There are various ways of learning digital photography:

• You can take a local class. Some people find this is the best way to learn as they can ask questions and check they are "doing it right".


• You can get hold of an up to date digital photography book. These are often an excellent way to learn as you can pick up tips and tricks that would take you forever to find out just by experimenting on your own.


• Go out and take photos! Unless you've got an excellent memory, it will probably pay you to keep some kind of journal so that you know how you got a particular shot to come out so well.

Remember that even if your photos aren't 100% perfect when you take them, modern software can compensate for many of the common mistakes that almost everyone makes.

Aside from taking plenty of pictures, you can also use software to improve and enhance your photos.

Chances are that your digital camera came with a basic photo manipulation program when you bought it. The programs that come with cameras vary in quality. Sometimes they are cut down versions of software like Photoshop, other times it looks like they were put together by some high school dropout in a few bored minutes.

The two main pieces of software that are used are Photoshop and Paint Shop Pro. They are both around the same price (although Photoshop also has a professional version at a much higher price) and which one you choose will depend on personal preference. I use Paint Shop Pro because when I first started editing photos, Photoshop wasn't affordable.

If I was starting out today, there's no question that I'd choose Photoshop. It's industry standard and has almost worked its way into our language as a term for editing digital photographs.

Whichever program you choose, take time to experiment and learn how it works.

Work on backups of your photos so that you're not worried about ruining the shots you've taken.

The help files for the programs are reasonable but if you find yourself struggling then this Photoshop tutorial is recommended.

Once you're happy with your photos, it's time to get them printed.

Your color printer may be able to produce good quality prints but be careful of the cost. Photos use 100% ink coverage so unless you're careful you'll find yourself going through ink cartridges regularly.

You may find that it's cheaper to use your color printer for drafts and then take a CD of your photos to your local photo shop for them to print them out.

If you want to print lots of digital photos, then it's well worth using one of the postal services like this one that will print your photos for as little as 9 cents each.

The other thing you'll almost certainly want to do is share your photos with other people.

Probably the best known service for this is Flickr. You can join for free and upload your photos for the whole world to see. You can see a selection of other people's photos from Flickr further down this page.

If you want to go even further, look into creating your own album that friends and family can view and even contribute to.