As any experienced photographer will tell you, being prepared improves your chances of having a successful photo session.
If you're not prepared... Nothing is more deflating than getting to a great location and having lots wonderful subjects all around you only to find out that you've forgotten something from your equipment like an empty memory card or fresh battery pack. Trust me - it happens to the best of us, but it's better when it doesn't happen to you!
Here is a basic night-before-checklist: 1. Charge your batteries
A digital camera without a power supply is a nice (but useless) piece of plastic. If your battery goes emply on a shoot and you have no backup, "game over". Many digital cameras use special battery packs made only by the manufacturer. They're all available at specialist shops, of course, but it's unlikely you'll find a replacement at the local fuel station. In this case cameras with AA-size batteries are preferable.
Always charge your batteries the night before. Even if you're sure they're "almost" full. All batteries self-discharg over time. For example, the NiMHs lost 10% of its charge in the first 24h.
If your camera does work with a proprietary battery, it's a good idea to own at least one backup. If you use an external flash, be sure those batteries are full, too.
2. Empty your memory cards
Oh, the misery you'll feel if you get to a great location only to find that your huge memory card is full of the photos you snapped (and didn't download) last weekend! It's funny how excited we get when shooting pictures, but then neglect to download them immediately. Be sure your cards are downloaded and freshly formatted the night before a session -and don't forget to burn a backup CD of those images.
For long-term trips a so called "
photo tank" is useful - it's a compact external device with a card reader outside and HDD storage inside.
3. Don't forget to pack your memory cards and batteries! Should I tell you about the crazy weekend I had when I drove to the Alps to photograph the amazing mountain landscapes, only to realize when I got there that I had left all but one of my memory cards sitting safely on my desk at home? The nearest photo shop was 1000 m below me and there was free space for exactly 13 images on my card...
4. Clean and check your camera gear Most digital cameras are pretty indestructible in terms of normal use and even mild abuse, but that doesn't mean you should ignore their cleanliness. Take time the night before an important shoot to examine your camera for obvious signs of wear or damage--a loose battery cover or a dinged filter ring, for example. And take a few minutes to clean the "safe" glass surfaces, like filters and eyepieces.
I never clean the lens surface unless it's obviously dirty. When I get more than a few minor fingerprints or dust spots on a lens, I use an inexpensive microfiber cloth (it costs 2-3 Euros) to gently clean the lens. The cloths are washable and they last for years.
If you're using a digital SLR, the subject of dust on the sensor is bound to come up. Dust shows up as spots in bright areas with no detail--like a blue sky. Unless you really know what you're doing though, it's best to leave sensor cleaning to a professional--it's possible to literally ruin a sensor if it's not done correctly. When you need additional information about sensor cleaning,
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