By Wayne Rasku

Read lots of articles and tutorials, then try out what you learn with your digital camera. What follows are a few very good digital photography tips that can set you apart from the photography crowd. These tips are very simple, yet they are extremely effective in getting that “WOW” factor into your images.

Of all the advice given on photography websites as photographers critique each others’ images, this probably ranks number one in digital photography tips. Move the main subject out of the center of the photo frame. Our tendency is to center the subject, but it is much more interesting if the main subject is not dead center in the photo. This works really well if you have a person or a pet that is looking toward an imaginary object that is to the side of the camera. Try to take your photo while they are NOT looking at the camera. Place them so they are looking through the picture. That is to say, they are looking across the picture. Do not have them looking to the short side of the picture.

If you are taking pictures of nature, the same rule applies. Move your camera so that the flower or butterfly is not in the center of the picture. Of course, you can break this rule if you want to. After all, you are in control, but be aware of where your subject is in the picture before you snap the shutter.

Another of the top three digital photography tips is to use depth of field to highlight your subject. Depth of field refers to how much of the picture is in focus outside of the subject. For instance, if you take a picture of a beautiful flower in a garden, try to set your camera’s focus so that only the flower is in focus. This can be accomplished with a feature in some of the newer cameras in the “creative mode”. It is a great idea to read the camera instructions, because they are adding more and more of these kind of creative features to each new release. Depth of Field will definitely get you the “WOW” factor.

The third of the “how to take good pictures” tips is to use a tripod. A tripod can do several things for you. Of course it will steady your camera and give you the best possible opportunity to get your camera in focus. But a tripod will also make you take your time in setting up your shot. You have to think about where you want to place the tripod as you compose the shot in your mind. The process of thinking through your shots is one of the best ways to improve your overall outcome. A tripod is also handy when you want a group shot with yourself included. Just set your camera’s timer and jump in.

You definitely need to practice in order to take better pictures. Cameras are getting more intuitive all the time, but if you don’t know what you want before you press the shutter, what you get will be … a surprise. Sometimes it’s a good surprise, but if you decide to take control of the setup, before you press the shutter button, you will get consistently better output.

By Wayne G Turner

As you browse websites on digital cameras you will see recommendations and reasons why you should buy a particular camera. It’s confusing and can be very discouraging. Why? Because this is a new hobby and by the fact that it is new, you really don’t know what to do. Let’s take a look at how to choose the right digital camera for you.

This may sound a little different to the average recommendation and definitely won’t make the camera sales assistant happy. They’ll always try to sell the camera with the most features at the highest possible price you can afford, or, maybe can’t afford. It’s economics to them. Very few sales people will sell you what you need. And most first time buyers don’t really know what they need.

So here’s the bottom line. As a beginner you have no idea which camera you need or what features you require beyond the basics. Should you get a compact, a prosumer or an SLR? Should it be an entry level SLR, a semi-pro or a full on professional camera? All these questions can be answered but mostly not when you are buying your first camera.

Here’s the simple answer. The camera you need to buy is the one that is going to allow you to take photos without spending a lot of money. A simple entry level camera that can take photos is the only requirement.  You emphasis should be on learning photography.

At this stage of a beginner’s photography journey you are not going to know what you need and what features you require. You are going to learn photography by experimenting and trying out the ideas you may have. Only once you have an understanding of the fundamentals of photography, a knowledge of your particular camera and an idea of what type of photography you like, will you be able to make an informed decision.

You may want to continue just taking snapshots of family occasions and the odd action photo at the kids school. On the other hand you might be so inspired that you want to immediately buy a mid-range DSLR and work towards becoming a professional photographer. Spending a lot of money on your initial purpose which may not suit your needs is not advised. That money should be spent on the camera that is right for your particular needs.

Here are three questions to ask yourself when looking to make that initial purchase.

1. How serious am I about photography?

If this is a whim or passing fancy acknowledge it, and spend your money accordingly. If you have dreamed about this time all your life and really want to get serious about your photography then spend according to your budget. Don’t spend more than you need to and wait until you understand what your future requirements will be.

2. What do I want to achieve from my photography?

Do you want to enjoy it as a hobby, gain enough ability to sell your images to finance your hobby or do you want to become a professional photographer? Knowing this will enable you to head in the right direction and help you make your final camera decision.

3. How much money am I prepared to waste if photography is not for me?

I have said this before but it is important enough to repeat. Knowing your financial limits will help determine what you entry level purchase will be. Don’t spend more than you can afford to waste. It may put you off photography for life.

What you need to understand is that you must not be pushed into making a decision on any digital camera. Take you time and don’t spend more than you can afford . Concentrate on taking photos with your first camera and get to know your needs in order to make the best possible purchase on your second camera. Photography should be fun and never a financial burden.

By Clive Anderson

Some digital cameras can work out to quite a major investment, so it would be nice to be able to recoup some of that money. DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) cameras are not just for professional photographers and nor do professional photographers cover the entire spectrum for profiting from taking pictures.

With the point and shoot high quality image technology that is incorporated into photographic equipment these days there is a massive market that is absolutely yearning for quality pictures…

We Are An Ever Growing Media Hungry Planet

For whatever reason someone obtains a DSLR camera be it holiday, family event, wedding, or whatever there will always be times when it is simply being used to take pictures of a multitude of things.

What if these miscellaneous images had more value than just gathering dust among the many others located on the computer hard drive? By simply switching our minds to see potential for these stored images we can quite easily open up a whole new world.

There are many places online that want to put value on our pictures, enough so that we might even start to seek out or set-up better and more interesting shots in order to submit and in some cases actually get revenue for our photographs to various buyers.

It would be impossible to list any companies or organisations here as the list is quite extensive. Using search terms you can easily locate the services mentioned in this article. For instance by simply typing in photograph competition, you will be amazed at the results that this search actually yields.

On top of that there are many top quality prizes to be won. Many people say that you do not really stand much chance when you enter a competition of any degree, but research has proved that by entering several and continuing to do so you should start to accumulate quite a hall.

Apparently the answer is to not be too greedy and go for the mid-range prizes rather than the big ones as these tend to attract a bigger audience.

Another search that will put your photographic exploits on a bigger and better road is Earn Income From Photography, these are good terms and there are many more, it is purely a question of thinking about where you would like to go with your images and searching those terms.

You will be certain to find many various ways to be rewarded for your photographic efforts, even if you do not think your pictures are very interesting you can be assured that there is a benefit online for virtually any picture it is just a question of looking and knowing how to look.

I am no expert or professional photographer far from it and yet I have won several competitions and have some of my pictures being displayed on various websites over the Internet. All it takes is a little bit of work and the fun of taking pictures.