I thought I would sneak out another journal update while I have a little time on my hands...

As the year draws to a close, I was reflecting on what I had learned this year to improve my photography. The more I learn the more I feel there is to learn. While I write this as a reference as much for myself, here are some quick tips, most of which I'm sure are widely known, which I hope to apply to my work in future:

1. A minute extra spent when shooting the photograph can save an hour in post-processing. i.e. if circumstances permit, take time and try to shoot the best you can get. Don't rely on Photoshop to cover up any mistakes.


2. Move around the scene. Observe how the position of objects in the viewfinder changes if you move a step to the right or left, or if you lower or raise the camera.


3. For landscapes, use a sturdy tripod if possible. A cable release or setting a shutter delay will also help avoid shake.


4. Shoot at the lowest ISO you can get away with to reduce noise.


5. Clean you sensor regularly, and make sure your lenses and filters are clean too.


6. Don't automatically shoot everything at eye level. Get down low to the ground for a different view.


7. In many cases, use a circular polarizer outdoors and take time to rotate it to find the best results. It has a noticable effect on reflections. You cannot replicate this filter in Photoshop!


8. When shooting, check the histogram (in camera) to make sure the exposure is correct. A well-exposed shot will have the histogram fall away at both ends. Also check the blinkies.


9. Where the dynamic range is too great - i.e. the histogram is not near zero at both ends - it is better to underexpose the shadows than overexpose the highlights. The eye is more sensitive to the brighter tones.


10. Large memory cards are cheap. The extra capacity means you can take many shots, and bracket them at the same time.


11. Use a graduated filter where the sky is bright, but the land is not. Alternatively, combine two bracketed exposures in Photoshop.


12. If in doubt, just take the shot. It might just work out. If not, it will cost nothing to delete it later.


13. Learn about colour spaces e.g. sRGB, AdobeRGB. Convert to sRGB for web images.


14. Calibrate your monitor and your printer. It really makes a difference, especially if you are producing your own prints.


15. Shoot RAW as this allows the most flexibility for post processing adjustment later on. For RAW processing, I suggest looking at DxO Optics.


16. Use the Shadows/Highlights in Photoshop, but not too much, or the results will look awful.


17. Check your camera settings before shooting! I have been caught out shooting at the wrong ISO, the wrong resolution, and (embarrassingly once) JPEG mode.


18. Read books, blogs, everything! More importantly, look at the really popular photos and try to analyse them. What has the photographer done with exposure, composition or lighting?


19. Look at any of your photos which have very few faves, have drawn criticism, or which have been rejected by many groups. Compare with a popular photo of a similar subject and try to work out what you could do better.


20. Don't get too disappointed by having photos rejected by groups. If they give you constructive feedback, take it on board. Some groups have an extremely high standard, and I would bet have rejected some works which are worthy of a DD.


21. Don't be afraid to make mistakes. If every photo we took was perfect, we'd never learn anything new.