Digital Photography Digital Field Guide

Chapter 2. Preparation and Setup

• In This Chapter

• Recharging strategies in the field

• Setting the camera

• Choosing your format

• Memory card capacities

• Protecting your camera

• Getting permission to photograph

Much of the time, it's easy to use a digital camera in the field — just point and start shooting. Of course, the more you understand about how photography works and the impact of digital technology, the better a photographer you'll be. And, once you understand your camera and its capabilities, the better your photographs will be.

But, you need to be prepared. If you've thought in advance about the field conditions you are likely to meet, you are more likely to bring back great photographs. You can help yourself prepare mentally, as explained in Chapter 1, by understanding the basic principles of photography and how digital cameras work.

Another one of the most important parts of being prepared is making sure that your camera is set up the way it will work best for you, regardless of circumstance. The goal of this chapter is to help you prepare for field conditions, with an emphasis on setting up your digital camera.

Recharging Strategies in the Field

Every digital camera model uses batteries that must be recharged from time to time. Depending on your model, recharging is accomplished in one of several ways, including

• Replacing the batteries with new ones (for example, when the camera runs on AA size batteries that may be rechargeable or not).

• Plugging the camera into an adapter that connects ...