Photography's Digital Revolution has opened the doors of this excellent pastime that was once the realm of professionals, and made it accessible to so many people that it's now impossible to walk through the city, suburbs, or even some of the countryside without seeing someone with a digital camera around their neck or in their hands! This is great news - it's fun, it saves money on film and darkrooms, and you can take a whole lot of pictures.

Of course, as digital cameras become more advanced, every level of photographer has more to learn. It's one thing to just "point and shoot" (as plenty of the cameras sold today are named) - it's another thing to get a solid result from doing so.

Before any beginner "point and clickers" with aspirations to squeeze out good digital pictures fret about learning how to do it, I'm here to tell you that there are plenty of resources available to you to help send you well on your way.

7 Great Tips to consider:

1. What are you taking a picture of? Some subjects hold more appeal than others.

2. Can you make the ordinary, extraordinary? If you want to make something simple that you would otherwise pass by in daily life into something fascinating in a photograph, you've got to approach it from a different angle...

3. Arrangement is key. Let me give you a little clue: Makeup artists often strive for dead-center symmetry. Applying this to a photograph can turn thrilling into boring in just one click!

4. Exposure. It's a bright, sunny day in the city. You wouldn't just stroll down the middle of the street and expose yourself, would you? ;) Learn to apply that same principle of moderation to your pictures.

5. Colors and patterns - everyone loves them. Just look at the clothes you're wearing right now! If you pay enough attention to them, colors can make normal objects come alive, and creative use of lines can draw the eye from one point to another, or literally frame a subject. Everyday scenes cane be transformed into works of art.

6. What time is it? Stop - don't look at your watch! ;) I mean, at what time of day are you usually taking your pictures? Many photographers will get out there and click away at the peak of noon - I know I did! If it's clear, sunny, and just after lunch, you may run the risk of missing a lot of dramatic lighting for your shots.

7. Hey, are you packin'? (Your camera, that is!) Most of today's digital cameras are so small that keeping them with you is not a big, bulky, chore. Some of the best pictures are captured from moments that you would have had no idea of being near to. Believe when I say that if you don't keep a camera with you, sooner or later the words out of your mouth will be "Why didn't I bring it today? Just look at that! That would make a great picture!"

Profitable Photography



How to easily start up your own profitable photography business from home, just like I did - and make $720 in just 3 hours per week part time!

Digital Photography Business

Forget the darkroom - this is digital!

You'll need:

1. A camera - If you don't already have one, there are two primary types to choose from - "Point and Shoot", or DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex).

Point and Shoot cameras are smaller, lighter, and less expensive. You can take excellent digital pictures with a Point and Shoot! Most will offer a zoom lens, which allows you to change your focal range from wide to telephoto without having to change the lens itself. A note about zooms - optical zooms are always preferable to digital zooms - they actually move in closer, instead of zooming the image's pixels, which can lead to a loss of image quality. Most offer a number of shooting modes, which allow the camera to choose the ideal settings for different situations, such as low light, sports, portraits, snow, cloudy days, and macro pictures, which has led to the ease of taking wonderful close up pictures of flowers and other small but beautiful things.

Some have built in rechargeable batteries, others will accept disposable batteries. I prefer those which will accept disposables, because it is possible to buy the same size in a rechargeable version, and if you do happen to run out of power, you are going to be able to find more faster than waiting for a recharge.

Many people use the LCD screen on the back of their Point and Shoot as a viewfinder, though some use the eyepiece viewfinder itself. Some cameras may have a decreased viewable area through the viewfinder, however, so choose what works the best for you!

A great feature of many Point and Shoot cameras that is lacking in DSLRs is the ability to record sound and video! Many have quite good video quality with a frame rate that makes the playback smooth and skip free, and some will allow you to zoom while recording.

Additionally, many of these cameras have Image Stabilization built into the sensor or the lens, which truly does wonders for reducing blur when taking hand-held shots.

