Majeed Badizadegan (May 22, 2012)

100 tips, you're bound to have some shi#$!y tips in the mix.


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## Berter (May 22, 2012)

gryphonslair99 said:


> If it hasn't been posted, more food for thought. If Carpenters Talked Like Camera Geeks



that is awesome, and very true..


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## johngalliano032 (Jun 9, 2012)

well done! thanks


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## Kolander (Jun 9, 2012)

luvmyfamily said:


> I haven't attempted shooting in the rain yet, however I would love too.  Water and electronics dont mix



There's a very simple and successful trick: handsfree umbrella


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## liverpoollad (Jun 11, 2012)

Thanks for sharing this, very useful and good tips...


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## Solarflare (Jun 11, 2012)

Good tipps ? I just hope its an attempt at humor. There are hints of that: 





> 16. Girls dig photographers.


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## msaha (Jun 11, 2012)

Nice
Great advice!
thanks for sharing


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## Groupcaptainbonzo (Jun 11, 2012)

Fabulous stuff. 

For street photography the best quality compact you can afford (Lens not toys) is a very good invesment.


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## fjrabon (Jun 11, 2012)

Kerbouchard said:


> BlairWright said:
> 
> 
> > Kerbouchard said:
> ...



I took it as a slight at protection filters.  Hard to tell thoughl


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## fjrabon (Jun 11, 2012)

On the whole I liked them, but you do have to read them as "100 tips from a professional street photographer" instead of "100 tips from a pro photographer"

Grain and noise are not at all big deals for street photography, and can sometimes even enhance the image.  But the same doesn't apply for most landscape or portrait photography.  Not using a tripod is a 'duh' comment from a street photographer, but would be professional suicide for macro photographers.


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## Groupcaptainbonzo (Jun 13, 2012)

fjrabon said:


> Kerbouchard said:
> 
> 
> > BlairWright said:
> ...



My take is that relativly cheap UV filters are as good at protecting expensive lenses as lens caps. But mean that you can take an image much quicker  with the filters in place, as you don't have to remove a lens cap first...?


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## Espike (Jun 13, 2012)

Groupcaptainbonzo said:


> fjrabon said:
> 
> 
> > Kerbouchard said:
> ...



But if the filter is all dirty and scratched up...

F*ck it, who cares.


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## Groupcaptainbonzo (Jun 13, 2012)

would you then put it on your camera?


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## WilliamDSLR (Jun 13, 2012)

Great list there.  It was good to read through.

Thanks for sharing!


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## NE-KID (Jun 13, 2012)

I like these the best.

1. Just because someone has an expensive camera doesn't mean that they're a good photographer.

85. Have fun while taking photos.

87. Be respectful when taking photos of people or places.

95. You will discover a lot about yourself through your photography.

93. Learn how to enjoy the moment, rather than relentlessly trying to capture the perfect picture of it.


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## BRN1 (Jun 14, 2012)

Thanks for that post! I needed some of them as reminders!


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## AlexSmith (Jun 14, 2012)

I agree, great read and even better tips.


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## jeterisagirl (Jun 21, 2012)

Fun read. Thanks for posting.



> 86. Never delete any of your photos.



As a newb I have found this to be very true. Not because I think I will find some gem three months after the fact but more because (and I am likely stating the obvious) I am still learning and find great value in having the string of shots that resulted in the finished photo. I have a shot in mind and then I adjust settings and reshoot until I get it where I think it needs to be. When back in front of the PC I can see the progression of shots and settings I used to get the result. There are many ways to get things done and some work better than others. Having the "bad" photos is helping me learn which methods are working best for the situations I find myself in.


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## AaronLLockhart (Jun 21, 2012)

31. A point-and-shoot is still a camera. 


I was guilty of discrediting these things for years! However, after handling a few really good ones, I have found that they can take great pictures on the fly.


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## Like_Breathing (Jun 27, 2012)

HughGuessWho said:


> 16. Girls dig photographers.



^This^


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## cayto (Jun 29, 2012)

85. Have fun while taking photos.

Thats it :thumbup:

Everything is much easier when we are having fun with it....


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## TheKenTurner (Jun 29, 2012)

I really like "78. The best photographs tell stories that begs the viewer for more.", something I never really thought about. 

What does "48. Take straight photos." mean?

-Ken Turner


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## TechArtist (Jun 29, 2012)

luvmyfamily said:


> 12sndsgood said:
> 
> 
> > 92. Don't be afraid to take photos in the rain.
> ...


I've actually been trying to find a good, and rather inexpensive, way to  get a housing for my camera because I love shooting severe weather and  downpours. I used to stand outside my door with my small P&S all the  time and photograph the weather. Also, I wouldn't trust an umbrella,  at least in any kind of good downpour.


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## chuasam (Jun 30, 2012)

The list has nothing to do with professional photography.
For a professional photographer:
#1. always make sure the client can pay (learned from bounced cheques).
#2. always have a contract to cover everyone's collective asses
#3. always retain your rights...unless they pay a LOT for it
#4. back up... back up... back up
#5. always work with best team you can get


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