Photography: You can do it, but here are a few tips to remember....

I was recently contacted by an online travel guide company.  They had found a photo that I had taken that I posted online and they wanted to use it in there newest travel guide. Of course I did not get paid for it but I was honored that they chose it and gave me credit for it. I by no means consider myself a "professional" photographer. I have never owned a fancy camera with all the accessories or taken any course on photography. I try to the best with what hardware I have  but I let my passion for the art do the rest.  I have learned many things about photography on my own and sadly there are many thing that I have learned the hard way. I would like to share them and some other tips with you that may help you wether you are take it up as a hobby or to use in your business. (Again, I am not a professional)

1. Take advantage of opportunities -Photography is 24/7, it really is all about timing. I can't count the times that I have said or my wife has said " I/You should have had the camera" No matter what field of work you are in or what recreational activities you enjoy when a opportunity for a good photos presents itself have a camera and start shooting. Look for opportunities that might repeat themselves the next day or at a certain time of the year if you missed it the first time , like a sunset or a winter shot. Keep it in your mind or write it down and catch it the next go round.

2. Fill up your memory - The best photo is the one you didn't  take. When I'm on vacation I probably take 600 photos and keep 300-400 of them.  Get a card with alot of memory aleast a 4 -8 GB,  they are pretty cheap now. Take photos with different angles, distances and  lighting. If you have a digital camera review your photos to find what works and what doesn't.

3. Save, Save, Save- Some of my best photos can be found on my computer hard drive ...that is in the middle of a landfill somewhere.  Your hard drive is not a safe place. Save them on a external  memory card like a SD, xD or to a thumb drive. Compact disc are also good. ipods or some other type of portable media player can crash so I would not recommend them either.

4. Do your best - "One photo out of focus is a mistake, ten photo out of focus are an experimentation, one hundred photo out of focus are style." Don't think you have to impress everyone with a certain "style" of photograph.  Look at Mr.T, he didn't choose his style to make everyone happy, but you remember it don't you.  Take  photos of the things you find enjoyment in, the things that make you happy and the images that you want to cherish forever.

Here are some of my photos and a  link to some others: http://www.flickr.com/photos/tuffersmojo/

                          

                           

                                                                                                      

This was the selected photo.

Brett Bishop - Mitigation Supervisor