Doc's "Rules" of Photography

• If the picture you are about to take is important to you, always use a tripod. (Most people buy one and then leave it in the trunk of their car.)  Lighter weight tripods are available. A tripod with a ball head gives you the flexibility to turn your camera in any direction. A pan head just goes up or down, left or right. The ideal (and most expensive) is a ball head gripper that can freeze the camera in virtually any position.
• Never, never walk away from your camera mounted on a tripod. If someone bumps into the tripod, your camera is on its way to a major collision with the ground. Chances are the cost of repair would exceed the cost of a new camera.
• Without a tripod, next best bet is a monopod. Put your hand through the strap and press it down firmly for the most steady position.
• Don't shoot your picture while looking at the monitor. This adds another element of shake to the camera. Use the viewfinder with both hands pressing the camera firmly against your face.
• Don't delete pictures that you believe are "bad" in the field. Look at them later in a better light on your computer. Some problems you may be able to fix. The others will help you learn from your mistakes.
• Software such as Photoshop and Photoshop Elements can now fix many problems. But it's still better to take the best pictures you can in the field. It's more fun taking pictures than working for hours on the computer.
• Get a lens shade for your camera. Too many pictures are spoiled by sunlight on the lens.
• I don't like jpeg compressions very much, the general requirement for sending most pictures via email and for use on the web. Every time you enlarge, change colors or otherwise modify a jpeg, some of the pixels begin to disintegrate or rearrange themselves in unpleasant ways. Best bet: Always save your a copy of your original picture right from the camera. Then work with copies of it if you must make jpegs or other modifications.
• Most camera bags have a gray interior. You can use them as you would an 18% gray card to check light exposure.
• The "sweet spot" of the camera is f/8. As you increase your optical zoom and higher f stops, your pictures can get "noisey."
• Save your good pictures on CDs, an external drive, or on a web storage system. Otherwise you risk losing them if you have a computer breakdown.
• Have fun.