Edith/PhotoTips

I thought I might as well record the things I've learned from several years of photography somewhere. Why not here?
Page for personal use primarily. If others find it useful then great!

Specific Examples
Fire Juggling:
The important thing to remember about fire juggling is that camera shake really isn't an issue. The staff is moving so fast that you won't notice and if you're using a flash at the end (or begining) then the non-firey bits should be reasonably ok. A tripod will lead to better results (important if the background is impressive) but will be a lot more hassle. Try to remember to pick a background or angle which will reduce the light from the background. Close up shots require less exposure time. Focusing can be a problem. Pick a general focus and adjust every now and then.
ISO800 Max apparure size (3.5/5.4?). 2" for close ups, 6" for group shots (slightly overexposed)

Photos of the Moon:
The Moon is bright and the lightmeter lies to you about it. Always underexpose by 2 stops at least. Use a tripod, although a 1/30 shot may just be possible with a opened up appature. Focus may be a problem, although it's possibly one of the few times in Astrophotography when it won't
ISO400 300mm 5.6f 1/30 - detail visable

Photos of Stars:
Use a tripod and timer to avoid the usual wobble effects from pressing the button. Point at sky.
ISO400 80mm 5.6f
10" - no star lines - everything down to about 4th Mag
30" - some star lines - everything down to about 7th Mag

General Tips

Get a UV filter (Starlight I think, the light UV kind) and put it permenantly on your lens. It does pretty much no harm to the photos (and can come in handy now and then) and prevents your lens getting scratched.
1/30 is the limit of handheld speeds normally. Stop thinking you can get away with 1/15, you get bad photos.
1/20 is about the limit of resting your camera on the camera bag.
Polaroid Lens cut down reflection. Remember to use one if necessary.
Red filters make clouds look interesting.
On an autofocus camera, the end of the focus-ring travel is beyond infinity, since the autofocus motor will always need to travel slightly past correct focus. Remember this when manually focussing.

Hope you don't mind other folk putting tips here as well? --ChrisHowlett

: Not at all. --Edith

Photography Tips