About Digital Camera Memory Cards
Digital Photography BONUS Secretby David Peterson
Another accessory you should purchase is a spare memory card. Most cameras are sold with a 'starter' memory card that is usually a low capacity card that's enough to take a few sample photos on, but not enough for day-to-day use.
What is a memory card?A memory card is the little removable piece of plastic that your camera uses to store your photos. Memory cards come in different sizes and names such as Compact Flash (CF), Secure Digital (SD), Memory Stick (MS), Smart Media (SM) and xD.
Running out of memory on your card is a little like running out of film in a traditional camera. Rather than purchasing a new film to take more shots though, you move your images to your computer or a CD and re-use the same memory card.
Purchasing extra memory cards is a good idea is you're on a vacation and want to ensure you can store all your photos. Fortunately, prices of memory cards have come down dramatically in recent times.
Purchasing - what do I need to know?There are two pieces of information you need to know when purchasing a new memory card. What type of card your camera takes, and how large a memory card you wish to buy.
What memory card type does my camera use?
The simplest way to find out the type of memory card your camera uses, is to take your existing card out of the camera and look on it for one of the types listed above. If you're still not sure, take your existing card into the camera store and ask the staff for a new card with the same type as what you have.
The size of memory card you purchase will depend on your photography needs as well as your budget. Memory cards come in sizes between 16 Megabytes (and will fit between 4 and 32 images depending on your camera capabilities and image quality) and 4 Gigabytes (4,000 megabytes - store thousands of images on one of these cards).
My advice is to purchase the largest sized card you can afford. This will allow you to take as many pictures as possible before needing to transfer to a computer or CD. On my last holiday, I took along 1 Gigabyte of memory card storage allowing me to take about 500 images without needing to take my computer along with me to download the images to.
Memory Card SpeedAnother feature to keep in the back of your mind when purchasing a new memory card is the card's speed. The faster your memory card speed, the faster your camera can write it's image to the card, and the quicker you can take another photo. The actual speed will be the LOWEST of either your camera's fastest transfer speed (see your camera's manual) and the memory card's speed. If your camera can transfer at 40X speed, but your memory card can only handle 12X, 12X will be the actual transfer speed. Note that some cameras ignore the card's speed and write as fast as possible all the time.
How many memory cards do I need?I recommend you have at least two memory cards for your camera. The professionals usually carry 4-6 memory cards and when they run out of memory on one they swap to the next, but unless you're taking LOTS of photos, that's overkill. With two cards, you can normally work with one but you have a spare just in case you run out of the first, or you go on a long vacation and need to store more images than you normally would.
MicrodrivesA recent invention that's gaining a lot of popularity is the Microdrive. These are for the Type II Compact Flash cards, and instead of memory inside the card, there's a tiny hard drive. Their advantage is they can store an enormous amount of data (over 6 Gigabytes), but the problem is they are a little more expensive than a traditional memory card, and can take longer to save your image. They also aren't as shock resistant as standard cards.
Care of cardsMemory cards, although they seem to be small and flimsy, can be quite robust. I've dropped one of my cards in a glass of coke and it has survived - although I don't recommend you do this! It will also depend on the brand of card you purchase. More expensive cards tend to withstand more pounding. Most memory cards will withstand a small amount of misuse, but like any electronic components, take good care of them and they will serve you well.
Other Memory Card Secrets
If you transfer lots of images to your computer, purchase a card reader. These will allow you to transfer the images to your computer at a much faster rate than using your camera's connection.
Contrary to popular opinion, airport x-ray machines will not damage your camera's memory cards. If you're really worried, remove them from your bag and ask the screeners to inspect manually.
Turn off your camera when inserting or removing memory cards. Taking the memory card out while the camera is writing to the card could wreck both your card and camera.

About Digital Camera Batteries

One technology that hasn't kept up with the rapid pace of new digital cameras is camera batteries. The more features a camera has, the quicker it seems to use up precious battery power.

There are three features of digital cameras that chew up battery life the quickest:
LCD Screen. This is by far the most power thirsty feature in digital cameras. You can turn the screen off to conserve power, but I don't recommend this because the screen is very useful to determine if you have taken a great shot.

