SO what are the photo hints for getting the perfect shots? I've got a new Canon camera and am looking forward to taking lots of photos this season.
The best hint? Take lots of shots and don't sort till you get home. In my film days, I carried enough film to support a shot a minute habit. It was rare that I approached that but now that it is digital......I think my Sherwood shooting came out to be a shot every 37 seconds on the average.
Sort on the computer, not on the card. I've heard that doing the latter can cause the card to fragment.
Secondly, when I was doing manual focus, I would focus in on a spot and then when the subjects entered that spot, I'd snapped the picture (learned that from a Sports Illustrated video). Such as with this shot
http://www.modelmayhem.com/portfolio/pic/6080563 I still use that to a degree with the auto focus in that I don't follow the subject but wait till they enter into the range, like with this shot from last Sunday
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=31012135&id=1063254432. Of course, when Sol goes down and autofocus can't lock in on anything, it is back to manual focus.
Other things? Telephoto lens, secondary flash, and for me, the camera is a part of me. It goes where I go so if I want to take a picture, it's there with me, ready.
I don't photoshop too much. I crop when necessary; shots such as
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=31014004&id=1063254432 had elements which are against my code to post on the net.
There is the risk that with Renfests of picking up 'danes. Sometimes, one can be lucky and if they are caught, it might be in a background that allows them to be cropped out. But how to shoot while avoiding them entirely? Good timing and lots of shots
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=30753038&id=1063254432. Alternately, it might be locations where they are likely to be without any 'interference
http://www.pbase.com/dt_masters/image/113038548. Shots above the crowds such as stages
http://www.pbase.com/dt_masters/image/120901893 or balconies
http://www.modelmayhem.com/portfolio/pic/5822969 can help.
Good luck! Maybe our lens will cross in the future.....or past.
(note: the links are there to the photos I refer to....waiting to see if they show up before I try to refer to them in another way)
