7 Tips For Shooting Great Digital Photos
By Gary Hendricks, Fri Dec 9th

Do you have trouble shooting good digital photos? Perhaps you'vebeen taking digital photos for some time, but never really gotthe beautiful shots you wanted. Maybe you somehow messed up thephotos you took of important events, like your daughter'sbirthday or your trip to Paris.

How do you begin to take good photos? Well, the first thing toremember is this: It's the photographer that takes great photos,not the camera. Think about that for a minute. It's true isn'tit? I've seen some people take great photos with a simplepoint-and-shoot camera, while some take lousy shots with themost expensive SLR.

Fret not! Read these tips on shooting digital photos and applythem the next time you have a chance. Before long, you'll beshooting photos like a pro! 1. Know Your Camera Does this soundfamiliar? You buy the latest digital camera out there, comehome, rip off the box, then proceed to fiddle with the device.You briefly flick through the hundred page camera manual andthen never look at it again. Not a good idea! If you buy adigital camera, you owe it to yourself to understand its ins andouts. Learn how to control exposure, how to use different cameramodes and how to use the flash. The knowledge you gain about thecamera will be invaluable when you're out in the field takingthose special photos. 2. Learn to Control the Flash One of themost important things you need to know about digital photographyis to control the flash. Personally, I hate to rely on theautomatic flash that comes with the digital camera. Depending onthe situation, you need to switch off or switch on the flash.

For example, when taking outdoor photos, it is sometimes good toturn on the flash to illuminate the subject, especially if he orshe is in the shade. On the other hand, you can also choose toturn off the flash when taking indoor shots. Sometimes, usingthe flash indoors will result in unnatural skin color and harshglare in your photos. 3. Play with the Macro Mode Almost alldigital camera these days have a macro mode. This setting isideal for taking close up shots of objects like flowers orinsects. On my Canon PowerShot S500, it's represented by aflower symbol. What you do is to pick a subject, turn on macromode, then get as close to it as your camera will allow. Makesure you allow the camera to focus properly before depressingthe shutter button fully. 4. Hold the Camera Level A

basic ruleof photography is to hold the camera level. Since most digitalcameras come with a LCD, you can use it to properly frame yourshots. Next time you're taking a shot, try to look for thehorizontal lines and use them as guides. A good example is tomake use of the horizon when you're taking a photo of a sunset.5. Use The Tripod I recommend this tip to all buddingphotographers - camera tripods are an essential tool in yourphotography arsenal. When will you need a tripod? Well, it'suseful if you're taking shots under low-light conditions ortrying to capture fast moving objects. I like to use a tripodwhen taking night shots city streets, for example. Always try tolook for a tripod that's convenient to carry around. Forpersonal use, you don't need a huge one - just a simple compactone that's easy to pack. 6. Play with the ISO Setting I find theISO setting in digital very useful. The ISO setting of aessentially camera controls it's sensitivity to light. If you'retaking a photo of a still object, like a flower, then always usea low ISO setting. It allows for a longer shutter speed andproduces a cleaner image. If you're shooting a moving object,like a baby playing with a toy, then a higher ISO setting of say400 would be better. Do take note, however, that a higher ISOsetting gives a faster shutter speed and requires less light.This will produce noiser photos. 7. Have Enough Memory CapacityJust like you must have enough rolls of film when usingtraditional cameras, make sure you always have enough memorycapacity in your digital camera. It's terrible to be on aholiday taking great photos and suddenly realizing you've nomemory space left. Here are some general guidelines for digitalcamera storage.

* 2 megapixel - get at least a 64MB card * 3 megapixelcamera - get at least a 128MB card * 4 megapixel camera - get atleast a 256MB card * 5 megapixel camera and above - get at leasta 512MB or 1GB card Conclusion Whew. A pretty long article. Ihope I've managed to give you some good tips on shooting greatdigital photos. Always remember what I said - while the latestand greatest digital have amazing features, you stillneed a skilled photographer to take nice pictures. Apply theabove tips to your everyday shooting and learn to be a betterphotographer.

About the author:Gary Hendricks runs a hobby site on digital photography. Visithis website at http://www.basic-digital-photography.com for tipsand tricks on buying digital cameras, as well as shooting greatphotos.