Flash. Another big power user. The flash uses lots of battery as it's charging, so minimize usage.
Zooming in and out also uses battery power to drive the motor. Refrain from changing your zoom too much. I recommend staying close to full optical zoom.

Make your batteries last longer
Given the two biggest power users on your camera are the LCD screen and Flash, there are ways to reduce the usage of these. If your camera allows you to, reduce the brightness of the screen to get more time from your battery. This will still allow you to see your photo, but it won't use as much power.
How do you minimize usage of the flash? Try doing without the flash when you're in low light by increasing the light around you. Or increase the "ISO Speed". The higher the ISO setting, the less light is needed to record the image.

Other secrets for making your batteries last longer:

Most digital cameras have a Power Saving mode. This 'shuts down' the camera - not switch off - after a period of time without use. Make sure Power Saving mode is on, or simply switch off your camera when you're not using it.

In cold weather, keep your camera and batteries warm in your jacket until you are ready to use them. Cold weather to batteries is like RAID is to bugs!

Store batteries in a cool, dry location away from sunlight and other heat sources.
Avoid unnecessary playback of your already taken images, as this can also use a lot of juice.
If you haven't used your camera for a while, your rechargeable batteries will have lost some of their charge. Ensure you charge them fully before leaving the house.
Buy a spare batteryThis has two advantages. You can get double the time from of your camera before needing to recharge by using two batteries. If you don't need an extra battery all the time, you can have one charging at home when you're using the other. Then when you get home, swap them. Never leave your camera behind again because you don't have a charged battery.
What kind of battery should I purchase?You will need to purchase a battery that is compatible with your camera, so I recommend taking your camera's battery to the shop with you when purchasing so the staff can find another compatible battery. You don't need to purchase a battery from the same manufacturer as your camera, although be aware that choosing another brand may void your warranty - check your manual.
Go for a rechargeable nickel-metal hydride battery if possible. These battery types have a greater capacity than the rechargeable ni-cad batteries and will pay for themselves in a short period of time.

Use the AC adapterMost cameras have an adapter to allow you to plug directly into a power point. If you're going to be shooting for a long period of time in the one location, a camera plugged into a power point can be very handy. Note that some cheaper cameras have the plug for an AC adapter, but not the adapter itself.

Using Tripods

Using a tripod is essential when taking photos - and not just for night shots. To get ultra crisp and sharp pictures, your camera cannot move at all when the shutter is open. In some circumstances, even the tiny movements your hand makes are enough to make a slightly blurry image. The best way to ensure your camera does not move is to use a tripod or other camera stand.
On sunny days or when you use a really fast shutter speed, simply holding the camera in your hand will still produce a sharp image. But there's another reason for using a tripod on these occasions as well. Erecting the tripod causes you to SLOW DOWN and think a little more about the shot you're about to take. Because you're concentrating more, you'll have a better chance of composing your image correctly and ending up with a super shot.

Types of Camera Stands
Tripod. This is a three legged stand that attaches to the mount on your camera. This is the most common type of mount to hold your camera steady, and allows you to move your hands away from the camera completely and still have it steady in position.

Monopod. A variation on the tripod, this stand only has one leg. Attach the monopod to your camera, stand it on the ground and use your hands to ensure the camera and stand don't fall over. This helps because the monopod stops the camera moving up and down, and provides a rest for your hands so camera shake is reduced. For a bit of extra stability, lean yourself, or your camera against another sturdy object like a light pole.

Chainpod. An ingenious design consisting of a length of chain (or string) with a loop on one end large enough to place your foot into. The other end is attached to your camera. To use a Chainpod, place your foot through the loop and pull your camera up so the chain is tight while taking your photo. The tension in the chain will reduce camera shake just like a monopod. The great advantage of a chainpod is you can crunch it up and place it in your pocket!

Dolly. This is a tripod with wheels (and brakes!). A dolly allows you to move your tripod around easily without needing to lift your camera, but it's not so useful outdoors when the ground is uneven. There are dolly attachments available for regular tripods.

