One of the most common responses for obtaining better photos is often to purchase a better lens. There is a ton of truth to this, but there are items you can add to your camera bag that will also help you achieve great photo results. These are not overly expensive items and deserve a home in your camera bag at some point.
1. Get your white balance in order. Correct white balance is crucial in this new digital age. The subject of white balance is a completely new article (taking note for a future piece), but it is essentially how your digital camera views the lighting of the world. Yup, your reading light gives off a different color light than the sun nicely tucked away behind some clouds. This is where correct white balance comes in.
There are a few items you can use to aid you in setting correct white balance. A tool such as the X-Rite ColorChecker not only gives you a target to set white balance to, but you also have an abundance of options for post processing. However, what if you don’t have $100 to blow on this handy device? Have no fear as you can go cheap here. I walked around for a good year with a gray paint chip in my camera bag. You want something as close to an 18% neutral gray as possible here. A quick Google search will help you narrow your choices down for what ever brand of paint chips are available in your area.
Once you have your white balance device you have two options. If your camera has the ability to set white balance off a target, fill the frame with your gray card and fire off a shot. Those who like to set white balance in post processing can take a photo of the gray card and then use that photo to set white balance in your post processing software of choice. This simple device will help you keep colors as true to what you saw as possible. Read More→
This is where you would expect me to tell you about my life, how awesome I am, or why I am so superior to other people in this line of business. I would enjoy telling you how I have wrestled grizzly bears 10 feet tall. Maybe you would like hearing how I have taken on Velociraptors in my days as a young man. Even better is the story how I have traveled to the furthest reaches of space to stop catastrophic alien invasions. The problem will be that you might not believe my awesome stories.
I will keep these awesome stories for the campfire though. I’m just a man, taking pictures, trying to make a living. I ditched my education in computers in favor of pursuing my passion for photography. I enjoy a good cold beer on a warm day. I have a fondness of the outdoors.. I have enjoyed years capturing life’s unscripted moments. Hopefully, I can enjoy many more years of slacking off without fear of those grizzlies taking me out before my time.
My Philosophy is to capture those non-scripted moments. To capture the little details that this world really has to offer. From weddings to insects, I enjoy capturing the life, the details, and the moments that come and go in a flash.