Witty and wonderful holiday family mug shot by Rich Legg. http://richlegg.com/
With the holidays fast approaching once again, now is the ideal time to get your camera equipment out and make sure it is working correctly. Everyone wants to take pictures of family and friends during this time of year, so no one wants to discover they have a problem with their equipment. The holidays can be stressful enough; when it comes time to start posing everyone for those memorable pictures, you will want this holiday season to run smoothly. Let’s look at a few basic equipment checks and some common sense ideas to get you there.
Cleanliness is the key, and it is easy to do! Inspect your equipment for dirt, dust and debris. A simple soft cleaning cloth (microfiber usually works best) should be used to remove dust from lenses and LCD covers. A Q-tip with a little glass cleaner is perfect to polish optics and remove grime as well. If you are using a film camera, clean out the film compartment from any dirt or sand, as it will scratch film. Examine all contact surfaces between lenses and camera bodies; these contacts must be clean. They can be cleaned by using isopropyl alcohol or electrical contact cleaning chemicals; be careful with the electrical contact cleaning chemicals though, you run the risk of damaging the camera superficially or otherwise if you don’t get the stuff that it is plastic safe. Keeping your equipment clean and protected when not in use is simple. All you have to do is use lens caps, camera body caps and keep your equipment stored in a proper case.
Make some test images. Be sure the exposure and focus are correct. Take an image of a plain light colored surface (like a solid colored wall), or clear blue sky. Inspect these images carefully; you are looking for image sensor dust and debris; in general, this shows up as dark spots or splotches. If this is the unfortunate circumstance, send the camera in for a sensor cleaning to get an accurate professional that works in clean environment. They may even catch something that was wrong you didn’t. The holiday repair season is an extremely busy time, so, allow for plenty of time to have your equipment serviced before you need it.
Check your batteries and media cards! Make certain that all of your batteries are fully charged and functional. Batteries don’t last forever and can be replaced very easily if need be. Also, you will want to have extra batteries on hand, fully charged, so you are never without power when you need it. Format your memory cards. Formatting ensures that your cards are functional; the last thing you need is for your images to become corrupted before you can save them.
Following these simple precautions and taking the time to establish proper functionality of your camera equipment can make all the difference in your Holiday picture taking experience. Inspecting your equipment for proper operation beforehand, allows you to relax and enjoy the holidays while capturing your family’s beautiful memories.