by Lou Belcher

Created on: June 28, 2010

If you are new to photography or if you have only used cameras that shoot film, digital photography will be a wonderful surprise to you. Here are some advantages and a guide to getting started.

The first point to remember when shooting with a digital camera is to be bold. When photographers used to shoot with film cameras they did not have the advantage of being able to take a look at the photograph until after they developed the picture or had it developed by someone else. Now they can look at the back of the camera for a quick view of the photograph and they can get an even better look after downloading the pictures to the computer.  There is no cost for printing to the photographer until they have decided which pictures they want.

Therefore, you can shoot as many pictures as your memory card will hold. You save so much money by only printing the pictures you really want. Therefore, take lots of pictures from many different angles. Be bold and experiment. Later, you can delete the pictures you don't like.

Another piece of advice that would go into a beginner's guide to digital photography is to learn your camera.  Read the manual. Take the time to experiment with every feature. In order to ensure you don't have to stop when shooting a picture in order to find the right button on your camera, practice each feature enough times in order to employ it naturally.

Digital photography is at its best if the photographers use photography software, such as Photoshop or some similar program, to make the best of their pictures after the fact.  It is good to have a way to organize your photos so the picture you want is at your fingertips when you want it. If you don't have an organizational system, it may take a long time to find the shot you want on your computer. 

Also, it is always good to have the ability to apply basic digital darkroom techniques to make the most of your photographs. For example, you will want to be able to crop pictures to the best advantage or to do some color correction to enhance them. There are many techniques offered in most programs that will help ensure you produce the best pictures possible.

Finally, if you are a beginning digital photographer, be sure to buy a good book on the art of photography. Learning composition, color, and lighting basics will help enhance your photographs.

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