MDavisnowell Wrote:
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> Galct, no one would ever accuse me of being a
> photographer, but I have a tip for you on the pics
> that are taken into the sun. When you're looking
> at the pump before you snap the shot, if the pump
> looks dark you need to make an adjustment. You
> can go two ways. You can use the flash (I don't).
> You can adjust the light level on the camera (I
> do). I don't get great pictures, but I get
> pictures that are acceptable.
>
> Actual blur is a different problem, and is caused
> by camera movement when you snap the shot. I've
> figured out two different things I do that cause
> picture blur, and the problems are worse when I'm
> tired or when it's cold. First, I actually pull
> down on the right hand side of the camera when I
> snap the picture by pushing too hard on the
> button. Too solve this one, hold the camera
> firmly in both hands and maintain the camera
> position as you push down on the button.
>
> The second error causing blur is pulling the
> camera off the shot before it's actually complete.
> You should maintain your camera and head position
> briefly when snapping the shot to be sure you're
> not moving the camera in the middle of the shot.
> It's like shooting a gun or shooting a bow. You
> don't want to interrupt your process. This
> problem crops up mostly when you're in a hurry.
> Take your time on each picture.
>
> I never take less than three shots of a required
> picture.
>
> You don't have to be a great photographer to make
> several thousand dollars a year on stations.
> They're not looking for art. They just want to
> see the pumps clearly. It's a learning curve and
> I encourage you to keep trying. You can practice
> your photography skills on your own until you get
> the hang of it. Taking digital pictures until you
> learn how is really cheap education. If you don't
> care for stations, then more for me but they can
> be lucrative in routes and work is abundant.
I'll add a couple of suggestions Galct. Most stations have more than one pump, and there are usually enough that you can fairly easily find one that is in "open shade" [i.e. under the canopy but receiving reflected light off the ground, etc.]. Those usually have enough light that the pump won't go dark. The second is to fill the entire picture with the pump, hold the shutter button halfway down [you've locked in the exposure], then step back until you have the view you want. The pump will be correctly exposed even though the background will overexpose and wash out.
"To be persuasive we must be believable; to be believable we must be credible; to be credible we must be truthful." Edward R. Murrow
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