Prepare to take digital pictures in five steps
Published: December 20, 2005
With a few minutes of planning and preparation, you can make sure that you are ready to take great digital photos without forgetting anything for your digital camera. By taking a few simple steps, you can help yourself be prepared so that you do not miss those moments that you want to capture.
1. Charging and packing batteries
When you pack your digital camera and batteries, make sure that the batteries are fully charged—especially if you have not used the digital camera in a while. Also, if possible, make sure that you have spare batteries, as well as the charger for charging your digital camera batteries. If you are going on vacation and your camera has standard batteries that are not rechargeable and that you can buy at a store, buy them before you leave so you make sure you have them when you need them.
If you have a digital camera that has rechargeable batteries and a battery charger, make sure you pack the charger. An accessory to consider buying is a car adapter for your digital camera battery charger. This is especially helpful on those long car trips, so you do not miss any pictures of stops that you have made along the way.
2. Remembering your storage cards
Regardless of which type of memory your digital camera uses, CompactFlash (CF) or Secure Digital (SD), make sure that you have plenty of memory available on storage card or cards that you have. Remember, you might already have other digital photos or other files on the storage card. If so, before you leave, use your computer and delete any old unwanted photos or other files. It's easier to delete content before rather than stopping to free up space on your storage card when you are taking pictures.
3. Packing your digital camera and accessories in a small camera bag
A small camera bag can go a long way. Not only does it help to protect your digital camera when going from one place to another, it also provides a place for you to keep different camera accessories protected in one place. Some small accessories that you might want to consider packing in your camera case include a small lens cloth, lens paper, lens blower, lens cleaning solution, and possibly small silica packets to absorb water vapor and other moisture in general to protect your camera.
If you have a few different storage cards, you can purchase a small storage card holder and place that in the camera bag as well. This helps to ensure that your storage cards are protected and that you can find them when you need them.
4. Packing a tripod or mini-tripod
Though tripods can add some extra weight, consider packing a tripod. Using a tripod can help you take great photos. If you do not want to carry a regular tripod, consider bringing or purchasing a mini-tripod. Many of these mini-tripods are small enough to fit in a small camera bag or even a coat pocket. The key is to bring something that will help you keep the camera still when taking pictures.
5. Taking the necessary cables and accessories with your laptop
If you plan to bring a laptop computer on your trip, make sure that you have the necessary cables and accessories for the computer and camera. For example, if you want to transfer pictures from your digital camera to your laptop, make sure that you pack the appropriate USB cable that may have come with your camera, as well as the power adapter for your laptop.
If you do not want to use the USB cable to transfer pictures from your digital camera to your computer, you might want to consider packing a storage card reader. Many of these storage card readers and adapters can be purchased for a reasonable price and can help to quickly transfer your pictures to your digital camera whether you are at home or away.
By taking a few minutes before you leave for your vacation or holidays, you can help ensure that you are ready to take pictures and not miss those special moments.
