How do you remember your workflow?

[James Blonde]

How do you remember each and every step required for you to take a specific picture?

I'm quite keen on getting into infra red photography, however I'm using an unmodified camera, which means that there is a large number of steps to take to set the camera up, and the fact that exposures are generally around 20-30 seconds means that if I forget to do something, its either another long wait to take another photo, or I give up cos the other half has got fed up!

Basically, I should:
-Set to manaul
-take a white balance reference shot of brightly lit grass
-Set custom white balance against the reference shot
-Set exposure delay (now I know this exists)
-Set aperture of around F8-F10
-Set shutter speed of 30s
-Compose and focus
-Mount Cokin P holder with IR filter in modified slot
-Shade top of filter to reduce light leakage
-Shade viewfinder to reduce light leakage
-Set Remote trigger
-Take Picture and hope to god that nothing knocks the tripod!
-Wait for pic
-Wait for NR

I bet I've missed a step out of that too!

It would be nice if cameras had multiple programme memories where I could set this all up, and just switch to the correct setting (leaving all the obvious things for me to do) but they don't.

So how do you remind yourself of all the steps required for your pics without forgetting??

[Cathus]

cameras do have programme memories... well some do.

My 5dMK II & 1D MkIV both have 3 memories where you can set all the settings you need, commit to memory, then any time after that you just switch to one of the 3 camera memories & all your settings change automatically.

One of the ways I use it is for HDR stuff, so I just change to memory 1 & it will shoot off 3 exposures at -1, 0 & +1 stops on continuous shooting, then just swicth back to AE or whatever afterwards.

[KeithT]

Shooting wise and post wise, most things become natural and instinctive and don't need memory recall. There is only one thing that has let me down memory wise in the past and that is the unwanted movement of the mode dial setting when either putting my 5d MKII back in the bag, or taking it out. My only other camera that needed checking for this anomaly was my Contax G2. Sometimes I forget to check the switch before setting the camera. My ageing brain is required to work overtime these days to remember to check this small but not insignificant thing until it becomes habit.

[GeoffWessex]

Or, for any picture.....

So I’m walking along with my camera and I see a wonderful scene that would make a great photo… before I hit the shutter, some decisions need to be made.....

* 1. What mode do I want to shoot in? Manual, AP, SP, Auto or a pre-programmed mode? This will depend on the subject to some extent..... am I after a narrow or deep Depth of Field (less in focus or more)? Or do I want to freeze the action or allow some blurred movement?
* 2. If I’m using a pre-set, what F-Stop or Shutter Speed am I going to use? (For the above reasons)
* 3. What format do I want to shoot in - RAW or jpeg? (Check the learning resource on this subject on this page - in odd lighting you may need to correct the exposure or white balance later, so Raw would be the choice)
* 4. What’s my ISO? Is it fast/slow enough? (More importantly, while I want the best quality - and lowest 'noise', will it still give me a shutter speed that I can handle if I don't use a tripod?)
* 5. If I have a high ISO, will it give too much noise for the shot? (Or something that doesn't matter too much?)
* 6. What White Balance am I set on? If Auto (AWB) will it handle the mixed lighting?
* 7. Do I need to set custom White Balance? (Based on the lighting and subject)
* 8. Did I bring my 18% Grey Card? It will help an overall correct exposure, but what in the scene will the exposure be based on? If it's a light area then the meter will decide on a shorter exposure and the dark areas will be underexposed - a camera, on its own, will decide that a shot with lots of snow needs an exposure value to make grey; lots of dark areas and it will overexpose that sky. Consider Filters, like a Graduated Neutral Density.
* 9. What Metering Mode should I be on? (Do I want to make sure that, say, somebody's eyes are in focus, an overall scene or something between the two?)
* 10. What Colour setting do I need? (If shooting Jpegs, colour can be adjusted with Saturation controls)
* 11. Am I going to use Manual or Auto Focus? (A scene with little contrast is difficult for the Auto mode, but generally you'll be OK in Auto).
* 12. Do I want to Bracket the shot? (Just to make sure I get a decent one - or maybe make a mix in editing)
* 13. Am I going to use a Flash? It will freeze the subject more easily.
* 14. And how am I going to use it? (Fill-In? Overall? Should I consider '2nd Curtain' Flash?)
* 15. What story am I trying to tell? (So am I in the best position for it?)
* 16. Do I need to change lenses? (Framing, distortion, compression, DOF - all side effects of different lenses).
* 17. If so, which one?
* 18. Am I shooting in Landscape or Portrait perspective, or even a jaunty angle?
* 19. Do I need to use a Tripod? (If you do, don't forget to turn off the Shake Reduction)
* 20. Will I use the Rule of Thirds or break it?
* 21. What other rules should I be following?
* 22. Are there Leading Lines I can use in the shot?
* 23. What about finding an S-curve for the leading line?
* 24. Is there any thing I can use to Frame my picture? e.g. Tree branches.
* 25. Will I change this to B&W, Sepia or something else post production? (B&W will require stronger elements and cannot rely on colour alone to give 'punch')
* 26. Do I have a Focal Point?
* 27. Is my subject Moving or Stationary?
* 28. For Moving Subjects, do I want to pan the shot, blur the background or blur the subject?
* 29. Is there a Pattern I can pick up on?
* 30. How’s the lighting? Are the shadows strong or weak?
* 31. Do I want to emphasize one area?
* 32. Is the light too strong?
* 33. Will it wash out detail?
* 34. Is my horizon straight?
* 35. Can I get this at a better angle?
* 36. Should I wait for better lighting?
* 37. What does the light meter read? If it's a dark area then the camera will expose for that (try to make grey), if a light area then the camera will expose for that (try to make grey). One way or another, a scene with both strong darkness and strong brightness will get one of them wrong (or make a reasonable 'average' where neither area is perfect - check out Filters and Metering Modes on this page).
* 38. Should I increase shutter speed or open up the aperture? (We're back to the beginning!)
* 39. Is it in focus?
* 40. Did I just miss a great shot? (Maybe - while you were working out the answers to the above questions!)

