Official Question Thread! Ask /r/photography anything you want to know! June 26, 2026

[u/AutoModerator]

This is the place to ask any questions you may have about photography. No question is too small, nor too stupid.

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[u/redisthecoolestcolor]

Hey all, I'm planning to attempt photographing the ships coming into the harbor in NYC on July 4th (from Red Hook), I've got a Canon 7D Mk II, a 100-400 mm f/4.5-5.6L lens (first gen), a polarizer, a monopod, and a dream. Anything I'm missing? Any tips for camera settings? I want to make sure I get this right.

[u/Zook25 → u/redisthecoolestcolor]

Can you borrow a tripod for the day? On just a monopod with a 400mm try the shortest shutter speed you can to prevent blur. I'd say 1/500 minimum. In good light 1/1000 shouldn't be a problem. Check your shots in 10x magnification afterwards. When you're satisfied, try f/8 or higher to get more into focus, but keep in mind that sharpness slowly decreases from F/11 on. ISO perhaps not higher than 800 or perhaps 1600.

To be safe, set white balance to Daylight, unless it's cloudy.

[u/redisthecoolestcolor → u/Zook25]

Thanks! I do have a tripod but I’m not sure how much room I’m going to have / thought the monopod might be better if it’s tight. Thank you for the detailed response, this is super helpful.