Source: Personal experience, I take lots of pictures.
By Karen from Arnold, MO
Use a soap container to carry your camera in. I bought one at the Dollar store for mine, it fits perfectly. It's easy to carry it around in your purse and there is less chance of breaking it. By coville123 from Brockville, Ontario
One other thing, Homeland Security has the last say as to what you can bring on an airplane. It doesn't matter what the airline says. It also depends on which airport you start at or go through on your travels. Coming back was totally different than going. You can not take even water (to take medication ) at some airports. It was allowed in others. Maybe you can find a list of rules online from Homeland security. I couldn't. Hope this helps others.
Source: A photography friend.
By duckie-do from Cortez, CO
By KDS from Wilmington, Delaware
By Mary P. from Zeeland, Michigan
Don't let photo ops go by unnoticed. One of my son's friends came by to show us his new car. He had just got back from Iraq the day before. While standing there looking at his car I noticed this cross hanging from the rearview mirror. I thought "What a neat picture!". I didn't know until I uploaded it that the clouds were reflecting off of the glass. Awesome turnout! Take pictures of little things that you may over look. You never know what you will capture. 
A great background and lighting makes a big difference in how your portrait photo turns out. I love taking photos outdoors because there are so many scenes to choose from and the lighting changes depending on the time of day.
Photography - It isn't about the background, but more so about the subject, so fill your contents with the subject of the photo. If not, the subject might get lost in the background.
This photo was taken of my son at Cathedral Caverns in Grant, AL. I took lots of photos of the cave outside and in, but this was one of my favorites. We scanned the photo and put it in a folder with the other photos. If you are making a scrap book with photos, include the cave photos with the one of just your subject and you will always know where it was taken.
Just remember, you are taking a photo of the person, so making sure you can see them is a good thing.
Happy Clicking!
Sherry
You can also have fun and make special effects by putting stickers or sticking objects on the bag when you take your picture.
By Carol from Eastern, NC
One of the very few exceptions is when you try to capture falling snow.
Click here for a larger version.
Don't expect big, beautiful snow flakes in night pictures, however, you can capture the mood by using a one second or longer shot and highlight it with a short flash.
DearWebby
http://webby.com/humor
When taking pictures, watch the foreground. If you can place trees, branches or some other object in the front of the picture, it "frames" the photo. Also taking pictures before/after a storm gives you cloud formations, lightning effects, and taking pictures at the level of a kid (get on the floor!) is better than from up high.
By crystal podvin
Our focus tends to be on outdoor monuments, and we apply many well-known techniques from landscape photography to monuments. Below are a few things that we have found helpful.
1) Be respectful. Don't go tromping through the landscaping to get the ideal shot, or digging up the flowers planting your tripod. Don't expect everyone to clear out of your way by putting your tripod up in the middle of a crowd mid-day. Know what the local regulations are on photography, using a tripod, and where you are and aren't allowed to be. Being obnoxious is a good way to get asked to leave by the local security, and makes people less likely to cooperate with future photographers.
2) Go early. Take a look at some of our monument photos in the web version of this article. Many of them were taken before 6:00 AM, and some of them were taken before sunrise (this of course assumes that the monument you're visiting allows people there that early). We've gone to monuments on the Mall at DC at 4:30 in the morning, and essentially had them to ourselves. Sunrise is a wonderful time to catch distinctively shaped monuments in silhouette or near-silhouette, and the early morning golden light shortly after sunrise can give dramatic light and texture to stone or metal monuments. Sunset would do equally well as sunrise from a lighting standpoint (in the opposite direction), but you may have to deal with crowds, depending on the area. Use Ephemeris or other software, or the local weather service to find out when sunrise is.
3) Bring a tripod. Especially if you are shooting in the dark or sunrise/sunset photos, a tripod will be helpful. If tripods aren't allowed, consider a beanbag, or put your camera on a rock, banister, garbage can, etc. to brace it (MAKE SURE it is a secure place to put your camera - there is nothing like watching little parts of your camera rolling away as it falls off and smashes to pieces on the ground). If necessary, use high ISO film/digital setting and brace yourself against a wall while taking the photo. Be careful setting up a tripod in crowded settings, and know whether they are permitted (e.g. you will NOT be permitted to set up a tripod on the National Capitol grounds unless you have a permit - and the Capitol police don't seem to know where to get a permit when you ask them).
4) Try to get some unusual angles and such. Get something other than the cliché shots. Don't worry about getting the cliché shots (they aren't that cliché if you don't have them), but try and get some close-ups of interesting details, or an angle that strikes you as interesting.
5) Plan your visit. Know when you can get in to the monuments. Know where the parking spaces are (trying to find parking spaces at 4:00 AM is tough - there's no one around to ask).
6) Don't forget to have fun, and see the sights while you're there!
By Patty Hankins & Bill Lawrence
Ingredients:
Directions:
Hold camera steady, click and you've captured that great photo!
(The young lady is my granddaughter who was one year old January 14th of this year. I just love my job i.e. grandma saving those special moments for years to come!) - PCameron
Chloe's First Birthday
Chloe at Halloween
If you have a camera, you can save lots of money by taking your own portraits. Here's one of my son when he turned 6 months. We didn't have the money to get professional photos taken, so I did my own session! This particular photo looked better black and white (a quick fix with Photoshop). For his next photo shoot, I'm going to play around with different backdrops or just go outside! The trick is to take a LOT of photos to get that one perfect shot. Try different angles (this one is from above) and work with the child's personality to get a smile or look to capture. Good luck!
By Carrie from Yakima, WA
I enjoy trying new recipes to preserve the harvest of different vegetables and fruits. You never know when you will have an over abundance of an item. But often after canning, I forget the name of the recipe used or where to find it again.
Now I write out the name and date of the product as well as the source of the recipe on the label. This way I can try two versions of a recipe and be able to tell which of the versions I like better. Or which I don't want to try again!
By Circlelady from Baltimore, MD
Why spend alot of $ at the photo studio when you can take pictures like this with your own camera! This is my 13 month old daughter Maggie Mildred. She loved sitting amongst all the wonderful flowers in this park. She really is the happiest baby I know!
By Julie Chalich
Always keep your camera with you on walking or bicycling trips. The point and click automatic digital cameras over five megapixels, create near professional quality photographs.
Photography is a state of mind. Decide to photograph all the things you find beautiful, no matter where they are located and no matter what the subject matter, then you point and click. Soon, your state of mind is set on what is beautiful in life. You have become a photographer.
Signed: Joseph R: amateur photographer
By Joseph R from Laval, Quebec, Canada
Taking Photos At Home
This photo was shot on program with the flash over-exposed by one third. This highlights the flowers.
By Gene Mitchell from Las Vegas, NV
By Joseph Raglione from Laval West, Quebec, Canada
How do you take a black and white picture with a digital camera?
By Carol S from Greensburg, KY
By pjmartin03/12/2010Check your camera instructions. Piknik is also a great site for working with digital pictures, including making them b/w from color shots, adding focal color to b/w, etc. (see pix for example).
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Camera Tips and Tricks
