MAIN Art & Culture Photography Camera & Photo Basics

Historically, taking great photos meant spending years getting to know everything about film speeds, aperture openings, lens and body compatibility, lighting and many more topics... too many for most amateur photographers. Today's point and click cameras have changed all of that.

You have a choice, with many cameras, to leave all of the complicated settings to the automatic programming and concentrate on getting the pictures that you want. That still means that taking great photos involves learning, but the focus is on setting up the shot and choosing what to include and what to leave out.

You'll want to learn about balancing and arranging your subjects to create a harmonious picture. What happens to you pictures when the sun is shining at different angles? What about shooting on a cloudy day, indoors or under the water? When should you use your flash and when are you better off without it?

Like driving a car, some folks just want to step on the gas and get where they're going and others want to understand what is going on under the hood. Both attitudes work well with cameras. If you just want to point and click, you'll be able to take plenty of good photos. If you want to take you photographic skills to the next level, it is now easier than ever.

If you need some tips for vacation or family photos or to you've decided to start taking photos as a hobby, these sites can bring you from beginner to talented amateur - and beyond... just get ready to start clicking.

For kid-friendly photo fun, also check out tips & projects for kids digital cameras ...

Kodak - Whether you want to begin with digital or film, Kodak has the know-how to explain everything in simple, easy to understand articles. They'll explain how to share your digtial pictures online, too.

Photography for Dummies - Getting to Know Digital Photography - One of the best newbie guides out there featuring step-by-step guides to shooting like a pro plus surf around the rest of the site for more on Photography & Video, Digital Photography and Your Computer and more...

Digicamhelp - One-stop browsing for help in choosing a digital camera including buying guides, digital camera features to watch for, plus basic photo techniques and tips on editing and manipulation.

Digital camera tutorials and digital photography courses - Dig deep into this main portal with links to online tips & instructions from major digital camera & digital photo software makers. Also includes camera news & reviews.

Better Photo - Whether you're shooting with a digital or film camera, these articles will get you started and then lead you to even better photos. The links at this site are excellent..

HuntFor.Com - A specialized search engine that draws links from many of the sites listed here for tutorials on basic photography. You may want to bookmark it to go back to later for more advanced tutorials.

Basic Photography Tutorials - Do the words apertures, shutters and f-numbers make you drop your camera and run? If so, this is the site for you. Lighthearted learning made fun is the essence of these tutorials.

Also in -> Photo Basics | Cameras | Digital Photography

Kids Digital Cameras | Nature Photography | Photographers

Portrait Photography | Travel Photography | Training

also see related feature -> Black & White Photography