Today's Secret's. 09/03/04 - Camera tips and tricks to save you time and money.

Can I firstly say that unless you are a professional or photography is a keen hobby for you then it is probably not worth spending out lots of money on a fancy camera when so many mobile phones have excellent camera's on them.
If you really want a camera then look for used or refurbished stuff.
Buy the same make as a friend then you can swap lenses and kit as you need it.

Renting can be good if you only need it for a short time and you can not find someone to lend you one.

If you do buy a camera or get given one here are a few tips.

Warm batteries in your hand or armpit before use as this will extend their life.

Always let rechargeable batteries discharge fully this will make them charge up better.

To save your batteries life don't keep zooming in and out, go closer to the object if you need a closer view, it will be steadier shot anyway.

A ski pole/stick upside down can make a great monopod if you don't have a tripod. You can always lean on a wall or fence to get a more stable shot. Think about sound if you are using a camcorder if you are 20 feet away from your subject so is your microphone.

Use cling film to protect your camera from moisture or sand.

Dropped the camera in water? Stop screaming and try an old trick, buy a bag of rice and put the camera deep inside leave it for a few days so the rice can absorb the water. Then try it, this can also work for a mobile or anything electrical.

Use old style film? keep an eye on freecycle and in charity shops as they will sell off old film cheaply.

Use black tape instead of a lens hood as this will stop extra light just as well.

Create a soft edge with see through tape placed around the edge of your lens or put cling film over it.

If you don't have enough light then use someone with a white shirt to bounce the light off them.

Getting your pictures developed? Look around for a good deal, you may find a photobook is a good idea, you can get quite a few pictures on a page if you customise it carefully and it saves on the cost of albums it also saves you time trying to put them all in a book and jotting down where each one was taken as you can type in comments as you make the book.

Try to do more pictures in one go as they are usually a better deal.

For a lovely gift make a collage of pictures from someone's life and glue them around a shoe box and cover it's lid as well. Varnish the outside of the box and line with some material. It makes a lovely keepsake.

Lastly, have fun and to make people smile when taking their picture don't say cheese say "Blow a raspberry!" or "Touch your nose with your tongue" They will try and then laugh at themselves which will make a lovely natural picture.