Charge your batteries

[Abby Rose]

Yeah. I usually do, almost always right when they run out of power. But of course I did not on the one that ran out earlier this week, and then I used up other one up on Saturday morning going on the youth hunt with my cousin, taking pictures of the night/early morning sky. No deer, though, of course. :roll:

Anyway.

Nobody told me that we were going to the beach later that day! But we did, and I wasn't too upset that I had no batteries because it was a nasty sort of cold front day and it wasn't really good for pictures anyway. But about an hour after we got there, the rain let up on the land but there was still some out on the bay, and the clouds started breaking up enough to be interesting instead of a flat gray sheet, and all that made the water look greenish, and the grass on the beach was such a pretty color...

Well, I got some cell phone pics. Not quite the same, though... I have to get them on my computer and see. I wouldnt be too annoyed because I'm sure there will be times where the bay is as pretty again this fall, but I live at school most of the time and there is no real water here anywhere! And there will probably be a blizzard or a downpour or a boring sunny day the next time I get home, and the beach will be inaccessible or uninteresting.

So, charge your batteries. Because you might end up going to the beach and the nasty weather will become pretty and you will only have a cell phone to record the beauty! Ug.

rant over.

 

[Whootsinator]

*groan*

This seems to always happen to me...

 

[Boomn4x4]

and don't forget to take your SD card out of your computer.

 

[Abby Rose]

yes, good point.

 

[David Dvir]

It's usually good practice to have at least 1 spare battery on you. And any time you've arrived from a photoshoot and your battery is less than half charged, charging it.

The good news is these types of things don't happen very often after they've happened once

 

[pgriz]

Happens all the time. My way to keep at least a semblance of sanity (hey, appearances matter!!) is to have checklists for my activities. There's a photography checklist, there's a checklist for boating, another for kayaking, another for camping, another for job-site visits, etc. The checklists have basic (but important) stuff on them (if you're paddling up the creek, remember the paddle...). Stuff I still forget, I got spares (batteries, SD cards, etc) usually. And if you still forget the photographic stuff, maybe it was meant to be that way. Life can be enjoyed outside of little rectangles, my wife reminds me...

 

[Overread]

This is why I always carry spare batteries
Especially so since I now use a battery grip and with two batteries inside it lasts for ages, but sadly my 400D doesn't give out the most accurate of readings - so its easy for it to suddenly die on me as the batteries give out. Spare batteries however make it much easier - throw one or two in and return to shooting without a worry.
Remembering of course to charge up the now drained batteries at some point

 

[Mustlovedragons]

I feel your pain. Try this one on for size. Fly to TX for a motorcycle shoot. Almost pack that big honkin' charger but think to self "meh, it's fully charged so won't need to pack that cumbersome thing". Get there and find humming birds all over so get set for that. They all leave without even one picture. Get upset and set camera down, giving up, thinking to come back later. Look out window all day and still no birds. Next morning, pick up camera and find dead battery bc when you set camera down, you forgot to turn it off. Screwed three ways from Sunday, lol.

 

[RauschPhotography]

And always, ALWAYS have extras! I can't tell you how many times having extra cards or batteries have really saved me.

 

[Gaerek]

Speaking of batteries, change out the little lithium coin battery in your camera at least once every couple years. They usually last a while, but they are cheap (a couple $'s) and by changing them out before they die, it will keep you from the hassle of having your date/time reset when you change batteries (like what just happened to me).

 

[Manny]

and don't forget to take your SD card out of your computer.

This, or you leave the battery on the charger like I did this weekend.


Manny

 

[Overread]

and don't forget to take your SD card out of your computer.

but only after copying the photos off your card onto your computer
otherwise you'll get out there and 5 shots later realise that you've run out of space

 

[JG_Coleman]

Trying to remember to take my SD card out of the reader before a shoot is still a constant problem for me... luckily, I carry about 10 in my camera bag so that even if I leave 3 or 4 at home, I'm still guaranteed to have a few backups.

As far as batteries, I learned my lesson ever since a shoot I did in Northwestern Connecticut. I was out at a state park before dawn... it was one of those days when it seems like there's something truly photo-worthy around every turn. By the time 10AM rolled around, I had already taken 500 or more photos. As mid-day started to creep closer, slightly overcast skies kept the shooting conditions ideal and I couldn't believe how productive the day was turning out. While riding down narrow backroads on my way to the second state park of the day, I spotted a flock of wild turkeys cruising through a meadow. I stopped the van, grabbed my gear, leapt out and started shooting. Three photos in, my camera clammed up with the "Please replace battery" message. Talk about being angry at yourself! I had left my spare at home... in the charger! With potentially hours more photography to do on such a perfect day, I regretfully limped home... swearing that I'd never let it happen again.

Nowadays, when I set out to some far corner of the state, I make sure to have two batteries charged and ready to go. Even still, I leave a backup battery charger in my van and use a power inverter to charge batteries while I drive. Voila... mobile charging station! It's saved a couple trips already!

 

[12sndsgood]

yeah i picked up a spare battery for this very reason. have had a few times running out where my battery starts dying on me. luckily i havnt missed out on anything great. the other is the muliple memory cards. I had always thought of just buying one big one and then read on the site that allot of people use several smaller cards and swap them out so if one happens to go bad they only use a percentage of there photos and not everything. My buddy came down this weekend and we spend the entier day shooting pics and came back and his card crapped out on him and he lost everything he took from the day. i felt so bad for him for losing it all.

 

[prodigy2k7]

This is why I always carry spare batteries
Especially so since I now use a battery grip and with two batteries inside it lasts for ages, but sadly my 400D doesn't give out the most accurate of readings - so its easy for it to suddenly die on me as the batteries give out. Spare batteries however make it much easier - throw one or two in and return to shooting without a worry.
Remembering of course to charge up the now drained batteries at some point

Yes I have the 400D as well. I never know when my batteries are going to die.