Sooo … did you get it, did you get that new piece of camera gear you wanted for Christmas? I was fortunate and got what was on my list, a TC-14eIII so I don’t have to borrow one anymore. Now the challenge begins, making magic with that new gear. Here are some suggestions for you that might help you rocket forward your knowledge base and use of that new gear. If it’s a camera body, make sure you have the latest firmware installed. It can make a difference and you want that machine working its best for you. Next, you need to go through all the settings and make sure certain things like Color Space is set to Adobe RGB.
The 300PF, what I’ll use the TC-14eIII with mostly
Don’t know what settings to use, I have a knowledge base of settings here you can use as either starting points or what you use all the time. What if you got a new lens? Sit and stand in your home and practice, practice, practice handholding with it! Finally, what ever that new piece of gear might be, marry yourself to it. For the next couple of weeks, shoot just with it if applicable until you know all it can and can’t do. Make notes, take photos, put them in a folder with the name of the piece of gear and learn all it does that melds with your style of photography. With that knowledge base you have created for yourself, you can then go out and make the most of that piece of gear. And there is no better way to keep the Christmas spirit all year long then enjoying that gift!