How to Take Better Digital Photos by Mark R Boucher

Do you want to get the most out of your digital camera? Anyone can point-and-shoot. But to attain those dazzling professional looking shots, you'll need to avoid common mistakes and understand some basic photographic techniques.

Here are a few tips to help get you started taking better digital photos.

1. Avoiding common mistakes -

One of the biggest advantages of digital photography is being able to fix problems in your photos after the shooting is done. However, you can save yourself a lot of time simply by taking better photos in the first place. Here are a few suggestions to help you get better results:

Pay attention to what's in your frame: Carefully look over the image on your digicam's LCD for anything in the frame that you don't want in the photo. If you see a telephone pole sticking out of Uncle Harry's head then it might be a good idea to move yourself or your subject to avoid it. Always look at your background before pressing that shutter button. Besides, if you watch the background you won't miss that shot of a UFO doing a flyby behind the wedding cake.

2. Using the flash -

It's always better to turn off the flash on a small digital camera and use the available light, but for dimly lit, indoor snapshots, the flash can make the difference between an out of focus splash of colors or getting a sharp shot of your brother splashing backwards into the pool still wearing that rented Tux.

Avoid red-eye by changing your angle: You all have seen those photos where the people have those glowing red eyes. No, it's not time to call the Exorcist, it's because when using flash you shot the photo with the subject's face dead on. Move to a slight angle to decrease the intensity of the red-eye.

3. Get closer to your subjects -

If you intend to include a large amount of background, then by all means stand back. Otherwise, get close to your subject! Some photographers tend to stand too far away, especially when shooting portraits. Or they could just have a sensitive nose!

4. Get better prints from your digital camera -

Most of the time the images on your camera's LCD screen look great but are disappointing when you print them. No it's not time to play Office Space and take the printer out to the sandpit and clobber it into little chunks. The problem is that flaws can be difficult to see on your digital camera's small screen.

Sometimes your image simply needs a little work. If you have a photo that prints poorly, try modifying the image in Adobe Photoshop or Photoshop Elements before printing. Lightening or darkening an image can make a dramatic difference. And sometimes it helps to boost the contrast or to use the sharpening filter (but I recommend that you do so sparingly).

5. Put your photos online for friends and family to enjoy -

Because there are no film or processing costs involved when using a digital camera it's easy to snap a humongous number of photos. Finding a practical way to share your pictures with friends and family can be a hassle. Fortunately, there are many Web sites that allow you to upload your photos to online albums, as well as order prints of them to be mailed to your home.

Photo-sharing Web sites, such as Webshots, Flickr, or Shutterfly let you arrange your photos into albums and display them for visitors. Many of these sites also offer online image-editing tools that will help you erase that Frisbee logo from your official UFO photos.

Top 6 Tips for Beginning Photography by Jonnie Blaylock

Welcome to wonderfully addictive world of photography. We have a great community. As the title says, these tips are meant for those beginning photography. I hope you find them useful.

1. Basic Equipment - There is no need to spend thousands of dollars when you just begin exploring photography. There is some basic equipment that every photographer should have though.

A Single Lens Reflex (SLR) camera is a must in order to go beyond the everyday point and shoot. SLRs give complete control over the aperture (iris opening in the lens), and shutter speeds. Together the aperture and shutter control the exposure of the shot.

The basic lenses are the standard, telephoto, and wide angle lenses. If you are just learning how to use an SLR then the standard lens that probably came with it is fine for learning all of the controls. I recommend eventually getting one of each of these lenses.

Whenever possible, use a tripod. The slightest movement of the camera can cause blur. The tripod will help keep this from happening.

2. Choose a Subject - When people look at photographs they should not have to guess what the subject is. Make it prominent in the picture. There should also not be too many things drawing the viewer's eyes away from the subject.

3. Composition - The easiest composition rule of thumb to use that gives the best results is the Rule of Thirds. This rule boasts the idea that just the right amount of stress in a photograph creates more interest.

