ACS - 2nd Advance Manual Project #3: Taking Care of Your Camera

Advance Manual : 226-B  Speaking to Inform
Project # 3    : The Demonstration Talk
Title          : Taking Care of Your Camera
Delivered at   : PICPA Riyadh Toastmasters Club
Evaluated by   : CC/CL Jose Bollozos
Target Norm    : Advance Communicator Silver

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Note:  

*  The speaker is a professional photographer and currently teaching photography classes

*  Actual speech delivered may significantly from the prepared speeches.  

*  Use the slides below to follow the context of the presentation.
*  The Toastmaster of the Day was given a script declare that the target audience are all photographers

<<Slide 1>>

Before I start, let me shot a question: “how much is the cost of your camera”?

Good evening fellow photographers!






<<Slide 2>>
An ordinary point and shoot camera often ranges from five hundred to a thousand riyals.  This is dirt cheap for us professional photographers, simply because the cost of our gear often starts at around three thousand riyals and could go up to several thousands more.   

 For some of us here, we could buy a beautiful house in the Philippines with the cost their camera.    Like Melvin who just bought a brand new Canon EOS1-Mark IV, costing approximately thirty five thousand riyals or half a million pesos… and that is for the body alone.

Hence, it is just right that we take care of our camera because of the significant money that we spent.


<<Slide 3>>
Let’s start with the basic handling of your gears.   The first item that we should always care is the camera body.  The most important information that you should know about your camera body is its type.   


Camera manufacturer generally categorize camera as:

·         * Entry Level

·         * Semi Professional Level

·         * Professional Level

We already know that these camera varies largely on the function, megapixels and yes price.  But often, we neglect that these camera body has specific build construction that is specific to each type.

Knowing the level of your camera will help you to anticipate the necessary precaution to protect your camera body.  When shooting in humid places or rainy area, bring a plastic cover or cellophane.   When shooting in arid place, cover your camera with gaper tape.


<<Slide 4>>
After a day in the field or studio, always clean the camera body before storing it.  The camera body may look clean, but beware.  The sweat in our hand is stored on the ribs of the rubber handles of the body, and this is the primary cause of fungus!  

Do not clean your camera body with an alcohol-based solution such as rubbing alcohol.  Use an alkaline based solution and if you don’t have one, use clean water.

Never soak the body directly into the solution.  Use a non-abrasive cloth such as planela.  As much as possible, do not use cotton as it leaves trails, or silk because it will make scratches.

You can use leather shine solution to make your body looks like new.



<<Slide 5>>

Now that your camera body is clean, store it properly.  If you don’t use the camera often, use the original box.  If you are a hobbyist like me, store it in a dry cabinet.  And for those who are always “on the go” mode, store it properly in a sturdy camera luggage.   

Be sure that you are using a bag with thick padding and with compartments to ensure that the gears do not collide with each other.





<<Slide 6>>
Now, the most expensive part of the camera… the camera lens.   

We all know that it is the lens the defines the quality of the image.  While dirt cheap lens – which is often made of plastic provide acceptable snap shot, it is always the expensive high quality glass lens that provide the best photo possible. 
Most often, our lens is far more expensive than the camera body.  This alone cost six thousand riyals, while the body is just merely four thousand riyals.  



<<Slide 7>>

I saw one photographer among you who use his handkerchief to clean off the dirt of his lens.  That is a big NO NO!  Your hanky which is make of polyester will scratch the lens.  Just like what happened to our projector. Always use a lens cloth or micro fine paper.

Furthermore, always stroke on one direction.  Not circular! You just rotating the dirt in the lens, if you do so.  You can use leather shine solution to make your lens looks like brand new.



<<Slide 8>>

Just like the camera body, you store your lenses in its original box if you will not be using it for a long period of time.  If you are an occasional shooter, make sure you have dry cabinet to preclude the development of fungus and molds in the lens.   

 This is the number one problem in humid region.  Obviously, we don’t have that kind of problem here in the desert.  Nevertheless, keep your lenses in tightly sealed cabinet to preclude wilt and micro-dust.    A camera bag is ideal if you are an “on-the-go” type of photographer.


<<Slide 9>>
Lastly, the accessories.  You may think that since this is labeled as accessories, you can neglect these items.  You are dead wrong. If your memory card is defective, you can never store any image.  If your battery runs out of juice, you can never shoot.  And if your flash gun is defective… expect dark images.

Take care of your accessories, just like how you take care of your camera body.



<<Slide 10>>
Always use a memory bank or library pad for your flash memory…. and always keep it near to you.  Imagine the effect of losing a memory card that contains all your day’s work!
Separate batteries from the rest of accessories.  Rechargeable batteries are known to explode under high temperatures, and will leak at low temperatures.
Use small / individual pouches for your accessories.  

 Zip locks would do.



<<Slide 11>>
Lastly, use a sturdy and certified camera bag.  NEVER try to settle for low quality bag.  Unless you are willing to throw away a fortune because you tried to save few buck for a camera bag.










 <<Slide 12>>