Point and Shoots are more inconspicuous than DSLRs - I love the look of a large, well made camera, but there are some situations where you may wish to draw less attention to the camera that you're using. A twist taken by some great manufacturers though, for people who want the best of both worlds, is that you're now able to find "crossover" or "prosumer" Point and Shoots, that are just a step away from a full blown DSLR.

I've listed some great Point and Shoot cameras for you below!

Great Point and Shoot Cameras

Canon PowerShot SD850 IS 8.0 MP Digital Elph Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom

Canon PowerShot Pro Series S3 IS 6MP with 12x Image Stabilized Zoom

Canon PowerShot A710 IS 7.1MP Digital Camera with 6x Image-Stabilized Optical Zoom

Canon PowerShot SD600 6MP Digital Elph Camera with 3x Optical Zoom

Panasonic DMC-LX2K 10MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black)

Leica D-LUX 3 10MP Digital Camera with 4x Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black)

DSLR Cameras are larger, heavier, and more expensive than most Point and Shoot cameras. What's so good about that? Well, a DSLR camera is typically faster, with greater image quality, better lowlight performance, higher fps (frames per second, for shooting a rapid sequence by holding down the shutter button) rates, more professional features and durability, and will accept interchangeable lenses. They are just like professional film cameras in their operation, except they use a sensor instead of film to capture the image.

Their lenses range from extreme wide angles (12 mm!) to ultra telephoto (1200 mm!), meaning that a great deal of a scene in front of you, or something very far away, can be photographed.

They may also have a wider dynamic range than some Point and Shoots, or better performance within that range - this is the equivalent of changing to a film of different speed for different lighting situations, but all with the ease of a couple of button pushes.

Many DSLRs use rechargeable batteries, though these batteries typically hold a lot of power. In addition, some cameras, such as the ones manufactured by Canon, have optional battery grips, which allow for better ergonomics and, in case of a battery emergency, regular off the shelf batteries, if needed.

Lower end DSLRs include an onboard popup flash. While this flash is often more powerful than those found on Point and Shoot cameras, sooner or later, an external "hot shoe" mounted flash is recommended. They can make a world of difference - their different intensity settings can help to light a scene, instead of just making it brighter.

The properties of nearly all DSLRs mean that to see the image you are photgraphing, you have to use the optical viewfinder, holding the camera up to your face. Most DSLR viewfinders show 95 to 100 percent scene coverage.

Also to consider is, the Crop Factor. Many sensors are smaller that a full 35 mm film frame, so the Crop Factor will increase the focal range of any lens by, on average, 1.6x. This is not entirely unfavorable - it will get the most out of those telephotos! Some of the highest end DSLRs, however, do have "full frame" sensors.

A wonderful aspect of DSLRs is the fully manual mode. It may be a departure from fully automatic, but after some time, most photographers wish to control as much as they can, particularly, the focus.

Below you'll find some fantastic DSLR cameras to check out!

Fantastic DSLR Cameras

Canon Digital Rebel XTi 10.1MP Digital SLR Camera with EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 Lens (Black)

Canon EOS 30D 8.2MP Digital SLR Camera

Canon EOS 5D 12.8 MP Digital SLR Camera (Body Only)

Canon EOS 1Ds Mark II 16.7MP Digital SLR Camera (Body Only)

Nikon D40 6.1MP Digital SLR Camera Kit with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED II AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor Lens

Nikon D80 10.2MP Digital SLR Camera Kit with 18-55mm ED II AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor Lens

2. A "Darkroom"

I know, I'm guilty - I said, "forget the darkroom". And I meant it - you don't have to build one, nor do you have to use another person's. If you're reading this, you're already sitting in front of your very own Digital Darkroom!

Digital Photography has given way to a new wave of photographers who will "develop" and process their images, right at home, in far greater time than was previously possible by chemical means.

You'll need:

a) Your computer - check!
b) A monitor - check!
c) A photo editing program - There are less expensive programs out there - but there is only one which I would recommend to anyone serious about having the tools they need to work with in the long run, and that is Adobe Photoshop CS2.

