Recently, I wrote an article about some vague memories of Denmark. I attempted to shake loose the cobblestones in my mind and pulled down a musty, dusty shoebox filled with old photographs in the hopes of certainty.
I sat in the back of the closet and found the photos that captured the streets and images in my mind. I was grateful for having taken the photos. Spending the next hour shuffling through the old memories, there were two words that described my pictures "? bad photography. I was also shocked by how bad those photographs were: out of focus, poorly lit, covered in lens fuzz.
I realize that my photos could have been so much better if I had only serviced my camera by a professional (this is frequently free and just a few minutes of time), used a day flash to brighten faces in the shade or shoot with the sun behind me, and understood the limitations of my auto-focus by reading the users manual for my camera. I'm glad that times have changed and I have new-found knowledge so my old memories become clear when shuffling through the shoebox and working towards two more words "? good photography.
Written by Devin Galaudet
Good point; this is especially important with Digital SLR’s, as the electronic imaging chip is electro-statically charged, and when you change lenses, it is exposed to the outside air (pollen, dust, etc).
Once a spot of dust gets on there, you will start to see it in EVERY picture, mostly when zoomed out all the way.
TIPS:
1). DO NOT try to clean yourself, unless you are sure of what you are doing. The imager is sensitive and easy to damage.
2). DO NOT blow it out with “canned air” or your breath.
3). Hold the camera upside-down when changing lenses to reduce the chance of dust getting in.
4). Go to a camera shop once in a while: they will often clean your camera for fee, or for very little money. It beats cloning out 200 spots of dust on ALL your vacation photos!