Photography is an Art

The Camera

Our biggest tool as a photographer is the camera we choose.

Digital Photography has opened a whole new world for amatuer photographers. The intensity of the photos in just incredible in even a small digital camera.

The key to knowing which camera will take the best pictures is the megapixels. What exactly is a megapixel you ask?

Megapixels: Definition: One-million pixels, a unit of measurement in an image. This number will determine the quality of the image. It is the number of dots in your picture. A low density of dots will result in a poor image.

Lower megapixels might be just fine if all you will be doing is emailing photos. But you will need higher megapixels for better quality pictures that you can blow up and frame.

So lets talk about the different options.

2 megapixels or less:
These are usually found in inexpensive cameras, cell phones and pda. This might be fine if you have a very tight budget and only want to email photo's or post them on a personal webpage.


2 MP Digital Camera Blue


3 megapixels:
These will take a decent 4x6 photo and even a fairly good 5x7. You might be stretching it to get a good 8x10. But they are usually pretty decent in price.


3 MP Digital Camera Blue


4 megapixels:
These will print really good 4x6, 5x7 and a nice 8x10.


Oregon Scientific DS9610/Oobox Digital Camera, 4.0MP (DCG0201011411501)


5 megapixels:
Some really nice 8x10 and even 11x14, nearing closer to a professional level. You will see a lot more quality in these photos.


iSonic Snapbox DV-596 5.0 MP Digital Point & Shoot Camera, 3x Optical, 8x Digital Zoom Lens, 3" LCD Screen, MP3, MPEG 4 Player


6 megapixels on up:
Now your talking, these are premium cameras that will produce fantastic professional quality photographs. These tend to go into a lot higher price range, but you can find some pretty decent prices on the newer digital cameras that have six megapixels and higher today.


Canon SX110 IS PowerShot Digital Camera (2666B001)


The price will usually reflect on the quality of the camera, but for the beginner you should be able to find a camera that will take great pictures so that you too, can share your artistry with the world.

Some more camera choise with pictures are featured below.

Find the Picture:

That may sound strange to some, a picture is anything you point your camera at and push the button, right? Wrong!

When we look at a view, a person, or a subject; we can see so much more than a camera can actually capture in the view finder. You have to find a way to capture not only what you are seeing, but what you are feeling at the time. What is it about this particular scene that has you captivated.

Think about what it is that has captured your attention, what is it that is enticing you to catch this special shot.

What emotions does the subject provoke in you, the photographer, in you the artist?

Get a feel for what it is you are wanting to share with the world, or capture for your own memory.

Now that you have identified that subject, how to best frame it in the photo.

It is our first reaction sometimes to want to center our main subject in the middle of the picture frame. But that is not always the best choice. Sometimes if you move that subject a little to one side or another, it will look less "planned" and more "natural".

Adding contrast to your photos can really enhance them too. Maybe you want to photograph a beautiful lake. If you can include those reeds on the side in the photo it adds contrast and interest into your work of art.

How to find the best lighting for your subject:

Find the best light for your photo can be tricky. It has been the rule in the past to put the light behind you. Not only is this not always possible, but it may not be the "picture" you want.

Light can enhance or even ruin a photo.

Again, look at the effect you are wanting. Portraits in natural lighting can be so soft and beautiful. Sometime you might consider opening a curtain wide, and turning the lights off. You may have to also turn off your flash when doing this.

When shooting outdoors, of course you do not want the light to reflect so badly on your lens that it blurs the photo.

But sometimes you can use direct sunlight by putting your subject in front of the sunlight, so that the light shows only around it in a halo of light, and the subject hides the sun behind it.

You may be wanting to show the long shadows or rays of sun, that shot is often best from a side view.

You can experiment with different types of sunlight by shooting the same scene at different times of day. Some of my favorite moments in nature are during the early morning sunlight, and the evening light and sunset.

How close should you be to your subject:

This depends on what you are looking to portray in your picture.

