How To Trash Your Treasured Photos in 6 Easy Steps, Unless You Plan Ahead
by: jetjackson
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Word Count: 1799
One of the most important
things to do does not even involve equipment. It is Time. If you are going to
photograph an important event, you need to make sure that you allocate enough
time to make sure that you have everything planned. And that often means
starting the process a day or two ahead. By doing this, it will make for a much
more relaxed process as you take photos on the day, and a more relaxed attitude
will usually mean more creativity and better photos.
If you have been used to
taking photos with a traditional camera and film, you may be surprised at how
easy it can be to lose a whole memory cards full of pictures, because of
seemingly simple errors. With a film camera, it does not matter if the battery
gives out right at the time you take a photo. The only problem that might
occur, is that you lose that one shot. You just rewind the film, and you are
good to go. As great as digital is, there are pitfalls that can really bite you
if you do not prepare for them.
And the reason for the time?
Lets take a deeper look. Each of the points I cover here carry the same weight
as the other. In other words, do all of the following to make sure that you
have a successful day, taking wonderful photos for you and the subjects.
- Make sure that all your batteries are fully
charged. If your camera uses a proprietary battery, then you need to make
sure that it is fully charged before you start the days event. Depending
on how many photos you may take on the day, (see, more planning), you may
need to buy an extra battery and have it fully charged as well. A lot of
the smaller compact cameras, and even the larger DSLRs, often take special
built batteries. They can be quite expensive, but if you think you might
be taking a large number of photos, then it will be to your benefit to
purchase an extra battery. It will always come in handy in the future, so
it will never be a waste of your money.
- Make sure that you have enough memory cards to
hold all of the photos you will be taking on the day. Many of the smaller
compact cameras can only take smaller capacity memory cards. So, if you
are planning on taking photos for a special days event, then it would be
wise to make sure that you have one or two spare memory cards. Also, be
aware, that if your camera can take the larger capacity memory cards, and
you think you can take all the photos on just one large card, then you
also need to consider that if you have problems with that card, you will
lose all the images from the day. That’s why I often suggest having two or
three cards available, so that if anything were to happen to one of your
cards, you would still have images on the other cards. Some of the larger
capacity cards available these days, can store hundreds and even thousands
of images before you need to change to a new card. I can only imagine the
pain of losing a card with hundreds of irreplaceable images.
- Before you start the days event, make sure that
you format the memory cards and get them prepared for the days event. Be
sure to format the card in the camera you will be using for the days
event. Industry experts all agree that the best way to format and prepare
a memory card, is to do it in the camera you will be using. Do not format
the card using your computer. By using the cameras, it ensures that you
have maximum compatibility. Also, if there is going to be a problem with
the card, this is most often the time where the problem will show up. If
the card does not format properly in the camera, then do not use that card
during the event, but try and rectify the problem when you return home.
Never try and use a card that shows any sign of a problem. It is just not
worth the effort. You can try all kinds of things once you get home and
have the time to spend and diagnose the problem.
- Never use a memory card in more than one kind of
camera without formatting the card. You run the risk of causing problems
if you take a card out of one camera and use it in another camera that is
not the same make and model. Most cameras will write the file a little
differently, and so if you use the card in a different camera, you again
run the risk of losing images. If you intend to use a card in a different
camera, that make sure that you copy all the files onto your computer, and
then format the card in the other camera before use.
- Part of the reason for item 1 above (fully
charged batteries), is not just to make sure you have enough power to take
photos during the days event, but also to ensure that the camera will not
power off during writing a file to the memory card. If the camera battery
fails while writing a file, you will not only lose that image, but the
rest of the images on the card may be lost forever. A memory card is just
like a computer hard drive. It has a directory and file structure so that
the camera and your computer know where the files are, how many files are
on the card, and how big the files are. If the camera fails during writing
a file to the card, it can corrupt the card, just like a hard drive crash.
Also, never take a card out of the camera while the file is still being
written to the card. Always make sure that if you need to remove the card
after taking a photo, wait a few seconds to make sure the file has been
written to the card to avoid problems.
- When it comes time to move your photos onto your
computer’s hard drive, I suggest that you use a memory card reader and not
the camera. Again, it is always possible that the camera’s battery could
fail during the process to copy the photos over to your hard drive. This
will not usually be a problem, but it could cause the card to become
corrupt and therefore potentially lose your images. Also, it is usually
much faster to use a memory card reader to transfer your images. Card
readers are very inexpensive, and you have a choice of using a multi
format reader or one designed just for the card type your camera uses.
They are so cheap, that I always carry one with me so that if I need to, I
can either copy files to a computer that happens to be at the location I
am shooting, or to display some of the images onto the computer monitor
for the client or subjects to see right away.
So, if you would really like
to lose all those treasured photos, if you really want to have the hassle of
explaining to your client, family or friends that you have lost all of the
images you took, then just ignore these tips. You will lose some money, some
friends and have to endure the wrath of some potentially very angry people. And
you will lose the word of mouth advertising that can end up making you a lot of
money over the years. There are wedding photographers who consistently make
well into the 6 figure income. And in the US alone, the wedding photography
market is in excess of five billion dollars a year. Not a bad market to be in.
So, if you follow these simple steps, you will
ensure that your images will be saved, and everyone will live happily ever
after. OK, well, maybe we do not need to be that melodramatic, but I am sure
you get the picture (pun intended). Your clients will be happy, you will be
happy, and your wallet will be happy. Plus, you get the benefit and the pride
of knowing that you did a good job and that a small part of you will live on
and be enjoyed by generations of people looking at your photos. Just like an
artist has people viewing their paintings. It just does not get better than
that. Enjoy.
Article Source: http://www.ArticleStreet.com/profile/jetjackson-6141.html
About the Author
Like many professionals, Tom Jackson began his career by shooting weddings. You can make a substantial income shooting weddings with very little overhead. You can get more info on wedding photography, cameras and computer image editing, and see examples of his work, or get more info on how to start your own business visit the main site here or for free hints and tips visit the blog here.
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