by Kathryn Sayre

Created on: April 15, 2008

You just got back from a once in a lifetime trip, one that you've dreamed about since you were a child. You want to share this trip with your friends so you plug in your camera to your computer and begin to delete the bad pictures. You get rid of blurry pictures, dark ones, ones with too much flash, and ones of your feet. Finally, you delete all the bad ones and realize you have no pictures left to share with your friends.

Whether this has happened before or if you haven't yet arrived at your dream destination, it doesn't hurt to know how to take presentable pictures.

There are a few basic tips I have for ensuring a quality pictures no matter how good you are at taking them.

1. Use the strap at all times. Your camera is, most likely, expensive and dropping it from any height can cause damage. Remember to take as much care taking a myspace angle as you would taking a picture while leaning over the side of a bridge.

2. Keep the camera still. I know it's sound easy, but it really isn't. To prevent a blurred photo, lock your body in place. Do NOT breath when taking the picture. And try not to move directly after taking the photo.

3. Be aware of the lighting. Know how much light your flash gives off and adjust your flash according to the lighting around you. Worst comes to worst, you may be able to use a program like Adobe Photoshop to fix the lighting of the picture.

Now, to make sure you are taking a good picture, there are more tips.

1. The first thing you see should NOT be in the middle of the picture. The first thing you see can vary from subject to subject but generally is the eyes of the subject. It may also be the brightest color in the picture. To find out what the first thing you see is, simply close your eyes and reopen them and take note of what you see first.

2. Keep it simple. Good pictures don't have a million things in them. Remember that simplicity is elegance and if there are many subjects you wish to take pictures of, take multiple pictures.

3. Try new angles. Taking a picture from somewhere that you usually wouldn't see a subject from show off how creative and original you may or may not be. For example, taking a picture from the floor or a picture from above your head. New angles always draw people's attention.

Once you have your picture taken, it is time to turn it into a masterpiece. I cannot help too much with this part. Try new things, though. Remember to save the original and then, with a copy of it, mess around until you find something you like. If you like it, chances are your friends will like it.

After tweaking your picture, it is time to share it. There are a few things to keep in mind.

1. Keep the size down to a minimum. If you can't figure out how to make your photo size smaller, use the Help tool.

2. Pick your favorites. When sending an e-mail message with your pictures, make sure you send as few as possible. If someone is interested still, you can share your photos from your home using your computer or your TV. If you need help setting your camera up to share on the TV, read the owner's manual.

3. Have a folder. Having folders on your computer for different days, subjects, ETC will ensure that your many photos you will now be taking won't get lost in a clutter of photos. Also, keeping a folder that is filled with work that is "in the process of being perfected" keeps things even more orderly so long as you remember to clean it out once and a while.

Now that you have all of these tricks, go out and enjoy your newly found ability to take viewable pictures. Maybe on your next vacation, you will actually be able to tell what continent you visited.

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