Do you want to show the emotions in the eyes of the animal, the lay of their hair, the sweat on a person's brow, the shimmer of light on the back of that duck, the way the water sprays up over that rock or the contours of the rose petals and the pollen on the stamen of that flower.

Do you want to show the enormous size of the Grand Canyon, the shimmer of light on the rolling waves of the ocean, the entire view of that waterfall at Yellowstone, along with the entire Canyon view at Artist Point in Yellowstone.

Sometime filling the frame with your subject is okay, sometimes it is better to have it a tiny part of the entire view.

Take Pictures

So now you have your camera, you have found picture, the best composition for it, the best lighting, the best distance.

Now it is time to take pictures, if you have a digital camera you can fill that baby up! It is always best to set your digital camera quality to the very best. Unless you are short on memory and then you may have to set it to a lower setting. It should have a setting something like, good, better, and best. My thoughts on it are this, you can always shrink a photo, which lessens the pixels as well as the size. But if you start with a lower quality, you can not make it better.

So, I would definitely suggest you take your camera everywhere possible. You never know when a prize winning photo will present itself. Watch for those little moments in time that you want to capture and keep.

Think you took a bad photo? Think again.

I will let you in on a little secret!

The new digital imaging software, many of which will come with your new camera, have amazing recovery and enhancing features for your photos.

If you think you have taken a bad picture, don't delete it. (Unless it is obviously flawed, like blurring or totally blackened photos) Download it on your computer and use your digital imaging software to recover from bad lighting or, poor composition.

The New Software that comes with most cameras have amazing features that can take a photo that looks "washed" out because of the lighting and will actually pull the colors out that should be there. They can even take a photo taken in not enough light and lighten it up to where it should be.

They also have some fun feature like the images below where you can make cartoons, coloring books, metallic looks, and all sorts of fun tools to play with to get the look you want.

Don't Forget Your Humor

Sometimes the best pictures, or not those that are something you would hang on your wall, but those tiny little moments caught that just make you smile.

Or those moments that capture the memory of something that made you laugh.

Pentax Optio 17021 S12 Camera, 12MP, 3X Zoom, 2.5" LCD, Silver
Pentax Optio 17021 S12 Camera, 12MP, 3X Zoom, 2.5" LCD, Silver The Pentax Optio S12 12 MP Digital Camera 3x Zoom 2.5 Inch LCD is a tiny, pocket-sized 12 megapixel digital camera that can fit easily in a pocket. This stylish Pentax camera features Face Recognition (that recognizes 15 faces) that can be activated and faces can be selected in any mode with the dedicated button, and Dynamic Range Adjustment that is an ideal feature for portraits. The Pentax Optio S12 also offers a generous 2.5 inch LCD monitor with an Anti-reflective coating and Bright mode for easy composition and review of images.


Pentax Optio 17021 S12 Camera, 12MP, 3X Zoom, 2.5" LCD, Silver

Pentax K20D Camera Kit, 14.6MP (19118)
Pentax K20D Camera Kit, 14.6MP (19118) For more than five decades since the introduction of the Asahiflex I in 1952 (their first camera ever), Pentax has always been a technological leader and prominent contributor of the world's 35mm SLR camera industry and more recently, the 35mm compact zoom market. Pentax's enthusiasm and devotion towards the development of high-quality products have thrived over the years and continues to be stronger than ever. Pentax K20D Camera Kit, 14.6MP (19118) Features: • 14.6 megapixel CMOS sensor offers superior image resolution with maximum control over noise • Shake Reduction compatible with any PENTAX lens ever produced, including new SDM lenses, minimizes the effect of camera shake • 2.7 inch high resolution, wide view LCD monitor gives a Live View of your subject for more precise composition...


