While sorting and choosing the photographs of my recent trip to Botswana, I quickly remembered a list of criteria I like to use to objectively (more or less) decide which pictures are worth extracting from the huge bunch of files in the memory cards of my photo camera.

photo credit: mikebaird

As a matter of fact, I count 1 point for each of the following criteria:

• A – Attitude, Activity, Action
• L – Light and Exposure
• C – Composition of the image
• I – Interaction of the subject with its environment, model placement
• D – Crisp Details, no blur

After all, if you want a top photo, you could do much worse than try and fill all these conditions. A good photographer will remember these criteria at shooting time; An excellent photographer will apply them without even thinking about it; For my part, I still need to remember them while sorting RAW files under Adobe Bridge.

This is one surprising idea: Make your expensive camera so ugly that nobody will try to steal it.

This is the extremist extension of a solution I already use: In order to reduce the risk of theft, you can use gaffer tape and cover all distinctive marks and logos. Your SLR may still look bulky, but it will not be recognizable. And it has also the advantage of including the protection of small connectors or covers (and locking down some buttons you don’t want to see moving without your explicit intent).

Very good tip for photo travelers.