BOB EPSTEIN ON VACATION PHOTOS

Most Common Mistakes

EDITOR'S NOTE: Bob Epstein of River Ranch, Florida, has worked as a professional photographer and outdoor writer for years. He also represents Olympus Cameras. He speaks throughout the nation on how to take better outdoor photographs. This week, Epstein will tell us all how to take better vacation and outdoors photography.

QUESTION: What are the most common mistakes people make when taking their vacation photos?
ANSWER: Everyone makes mistakes -- even professional photographers get absent-minded sometimes.

* Many people leave their lens caps on when shooting photos, resulting in nothing but blank film.
* A finger or thumb in front of the lens will ruin the picture.
* You'll black out your subject if you shoot directly into the sunlight. A lot of people make this mistake.
* You will get a poor-quality photo if you shoot flash from too far away from the subject. Everyone thinks flash can reach out beyond 8 to 10 feet, but it can't.
* You're improperly loading the film can lead to a big disappointment. Take your time, and make sure the film is progressing as you take the pictures.
* You'll ruin your film if you open the camera before you rewind the film. Make sure your film has completely finished rewinding before you open the back of your camera.
* You'll not be able to take a photo you really want because your battery has died if you don't replace your batteries frequently. Most cameras take between 150 to 300 images on one battery pack. The more you use the flash, the less battery power you'll have. Always carry extra batteries with you.
* The quality of your photo will suffer if the flash gets blocked from reaching the subject.
* Your camera will get ruined if you leave it in a hot car.
* The best speed film overall is 200 ASA. The casual photographer can cover a lot of ground with that speed of film. Don't use fast film outdoors, such as ASA 1000.
* Many vacationers make the mistakes of not shooting enough photos. You only get one chance to capture the moment, so take more photos than you think you want. Sometimes only one out of 15 or 20 will turn out good.
* Many photographers get in too big of a hurry to take photos. Take your time. If you are photographing people, wait for their best expressions.
* The film will degrade if you wait too long to get your film developed. You risk the chance of ruining it by leaving it in a hot car or exposing it to rain.
* You shouldn't use outdated film, since film degrades over time.
* You will ruin the camera if you store it in a damp location.
* The flash will create a flare off the subject and will overexpose the image if you use it too close to the subject. If you only stand 3 feet away when shooting someone's face, the flash will just flare off the person's skin and cause a white-out.
* You can ruin the film if you load your camera in bright light.
* The image will look blurry if you don't hold the camera steady.
* You can end up with some odd-looking pictures if you don't check for protruding objects when you photograph a subject. For example, if the person stands directly in front of a small tree, the tree may appear to be growing out of a subject's head. The human eye makes provisions for all images, but a camera shows it like it is.

For more information on Bob Epstein's book "How To Take Your Best Shot With A Point-and-Shoot Camera," e-mail him at bobepstein@aol.com. The book costs $4.95 with postage included.

TOMORROW: THE JOY OF A DIGITAL CAMERA