This rule is followed by dividing the viewfinder into 9 equal parts with two vertical lines and two horizontal lines (a tic-tac-toe board). The points of interest should be located where the lines intersect.

Horizontal and vertical lines in the scene (the horizon or side of a building) should be placed on a corresponding line in the virtual viewfinder grid (tic-tac-toe board).

4. Portraits - Remember, the subjects in portraits are the people not the scenery. Get in close for the head and shoulder shots. Use the viewfinder to crop out any distractions that may be near the subject.

If there are still distractions in the background, narrow the depth of field to blur it out. A narrow depth of field will cause the foreground and background to be blurred while keeping the subject in focus.

5. Landscapes - Here the subject is the scenery. Use a deep depth of field to keep as much of the landscape in focus as possible. Most photographers use a wide angle lens to increase perspective (the lens's field of view).

Always use a tripod with landscapes. A deep depth of field required a small aperture opening. This usually required that the shutter be open longer than usual. The slightest jostle of the camera while the shutter is open will cause blur. As states before, a tripod greatly decreases the chances of this happening.

6. Wildlife - Practice at the local zoo. You will be able to get some great shots of exotic animals without having to worry about becoming prey.

For the larger predators, ask the zoo keeper when the feeding times are. This is when you will get your best action shots. With that in mind, be ready to use shutter speeds of 1/400 or less.

Do not forget, the only thing that shows up in the photograph is what is seen through the viewfinder. So make that little area look as interesting as possible.

I hope you have enjoyed my Top 6 Tips for Beginning Photography.

What kind of Digital Camera fits for you? by Francisco Segura

Digital cameras have advanced enormously in the last few years with many clever features incorporated into them; the number of functions they now have sometimes confuses potential buyers. So what are the things to look for if you want to buy a digital camera? Just to help with the confusion that you may be feeling, some information on what to look out for is discussed below. Point number one is, apart from taking photos, just what do you want your camera to be able to do. If you only want to take casual pictures of family and friends you will not need an all-singing-all-dancing model that will cost a small fortune. The financial outlay is always an important aspect even if you only want a basic model. When you print photos at home, having a powerful pc makes the work so much easier and faster and this is something to ponder over. Some computer outlets can supply complete computer systems that include a digital camera, printer, software and other accessories, so you can be ‘up and running' very quickly. If you don't already have some proprietary image editing software then do not worry because it will usually be included when you buy a digital camera but a photo printer will have to be factored into the equation if you don't already have one. Special photo printers that do not require a computer are now available and the price of these is dropping slowly. If you are looking forward to really high quality images then you will have to ensure the cameras settings are at the highest megapixel level possible. When fitted to a digital camera, its internal memory is usually only good for the storage of a couple of high resolution shots. There are a number of different types of card with storage capacities up to 32 gigabytes (at the time of writing; some require a card reader for a high speed connection to your pc. How it feels in your hands is also important and will determine how often you use it. With some of the newer manufacturers, functions completely replace any attempt at making it easy to operate. Before you buy a digital camera, check to see if it is supplied with batteries that are rechargeable; not only are these extremely cost effective, less batteries means less are disposed of which helps the environment. The LCD screen which almost every digital camera comes equipped with can be a drain on the batteries if it is large; this screen allows for greater shooting flexibility in addition to making it easier to view them afterwards. Of course many are doing away with the viewfinder altogether as it saves space but it means it is relying on the LCD screen which is a drain on the batteries. Try to buy a model with an optical zoom which usually start with 3x power; this will be the most useful function you have. Digital zoom only cameras should really be avoided as pictures using a digital only zoom are usually less clear. Remote controls and diopter adjustment are still quite rare but handy if you have them fitted although I would prefer to have a tripod socket if there were a choice. Perhaps now you will be able to buy a digital camera with a little more self-assurance than before.