Pentax K20D Camera Kit, 14.6MP (19118)

Fujifilm Finepix S1000FD Camera, 10MP, Black (15822776)
Fujifilm Finepix S1000FD Camera, 10MP, Black (15822776) Fujifilm uses leading-edge, proprietary technologies to provide top-quality products and services that contribute to the advancement of culture, science, technology and industry, as well as improved health and environmental protection in society. Fujifilm Finepix S1000FD Camera, 10MP, Black (15822776) Features: • 12x Optical Zoom • 10.0 Megapixels & ISO3200 • Panorama Shooting Mode • Face Detection •


Fujifilm Finepix S1000FD Camera, 10MP, Black (15822776)

Nikon COOLPIX S610 Digital Camera, Deep Red (26124)
Nikon COOLPIX S610 Digital Camera, Deep Red (26124) Nikon has a long history of development of a variety of products that allow for the simple enjoyment of high-quality imaging, beginning of course, with digital cameras. In recent years, the digital wave has led to great changes in the ways in which images, videos and music are enjoyed. Nikon COOLPIX S610 Digital Camera, Deep Red (26124) Features: • 10.0 Megapixels for stunning prints as large as 16 x 20 inches. Sharp resolution captures the finest details, crops creatively and produces incredible enlargements.


Nikon COOLPIX S610 Digital Camera, Deep Red (26124)

Nikon COOLPIX S550 Digital Camera, Plum (26110)
Nikon COOLPIX S550 Digital Camera, Plum (26110) Nikon has a long history of development of a variety of products that allow for the simple enjoyment of high-quality imaging, beginning of course, with digital cameras. In recent years, the digital wave has led to great changes in the ways in which images, videos and music are enjoyed. Nikon COOLPIX S550 Digital Camera, Plum (26110) Features: • 10.0 Megapixels for stunning prints as large as 16 x 20 inches. Plenty of sharp resolution to capture the finest details, crop creatively and product incredible enlargements • 5x Optical Zoom-NIKKOR Glass Lens NIKKOR optics provide exceptional pictures. The lens is built on a proud heritage of producing precision camera optics that deliver superb color and razor-sharp results • New EXPEED image processor...

Canon SX110 IS PowerShot Digital Camera (2666B001)
Canon SX110 IS PowerShot Digital Camera (2666B001) Canon U.S.A., Inc., headquartered in Lake Success, New York, is a leader in professional business and consumer imaging equipment and information systems. Canon products include color and black-and-white copiers, printers, image filing systems, facsimile machines, cameras and lenses, camcorders, semiconductor, broadcast, encoders/optoelectric components and optical equipment, flatbed scanners, and other specialized industrial products. Zoom in on Exceptional Value. From a 10x Optical Zoom lens to advanced Canon technology that automatically gives you the best shot...


Canon SX110 IS PowerShot Digital Camera (2666B001)

Canon G10 IS PowerShot Digital Camera (2663B001)
Canon G10 IS PowerShot Digital Camera (2663B001) Canon U.S.A., Inc., headquartered in Lake Success, New York, is a leader in professional business and consumer imaging equipment and information systems. Canon products include color and black-and-white copiers, printers, image filing systems, facsimile machines, cameras and lenses, camcorders, semiconductor, broadcast, encoders/optoelectric components and optical equipment, flatbed scanners, and other specialized industrial products. Canon G10 IS PowerShot Digital Camera (2663B001) Features: • 14.7 Megapixel digital camera for the highest image quality...


Canon G10 IS PowerShot Digital Camera (2663B001)

Kodak EASYSHARE Z1285 Zoom Digital Camera, Black (8060006)
Kodak EASYSHARE Z1285 Zoom Digital Camera, Black (8060006) As the world's foremost imaging innovator, Kodak helps consumers, businesses, and creative professionals unleash the power of pictures and printing to enrich their lives. Kodak EASYSHARE Z1285 Zoom Digital Camera, Black (8060006)features: • True HD quality...


Kodak EASYSHARE Z1285 Zoom Digital Camera, Black (8060006)