From the ordinary to the absolute extra-WHOA-ordinary, Photoshop CS2 delivers. For the special effects seekers, it's all there. And for the photographer who simply wants to emulate the darkroom's process to their digital pictures, and crop, resize, correct exposure or color casts, remove redeye, and even smooth blemishes, whiten teeth, or erase unwanted bits and pieces, if you're feeling like a bit of a play on reality... ;) - this is the finest software to do it on.

I'll let you in a little secret here - don't be mislead by the fact that it says "Old Version" - this is still the best and most stable version of the program there is, and the price is fantastic.

Get your copy below, for an amazing price!

The Other Little Things That Help It Work

You've got your camera, and your Digital Darkroom. That's great! There are just a few other things - some are necessary, some are helpful. I'm going to run down a few of them for you.

1. Memory Cards
These little, infinitely reusable plastic cards fit into your camera and store your digital picture files until you transfer them onto your computer. The two most frequently used types are SD (Secure Digital) Cards, most often found in Point and Shoot cameras, and Compact Flash Cards, most often found in DSLR cameras. The transfer speeds and capacities have really gone up, and you'll get a lot more space to your dollar than you used to.

Sandisk SD 1GB W/ MicroMate Reader Bundle

2. Lenses for your DSLR
Point and Shoot cameras have a fixed lens - DSLRs do not. There are many phenomenal lenses to choose from - check your with your favorite manufacturer for lengths, speeds, and compatibility.

3. Tripods
Not an absolutely essential accessory, but quite useful for any scenes with very low light, or long exposure times - there is a limit on how long a pair of hands can hold a camera still without motion blur being recorded by the sensor under extremely dim or long conditions.

Bogen-Manfrotto 728B Digi Compact Tripod with Integrated 3-Way Head and Carrying Bag (Black)

Bogen-Manfrotto 3021BPRO Professional Tripod without Head (Black)

4. Cases
A small Point and Shoot camera may get by just fine without a case, but you may wish to get one eventually, to protect your investment. Many are made with high denier nylon, and offer shock and water resistant features and extra pockets. Larger cases and packs are available for DSLRs and extra lenses.

Z10 by Lowepro

Tamrac 5767 Velocity 7x Photo Sling Pack (Black)

Tamrac 5769 Velocity 9x Pro Photo Sling Pack (Black)

5. Flashes
Remember what I said - once you've got a DSLR for a while, you're going to want an external flash. :D

Canon Speedlite 580EX II Flash for Canon EOS Digital SLR Cameras

Nikon SB-800 AF Speedlight for Nikon D50, D70s, D80, and D200 Digital SLR Cameras

6. A Calibrator
A what? A Calibrator is a combination of hardware and software that is specially designed to "fine tune" your monitor to be as accurate as possible. You don't really want your digital pictures to look entirely different in print than they did on your screen, do you? Of course not! I will be perfectly honest and tell you that Adobe Photoshop CS2 includes a basic yet quite effective calibration program that will help to ensure that your prints have no glaring errors in them. However, for the most accurate display experience, an application which utilizes a hardware device to "read" your display is recommended. For an affordable investment, look no further than the Spyder 2 Pro, so named for it's hardware attachment that sits safely upon your screen, or the even smaller Pantone Huey Pro MEU113.

Pantone Huey Pro MEU113

7. Persistence and a sense of fun!
It's a completely free accessory, and you can take it anywhere. It doesn't matter if you're approaching photography from the most formal, rule-based perspective, or taking it as it comes - the more you persist, the better you will become, and the more fun you have, well, the more fun it will be, which will quite likely lead to more enjoyable pictures! Enjoy it.

A few closing words, from me, the Squidder. I hope that you've enjoyed this Lens on How To Take Good Digital Pictures. You've been given a rundown on some basics, links to fantastic resources that go more in depth about techniques, some sweet cameras to choose from, and some helpful accessories. Check it all out, get what you need, and get out there and point, and shoot. Or maybe...look, compose, aim, focus, and shoot, if you will.