Expose for the highlights
Digital sensors recover shadows far better than blown highlights. Turn on highlight warnings ("blinkies") and dial in negative exposure compensation until bright skies stop flashing.
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Tips you can use today.
Short, practical advice from working photographers. Got a question about your own camera? Ask the coach.
Use Auto ISO with a minimum shutter speed
Set aperture and a minimum shutter speed (about 1/focal length, or 1/250s for people moving), then let Auto ISO handle changing light. It keeps shots sharp without constant fiddling.
Back-button focus
Move autofocus off the shutter button to a rear button. Press to focus and track, release to lock. You can recompose freely and switch between still and moving subjects without changing modes.
Focus on the nearest eye
In portraits, the viewer looks at the eyes first. Use eye-detection AF or place a single point on the eye closest to the camera, especially at wide apertures like f/1.8.
Check the edges before you press
Sweep your eye around the frame's border. Stray branches, bright spots and half-cut objects at the edges pull attention away from your subject.
Change your height
Most photos are taken from standing eye level. Crouch low or find a higher spot; a new angle alone often turns an ordinary scene into a striking one.
Shoot in the golden hour
The hour after sunrise and before sunset gives soft, warm, directional light. Check sunrise and sunset times and arrive 30 minutes early to set up.
Open shade for flattering portraits
On sunny days, put your subject just inside shade facing the open sky. You get soft, even light with catchlights in the eyes and no squinting.
Clean your sensor view before a shoot
Stop down to f/16, shoot a plain sky and zoom in. Dark spots are sensor dust; clean them before an important shoot rather than retouching every frame later.
Carry spare batteries warm
Cold drains batteries fast. In winter, keep spares in an inside pocket and swap them in; a 'dead' cold battery often revives once warmed.
Shoot RAW for difficult light
RAW files hold much more highlight and shadow detail and let you fix white balance afterwards. Use JPEG only when you need small files straight out of camera.
Edit on a calibrated screen, then walk away
Screens are often too bright, making prints dark. Lower brightness, edit, then look again after a break; fresh eyes catch over-saturation and heavy vignettes.