I am an amateur and have not had any formal training but I have learned a few valuable tricks and this page is kind of about the obvious but I just had to do it.

  1. When going on any kind of a photo shooting expedition, leave the lens cap in the camera bag! I don’t know how 1530266many time I missed a shot because the lens cap was on. Stupid!
  2. Burst mode is your friend - well maybe not always but it you need to get the shot it can save the day. I have gotten some mighty fine shots while riding in a car at 70 MPH, and some impressive low light shots when I did not have a tripod with me, and it works well for things that are moving like people or trains.  Just focus and hold down the shutter. :)
  3. Lenses – they are expensive.  yes you can save money by buying them on the internet but . . what if you hate it or can’t use it?  I won’t buy a lens without trying it first.  Most camera stores will let you put it on your camera and shoot a few.  In one case I rented a 500 dollar lens from Rent Glass. I liked the lens but found that it was not versatile enough to make it worth so much money.  Maybe it is worth it to some, but it wasn’t to me.  Don’t make a $500 dollar mistake.  At least make sure the lens can be returned.
  4. The Remote – some folks say that the self timer on a camera can replace the remote. Maybe but I love my remote for those times when I don’t want any camera shake like when I am shooting at night.  it only cost $20.00 and it saves a lot of time not to mention battery life. If taking night shots is a big deal, I would buy a remote today. If not skip it and use the self timer.

More to come. If you have a tip you would like to share, please leave it in the comment section. I would be happy to include it.