I tend to rely on the photography gods when I am out in the field shooting. There are several things that could go wrong. One is like CherokeeRose asked about is the camera shake. One thing that I have found works well is using a tripod, but of course that isn't always feasable. If I don't have a tripod then I will try to use one of my knees, or if it is of a landscape, then I will use whatever I have around. I have used my car and a wallet for a pretty steady photo.

But there are other things that you will encounter while out on a shoot. I normally do large groups when I go on a shoot, such as High School sports teams, and let me tell you that there is nothing more delightful than a bunch of teenage girls waiting to get their picture taken (sarcasm).

So as you may tell, one doesn't have alot of time to set the lights up and meter them as well, so I usually try to set my camera to the light. I will bracket, which means that I just guess with the F stop and decide once I get back to the studio what picture to use. I start off around F-8 and will go down to 5.6 and ten up to 11. WIth digital it is nice because you can see the photo, and you have more pictures, depending on the CF card used.

But when the photography gods are smiling down on you, then everything goes right. First of all, most sports teams are out in the actual field. In order to get the mainlight to work you need a DC power supply. I use a vagabond for that, but there is a problem with that. At the studio we have 3 vags, but one doesn't work right. So there is a one in three chance that I pick the wrong one, and that usually what happens. But lets say you do pick the right vag and it does work. Does that mean your main light will work? Not nessecarily. I had a good vag at one time, but my main light didn't work. Of course there are the other problems like dead batteries and whatever.

I have been at shoots where I have experienced problems. I admit it. If the vag works, then the mainlight won't work. Or maybe both will work but I don't have a sync cord.

Well, every once in a while the photography gods will smile on you and everything will go just right. Then you have to think of what you did the last time everything went right and try to recreate it. I figured that if I want everything to go just right, I need to do a sacrifice of something.

SO that is when I started sacrificing babies.

THat is a joke.

The best thing to do before going on a shoot is just to make sure you have everything you need. Think of what you will be using out there and grab two of everything, if possible.

And make sure the lens is clean, especially if you have autofocus on your camera. If you have a smudge on your lens, then the lens will try to focus on the smudge and not the subject.

If you do all of these things, besides sacrificing babies and murdering dogs, then the photography gods will smile on you, too.