Historical Posting – Originally published in 2008 – Since this is an archived story – products mentioned may not be available or even made any more – Let us know if you have any questions.
- Take Your Polarizer To the Beach. If you’re shooting near the water, be sure to take your polarizer and use it. It will enhance your photos, make skies more intense and water less reflective.
- Keep Away From Sand And Salt. We all love the beach, but the beach does not love our cameras. Be super cautious about allowing salt water spray to get on your camera or setting your camera down on a sandy beach towel. Sand and cameras just do not mix. One way to protect your camera is to carry a zip lock plastic bag. If you have to be near salt water and sand, the plastic bag will provide the protection you need. Never leave a camera closed in a plastic baq for longer than a day as condensation can form inside the bag and damage electronics.
- Use Your Flash, Even In the Sun. One of the differences between good outdoor pictures and outstanding ones is “fill flash.” Fill flash lets you remove shadows and make your outdoor portraits sharp and crisp.
- Take Extra Memory Cards. Always have some extra memory cards. Memory prices have fallen dramatically so it no longer costs a fortune to carry extras. Never worry about the frustration of missing a great shots because your card is full.
- Take Extra Batteries. It never seems to fail that just as you want to take that special shot your camera batteries fail you. Always carry a spare set, or change them before you leave on vacation.
- Be Security Conscious. Be extra careful with your camera security while on vacation. You’re probably not used to carrying your camera around all the time and it’s easy to leave the camera behind or unprotected in the car. Even worse, there are a bunch of unscrupulous people who mark vacationers for theft of cash, jewelry or any valuables. Staying security conscious while on vacation will protect your valuable investment.
- Shoot a lot of images. A professional photographer will always tell you that the difference between taking a good picture and a great one is how many times you shoot it. Keep looking for new and different angles. Move around and shoot your subject several times from different distances and under different lighting conditions. Your efforts will pay off with “keepers” that you’ll want to make copies of and hold in your scrap book forever, but you have to shoot more than one!
- Have Fun. Taking pictures should not be a chore. It should be fun and accompanied by lots of pleasure. If you’re not having fun with your camera, come in to see us at BCC and we’ll make sure you’re using the right equipment for the right conditions.