Hitting a snag when you’re out taking pictures can be a real headache. It’s not always easy to fix problems then.Use a different plan!Even if you’re not a sports fan, I’m sure you’ve heard the line, “The best defense is a good offense.” And the best offense here is to avoid problems with your digital camera in the first place.
That’s not to say things aren’t going to happen that are unexpected and unavoidable.Many of the common problems photographers have when out shooting pictures, however, could easily be remedied with just a little prior planning.
Dead Batteries
There’s nothing worse than missing that great picture because the camera battery died.The easy secret to never losing a shot because of dead batteries? Always, I mean ALWAYS, keep a spare in your camera case.Regular or rechargeable batteries, it doesn’t matter, you need to keep at least one spare handy..
Also, bear in mind that if you’re outside shooting in cold weather, your batteries will die a lot quicker.Since digital camera batteries die quickly at cold temperatures, it might be a smart idea to keep more than one spare on hand to keep your camera going.
Yes, batteries are expensive, but it’s worth the spending a little extra money to keep from beating your head against the wall because a dead battery made you miss that once in a lifetime shot.
When Cards Go Bad
A while back I went on vacation and took all my pictures on one card. I thought I’d have some real beauties.I knew that card was full of memorable pictures.
The scenery was indeed breathtaking, but what really took my breath away was when I tried to load the pictures onto my computer and got one of those dreaded “ERROR” messages.Though the card looked fine and acted fine, it was corrupted and the files were useless.If you can’t access the picture files, you don’t have any pictures. They’re just gone.
While it doesn’t happen often, cards can and do go bad.Easing this disaster is why it’s smarter to have two or more smaller cards instead of one great big memory card.Don’t buy a 2-GB card, for example, get a couple of 1-GB cards instead.
Yes, it’s cheaper to buy a huge bunch of gigabytes on one card.If you only have one card, however, you lose ALL your pictures if it goes bad.Don’t rely on one card and regret it later.Saving PART of your pictures is better than losing ALL your pictures.
Remember, two cards are better than one.
It’s Raining, It’s Pouring
The weather isn’t cooperating, or maybe you just like pictures of rain.Maybe you’re in some other wet environment.Messing up your camera is to be avoided, but you want to get some pictures.Is there any way to keep your camera dry?
Well, you can buy protective gear to keep in your camera case for such times. Places like B & H Photo or Calumet Photographic stores carry waterproof cases.You might not want to spend that much money if you only need to keep your camera dry occasionally.
For a make-do solution, carry a clear plastic bag in your camera case to keep water off your camera.When traveling, if you forgot to put a plastic bag in your camera case, try using one of those clear disposable shower caps from a motel room.
Planning Ahead Saves Your Sanity
If planning ahead doesn’t save your sanity, it will at least improve your chances for good pictures with your digital camera.With good batteries, extra cards and a dry camera, you at least have a chance to take lots of pictures and try for that memorable photo.
And that’s why you bought a digital camera in the first place, right?
The Digital Photography School Blog (DPS) has a very nice article comparing and contrasting digital point and shoot cameras with Digital Single Lens Reflex (DSLR) cameras. So if your in the market for a new digital camera I strongly suggest you stop over and check it out, even if you weren’t originally considering a DLSR.