[ABERS]

If you are shhoting sport, you may be just in time to hear the final whistle, that's providing you got there for the kick-off!

[jinky]

I`m with Abers on this one. If I went through that process for every shot I`d miss it and most of the day and light!
Once you are used to your camera and understand light a bit I find it is more intuitive than going through a checklist and start shootimg before I miss the shot. In house set ups are different when I ponder more. Take the time to shoot a few at different f stops and trust the aperture priority mode that your manufacturer has taken years to develop. Why is there this purist belief in the need to shoot in full manual? I`ve done both and happy doing both but find I am quicker in getting the shot together using aperture priority and see little difference when I set myself to shoot in full manual.

[Cathus]

I have a feeling Geoff was being ironic (see point 40).

The above list is a scientific break down of what most of us do intuitively. It's like driving a car, if you broke down the process, you'd come up with a similar list hat most people do automatically without thinking about it.

[James Blonde]

OK, so the implication here is that actually I'm simply stupid and shouldn't be left in charge of a camera?

I'm not suggesting that for normal shooting you need to put any major thought into taking a photo. However not all photography falls into this camp, and IR is one of those. You have to set your camera up properly, or else the photo simply will not be satisfactory. Forgetting just one of those steps will most likely screw up a photo you spend 5 minutes setting up for, and around a minute taking - and you may not realise till you get home and start to process it! Taking a few different exposures "just to make sure" isn't really practical given the time involved.

So thankyou for putting me in my place, its good to know where I belong.

[ABERS]

Originally Posted by James Blonde

OK, so the implication here is that actually I'm simply stupid and shouldn't be left in charge of a camera?

So thankyou for putting me in my place, its good to know where I belong.

Can't see where that was implied or meant!

As Cathus said, when you've done it enough times it's a bit like driving a car, everything comes auotmatically.

As far as I can see your menu of actions is right if you are using an IR filter, The only thing you need apart from that is constant light on a still day, that's if you are photographing foliage, which is what IR is usually about.

[Cathus]

were you simply stupid before you could drive (if you can)?

I doubt it, and that's far from the implication. The implication is that the more you get used to photography the more it becomes second nature. And I expect the more IR stuff you do the less time you'll spend worrying whether you've got all the settings right.

That's not to say people who know their stuff, don't make the mistakes you say you make, we all do.