Chimping isn't a crime!

Chimping, or checking the back of your camera's LCD screen after you make a photo has gotten a bad rap over the years. But I say if its there use it! Of course it should be used in moderation like anything else but there are times when checking that your exposure is in the ball park can save you lots of trouble afterwards like it did here a few days ago while I was shooting a wedding over on Ishigaki island.

I was shooting away doing my thing as the Bride and Groom were entering the chapel when I took a quick glance down at my LCD screen for a quick check that everything was in order, only to notice my last few shots were horribly underexposed!

So I checked my settings to see what was wrong. ISO 400 fine, shutter speed 160/sec no problem there. Aperture f0.0??? whaaa?? It turns out the connectors between the Nikon D3 body and the 24-105mm f2.8 were not talking properly and thus the aperture in the Nikon lens was stuck in its fully stopped down position at f22 ahhhggg! Luckily I quickly noticed in time and gave the lens a quick wiggle to try and get it to connect properly again with the camera just in time to make the shots I needed from that scene.

There are many other instances also when the rear LCD screen can be a lifesaver. The main thing to remember is use it in moderation and most importantly if your shooting a wedding, couples, models etc.. is never let on that you were not as impressed with your results as perhaps you should have been. I've seen photographers "chimp" their shots in front of customers with an unsatisfied expression and say "oh that looks horrible" or "hmm why isn't it coming out right" etc.. No matter what the image looks like, ALWAYS convey confidence in front of your clients! Even if its the worst shot you have ever taken of a bride, just smile and say looks great but lets try something a little different etc.. then move on. If the client sees that your not confident then they will loose confidence also and the photos will look like dog poop!
Happy confident shooting! 8)