lol, this was a good one, thanks to all
I use manual settings with auto focus most of the time, and other times full auto (including focus). If light levels are low, the camera can struggle to grab focus, and I can just do it faster manually. Other times I use it when grabbing a variety of different shots within the same setting, like shooting details at a wedding.
Using manual settings allows you to be more creative than just shooting everything in auto, although there are rare times I do scroll over to full auto.
Wow. I'm sure these views are born of experience, and perhaps with more time I will join them, but I have had great experiences with shooting minors thus far. I have required a minor release form to be signed, and the parent is always present, but I would never record the shoot. If I was that worried about a particular client, I agree with you, just not worth it.
I wanted to chime in and say that I have been thankful for the work I have done with minors, and it has been rewarding both in experience and financially. Best of luck to you in whatever field you choose to pursue!
I have never needed to get signatures for outside activities, and I have shot for quite a few different outfits, as well as on my own. If you are shooting inside a school, then thats a different story, and yes, you may have to. But outside is fair game, especially if you are not posting them anywhere.
I agree with TriX, you don't want to get cheap on a card when you have spent all kinds of time and money on the rest of the variables. I use large cards, as I have two slots, an SD and a CF, and I replace the SD cards every two to three years. SD cards have exposed terminals, as oppose the internal terminals of a compact flash.
My father is 71, and has a lifetime of photographs. Over the last couple years he has created a database for each printed picture he has in his albums. He also sent off his negatives to be converted to digital files and backed them up onto archival DVD's and labeled the cases. 99% of his photography work is of the family, which will be appreciated for generations to come. He has also helped me do similar work with my own photography.
For me it is control. When you really want every color and shade to be perfect, print at home and calibrate it to the screen you do your edits on. I have a Canon Pixma 10. You can also buy the ink in more bulk plastic bottles and refill the ink cartridges youself (you have to replace the little chip that is in each cartridge) to save money. The general, generic photos, take to Costco.
I like it, the clouds mirror the rocks well. And thank you for some of the best beer out there!
I purchased insurance for the first four years of my equipment, which is about to expire. Thank you for the helpful posts, hope it turns out well, and I agree, please update and let us know the final findings.
I use it heavily in post and am learning to use it more in camera. Spending time on the front end of shooting an event can save hours and hours of post editing for me. I am also learning to use the in camera histogram for my custom mode settings before any event that will require shooting in different light/rooms/time of day.
Screen size! The visual difference between 13" and 15" is greater than what you lose in portability. Most bags can accommodate the 15's, and they have become so slim and light weight that they are the clear choice in my opinion. (I have been carring a 15" MacBook pro for four years now)
I shoot manual close to all the time. When you get really familiar with the controls, you can quickly adjust to achieve different shots with the same subject matter. If you use auto, or ISO auto, make sure to set the max ISO to a noise level your comfortable with.