Sequence to taking your photo

[kat]

It never fails that at times when I only have 5 mins to get a shot I will forget to change an ISO when need be. Or the white balance..or something or another.

Do you have a sequence that you go over in your head? You see a photo in the making...what is your process (train of thought) to get to that first click. Is it always the same?

[tomorrowstreasures]

kat - i too have difficulty with routine... it think a good way to establish one would be to write out a routine that is basic and then practice when not under pressure...

[Ben H]

I think it happens to everyone, at least at some point.

I usually get myself in the ballpark when I pick up the camera (choose appropriate shooting mode, set ISO etc) and chimp a couple of times to verify.

One of the things I'm trying to do is force myself to look at and understand the settings the camera shows in the viewfinder while half-pressing the shutter, just to check I'm in the ballpark, at least with shutter speed and ISO.

It's really easy to ignore the viewfinder displays and focus on looking at your subject. If I get into a routine where I'm always seeing where my settings are on at least those initial shots as I take them, I run less of a chance of missing shots down to incorrect settings.

[tirediron]

EVERYONE forgets this stuff now and then, usually at a critical point. I've managed to get myself to the point where checking these settings is almost automatic when I pick up the camera, but I still have a little label on the back which reads: Check WB/ISO!!

[BlueX]

I do this ALL THE TIME! It kills me. I always forget the iso, ex comp, shooting mode and image size/quality. I think if you get in the habit of checking it everytime you pick up the camera, like tireiron said, after a while, it will be automatic. I try to also get in the habit of reset the settings after I finished the perticular shot, but sometimes that doesn't work because I use those settings for a series of shots (shooting indoors, for example). I found using a tripod slows me down and I am more aware of my settings and more deliberate with my actions. But I do not always carry a tripod with me.

[Greg_Nuspel]

Since I shoot RAW I have never touched my white balance, is this a bad thing?

I only wish the D80 wouldn't reset the image size when you do a reset.

[Iguanasan]

One of my biggest issues, too. I'll set up, check shutter speed, aperture. I used to shoot a lot with film so having an adjustable ISO still feels strange but I'm getting used to it. White balance is the worst for me. I'll take some shots outdoors then take the camera indoors and forget to compensate (or vice versa).

[tirediron]

Since I shoot RAW I have never touched my white balance, is this a bad thing?

I only wish the D80 wouldn't reset the image size when you do a reset.

Ummm... It depends a lot on what you shoot, but I'm going to say it's not a good thing. It's amazing how a slightly mis-adjusted WB can change the overall look of an image. For the most part Nikon has done a good job of writing the software algoyrythm for their automatic WB, BUT if you can get a "real" WB at the time of shooting, it will (1) Often improve the overal colour and hue of your image and (2) save you a LOT of time in post.

Hopefully I'll be posting my long-promised review of the Expos disc shortly - that may give you some insight.

[Greg_Nuspel]

I thought raw was just what the sensor saw no corrections. The corrections are applied to JPGs, but now I learn different

[Ben H]

White balance in raw files is just meta data, so it won't technically matter if you get it wrong in camera.

But as has been said, getting a proper white balance at shoot time saves some post effort. Plus you get a better representation of the image on your camera screen, especially if you are showing it to clients (who might get concerned if all their pictures look yellow