Hey what's up guys. I just wanted to start this thread for all of us to share any tips and tricks that you may have. Maybe these are tips you keep in mind right before you press the shutter button, or perhaps any composition rules that you favor. You don't have to go into depth, just something quick and easy. Lets assume little to no post processing as it's always best to have the picture looking good right out of the camera. I'll start off:

Basic Daylight Exposure
When taking outdoor pictures in the bright sun, at an aperture of f16, your shutter speed should match your ISO setting. ex. Using ISO 100 at f16, your shutter should be set at 1/100, and at ISO 400, should be set at 1/400 etc.

So, who's next?

 

Very basic composition.

In your mind, divide the frame into thirds horizontally and vertically. Place your center of interest on one of the intersections instead of dead center in the frame.

 

Tripods and flashes are rarely considered during daylight, but they can really help to make your image "tack sharp". If you do not have to travel light, pack them everytime.

 

Have spare batteries and memory cards!

 

shoot.....the more you shoot pictures, the more you learn.

 

photography is like martial arts...whether releasing the shutter or executing a punch or a kick, hold your breath.

 

shooting a dark object, manually underexpose the shot to avoid a bright/overexposed image. shooting a bright object, manually overexpose to avoid a dark/underexposed image.

 

Fill flash is your friend. When shooting in overhead outdoor light many people dismiss adding more light to their subject. But to soften shadows and bring up detail, many subjects benefit from direct light from your camera's position (and even more with an off camera flash).

 

Look into the other end of the big round thing.

And on a serious note.. Learn to shoot RAW!

 

^ That's great advice. Especially with CS2 there's no reason not to always shoot RAW these days. If you need more memory you can now get a fast 2gb CF card for <$50 before tax & shipping.