If you have been used to taking photos with a traditional camera and film, you may be surprised at how easy it can be to lose a whole memory card full of pictures, because of seemingly simple errors. With a film camera, it does not matter if the battery gives out right at the time you take a photo. The only problem that might occur, is that you lose that one shot. You just rewind the film, and you are good to go. As great as digital is, there are pitfalls that can really bite you if you do not prepare for them.

You need to make time to plan ahead whenever you are about to take important photos for any event, be it a wedding, graduation or even a family day out sightseeing in a new city. And the reason for the time? Lets take a deeper look. Each of the points I cover here carry the same weight as the other. In other words, do all of the following to make sure that you have a successful day, taking wonderful photos for you and the subjects.

1. Make sure that all your batteries are fully charged. If your camera uses a proprietary battery, then you need to make sure that it is fully charged before you start the days event. Depending on how many photos you may take on the day, (see, more planning), you may need to buy an extra battery and have it fully charged as well. A lot of the smaller compact cameras, and even the larger DSLRs, often take special built batteries. They can be quite expensive, but if you think you might be taking a large number of photos, then it will be to your benefit to purchase an extra battery. It will always come in handy in the future, so it will never be a waste of your money.

2. Make sure that you have enough memory cards to hold all of the photos you will be taking on the day. Many of the smaller compact cameras can only take smaller capacity memory cards. So, if you are planning on taking photos for a special days event, then it would be wise to make sure that you have one or two spare memory cards. Also, be aware, that if your camera can take the larger capacity memory cards, and you think you can take all the photos on just one large card, then you also need to consider that if you have problems with that card, you will lose all the images from the day. That’s why I often suggest having two or three cards available, so that if anything were to happen to one of your cards, you would still have images on the other cards. Some of the larger capacity cards available these days, can store hundreds and even thousands of images before you need to change to a new card. I can only imagine the pain of losing a card with hundreds of irreplaceable images.

3. Before you start the days event, make sure that you format the memory cards and get them prepared for the days event. Be sure to format the card in the camera you will be using for the days event. Industry experts all agree that the best way to format and prepare a memory card, is to do it in the camera you will be using. Do not format the card using your computer. By using the cameras, it ensures that you have maximum compatibility. Also, if there is going to be a problem with the card, this is most often the time where the problem will show up. If the card does not format properly in the camera, then do not use that card during the event, but try and rectify the problem when you return home. Never try and use a card that shows any sign of a problem. It is just not worth the effort. You can try all kinds of things once you get home and have the time to spend and diagnose the problem.

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