Smoked Cheese

Thursday Tutorial - How to photobomb

For your viewing pleasure Pepe demostrates how to photobomb in style.

Step 1 - Choose your victim

 

Step 2 - Hop into photo 

 

Step 3 - Pose

 

Step 4 - Hop out of photo

 

Step 5 - Your turn grasshoppers.

Thursday Tutorial

Today's Thursday Tutorial is a brief post but, hopefully, a useful addition to Smoked Cheese.  Recently I have noticed, well had it pointed out to me, that i have been using words and terms that might be second nature to a photographer but confuse everyone else.  To help I have put together a Glossary page for Smoked Cheese, available at all times through the top navigation bar. 

I have compiled a list of terms that fit my current level of skill, or at least those that i think i can explain, that should help when you just don't have a clue what i am talking about.

Thursday Tutorial - How to pack for a super shoot

And now for something completely different..... no, there is no man with a tape recorder up his nose.   Monty Python jokes aside, this week I am going to share some of the knowledge I have gained so far in the world of photography.

What equipment should you take on a shoot? Well the answer is itself another question, What are you shooting? Once you have been building your gear for a while, most likely you will have a collection sitting on a shelf and take with you what you need for a shoot (I know I am one lens away from doing this myself), so the type of photographs you are intending to take becomes very important.

The way I see it there are two types of shoots, the unplanned where you are just grabbing the camera in case you want some photos and the planned shoot, where you are going with the specific purpose of taking some shots.

For the unplanned shoot I see the following as essential:

A Good Bag - It might do the job to have a little old backpack/satchel that you have your gear in but having a good camera bag, with space for a reasonable amount of equipment makes life so much easier. The three things I looked for in choosing my bag was waterproof (just in case), strong and had plenty of room, both for equipment and extras. I recommend Lowepro bags (www.lowepro.com.au), I have one for my point and shoot as well as my SLR.

Spare Battery - This has to be one of the most essential inclusions, there is nothing more annoying than setting up a wonderful shot only to have 'Change battery pack' on the screen.  Even if I leave my bag in the car, the spare battery will go in my pocket.

Spare Card - Despite the enormous sizes of today's memory cards, they can still fill up fast, a spare memory card will ensure you can take your shots without having to cull your work on the camera (personally I find it hard to know how good a shot is until I get home to the computer and see it on the big screen).

So far the bulk of my work on planned shoots has been nature and landscapes, with some still life shots thrown in for good measure, the equipment below I have found provides some good versatility on the planned shoots:

Lenses - Obviously if you are using a 'Point and shoot', you won't need this, but in my bag I carry my three lenses, at a minimum my standard lens and a Telephoto lens are always with me.

Filters - you can get some amazing effects by adding a filter to your lens, I would recommend keeping your filters with you when you are shooting.  Currently I only have a polarising filter (which makes my shots in full daylight clearer).

Cleaning Equipment - Something a lot of people forget about, there has been many occasions when I have taken a shot only to realise that there is a smudge on the lens, I would be lost without the Lens Pen.  For those who don't know a Lens Pen is one of the styles of lens cleaners, it contains a dry powder you apply to the lens in a circular fashion, I would definitely recommend everyone has one.

Tripod - You never know when you are going to want to take a long exposure, maybe from low light or movement you want to capture.  The only piece of advice I have here is don't leave it in the car, I have done this far too often.

First Aid Kit - Especially if you are going into the bush in the search of the perfect shot, you should have at least a basic first aid kit in your bag.

Notepad and pen - I have found this can be handy for several reason, but mainly so you can note your camera settings for a particularly good shot and/or where you found the subject for future reference.

Manual - Until you have been using the full features of your camera for a while its a good idea to keep your manual with you for easy reference when you just can't get the camera to do what you want.  I refer to mine a lot.

TV Cord - Not essential, but incredibly useful if you have the chance to review your photos on a large screen.  Not all camera have these connectors, but it does seem to be becoming more of a standard inclusion.

When you get home from your shoot, one of the first things to do is de-clutter your bag.  This involves emptying any rubbish/nic nacs you have collected during the day, load your photos to the computer, clear the card and put the battery on charge.  All this will mean next time you need to leave for a quick shoot its all ready to go.

These collections of equipment are what I have found helpful for capturing that sought after shot, I hope this list will be useful to you in setting up your bag.  I would love to hear if there is anything you think I should add to the above lists please leave a comment.