Free digital photo tips

Digitalphototips123.com offers you Photo Tips and Techniques from Master Photographers, the latest news on new products, events, and artists, photo contests, reviews of photography books for your coffee table, columns on digital photography, taking a digital picture, scrapbooking, a calendar of photogenic events and destinations throughout the world, a place to share your own images with others, and helps you in taking great pictures.  Brought to you by the PhotoImaging Information Council, Take Great Pictures aims to inspire, inform, and educate those with an interest of photography regardless of

With the wide use of digital cameras, there are a few things to consider to help ensure the best photos.

1. Purchase a digital camera with at least 4 megapixels.

2. Buy additional memory for your camera. Most digital cameras come with a small memory card and will only allow a few photos to be stored when taken at the camera's highest settings. If you have a 3 megapixel camera, get at least a 256 MB card, 512MBs for 4 megapixel models, and 1GB for for 6 megapixels and up. Keep additional memory cards in the camera case for more storage and emergencies.

3. ALWAYS use the highest setting on the camera. It is the setting that uses the most memory and gives you a smaller total amount of photos that can be saved on your

4. Learn your camera, read the manual, and take lots of photos. With the larger memory card you bought, you don't need to worry about taking too many photos. Wait until you download them into your computer to decide if you keep or delete them. Save your time for taking more photos! Experiment with your digital settings, that way you will know more about your camera and feel confident in yourself.

5. Take shots at different angles. Stand on a chair, sit on the ground, hold the camera at hip level and angle the lens at your subject. Sometimes freeing yourself from the viewfinder can make a more interesting shot. Keep yourself steady to avoid blurry photos. Try to not hold the camera out in front with your arms.

Always hold it like you would a regular camera, or up close to your face. There is more sway in your outstretched arms so often photos are blurry from this movement. If you have a tripod, use it. If not, your face, a low wall, any stationary object can become a tripod-like device.

6. Get close to your subject. Most people try to capture "the big picture" but many times the details are more interesting and informative. A close-up of someone's clothing, a hand holding an object, the weave of a basket, an expression in someone's eyes. Take multiple shots of the same subject and don't be afraid to ask someone to help create the shot you want. If your subject is standing near a car but a unique view is nearby, ask them if they wouldn't mind moving to the new location. Once again, if you have a tripod-use it!

7. For outdoor photos, have the sun to your back and off to one side for the most ideal lighting. Early morning or late afternoon have the best light and provide even tones with subtile shadows and highlights. Try turning on your "cloudy" setting on the camera even if there are no clouds, it can give your photo a warmer color with richer tones. Cloudy days, believe it or not, are some of the best days for perfect lighting due to the soft diffused light.

8. Indoor photos always pose some challenges, most having to do with light or the lack there of. Turn on as many lights as possible, open all windows to bring in natural light, even bring in some extra lights if possible. Inside photos are usually dark and green from the fluorescent bulbs. Try some photos with the flash turned on and some with the flash off.

9. Try taking some close up shots of exhibit pieces, sometimes that can tell a better story than the entire exhibit shot. Don't be afraid to "set-up" the shot either, grouping exhibit items in an appealing way or adding in a little something (like perishable items, food, grains, flower, plant) to add to the story. At large group events, take close-up shots of individuals as well as some of the entire crowd.

10. Search the Web for more ideas and tips on taking digital photos.