10 Efficiency Tips for Digital PhotographersDigital Focus readers share their favorite ways to save time, save money, and protect their photos.
1. Don't ProcrastinateDelete obviously bad shots before you download them to my computer. In the past, I promised myself I would weed out the good from the bad while sifting through folder after folder of photos on my laptop, but by then the job is very daunting. These days, I make myself stop and delete unwanted pictures from my camera, and I am much happier with the scope of my photo library.
--Patricia Moorhead, Ontario, Canada
2. Choose Your Best ShotWhen uploading photos to Flickr, be sure to upload your best shot last, since that's the one that will be at the top of the page. And remember that uploading a bunch of photo to Flickr all at once is okay, but it'll be a waste because no one will generally see all but the very last few that you upload. It's better to upload a few at a time, spaced out over the course of a week.
--Susan Monroe, Louisville, Kentucky
3. Don't Share Memory CardsIf you share a camera with someone else in your home, each person should have their own memory card. That way, instead of having to sort through dozens of photos that aren't yours just to find the pictures you recently shot, swap out the card and you'll never have to waste time that way again. Memory cards are so cheap even your kids can own their own.
--Matt Boulerice, Orlando, Florida
4. Don't Overtax PhotoshopI've found that when using Photoshop, it's best to only open a few images at a time. Opening many large digital images at once will slow Photoshop down, sometimes to the point that everything slows to a crawl.
--Matt Boulerice, Orlando, Florida
5. Make a Simple TripodI may have read this here, but it bears repeating. You can make an incredible tripod (monopod?) for free, and it's small enough that you can always carry it with you. All you need is a quarter-inch bolt, some string long enough to reach the ground, and a small weight for the bottom. Screw the contraption into your camera, stand on the bottom to keep it taught, and most camera shake is eliminated. Alternately, you can use a retractable key chain instead of a string--that works great too!
--Tom Schmidt, Manheim, Pennsylvania
http://feeds.pcworld.com/~r/pcworld/update/howto/~3/341334267/article.html