Car Window Mount. This gadget allows you to mount your camera to your car window to take photos of wildlife while still sitting in the car.

A Rock! Yes, as I explained in Secret #7 on Tripods, you can use any ledge as a tripod when you need a sharp picture but don't have a tripod handy. You can also use a small bean bag to steady your camera and lens if your camera doesn't stand upright by itself.

Which should I purchase?
If you're just starting out, I recommend purchasing a standard tripod with telescoping legs that stands full length (5-6 feet). Make sure you get a sturdy (preferably all aluminum) model. Pick the heaviest model you can carry around with you.
Lightweight models are available, as are mini-tripods - Perfect for portability, but they don't have the stability of the larger models.

Using a Tripod
Most of the time, you just setup your tripod, place your camera on top and shoot! There are a few subtleties to using a tripod that can help enormously.
The longer the legs of the tripod, the less steady the tripod becomes. Extend your tripod legs only enough to enable you to get your camera into the correct position.
Sometimes the act of depressing the shutter causes movement in the camera. To minimize this, use your other hand and press down on the top of the camera directly above the tripod mount. This will help to further reduce movement.

You're most likely to need your tripod when your camera is fully zoomed in. When fully zoomed in, any small shake is likely to show on the image.

Other Tripod Secrets
Try to find a tripod with a built in level. The level will help ensure your landscape shots are completely straight and save needing to rotate the image slightly in your computer to get a level horizon.
Specialized lenses are available that can compensate for camera shake. They are called "Image Stabilizers" or "Vibration Reduction lenses". They can be rather expensive, so I recommend sticking with a tripod.
Try to get a tripod with a quick release mount. This will enable you to quickly remove the camera from your tripod should you need to take a quick 'candid' shot.

Lighting Secrets

Almost as important as composition is the use of light. Here are some secrets for using light.
The best outdoors light to be found is at dawn and dusk. Here the light is not as bright as midday, and the sun produces some wonderful reds. Both these help to make a normally ordinary shot look magic by creating a warm glow.
When you are shooting outdoors, the best way to shoot is away from the sun. Don't have the sun in your photographs because it will overpower the colors and ensure the side of your subject facing the camera is in shadow. Ensure the sun is behind your back.
Another thing to watch out for is that your subject doesn't squint. We all love to see bright wide eyes, so ensure the sun isn't too bright. This is another reason to shoot at dawn or dusk - you can have the subject facing the sun but not squinting... and you get much better colors in your image at the same time!
If shooting in sunlight, watch for shadows. Look at the shadow cast by your subject and ensure it doesn't block anything, or look unsightly. Additionally, ensure your own shadow doesn't fall into the picture!
The best night shots are taken just after sunset. This is where scenes are lit up as if it were night, but there is still a tiny bit of sunlight around to help light the scene and bring out the detail.
When indoors, try moving your lighting sources around. Lights at lower angles are usually more dramatic than plain overhead lighting.
Remember the secret about using your flash during the day? It's also possible on most digital cameras to take night shots without a flash. Try setting your ISO speed to 800 or above to ensure the camera is sensitive to very low light.
Need to use the flash, but it's a bit harsh? Try taping some wax paper over the flash to diffuse the light.
Want to light a very small object? If you're using your macro setting to take a shot, cut up a plastic milk container and place it around the object. It will diffuse the surrounding light.

Tips for Taking Sports IMages
Most of us have seen sports photos that capture the essence of the action - mostly in the sports sections of the newspapers. It's normally pretty hard to create quality sporting photos because most of the time (for large events) you can't get close enough to the action to capture the event properly. Would you like to be able to take those same quality images of your kid's sports events? Read on.

Location
You need to get as close to what you are shooting as you can. Most press photographers are given specific places they can shoot from - and they pay for that privilege. I'm betting you don't have a press pass and so will need to shoot from the stands. Get as close to the action as possible.
It also helps to know the sport you are photographing. Get into the correct location to enable you to "capture the moment". Near the goal posts is usually a good spot for Football or Soccer.

Capture The Moment
Sports photography is mostly about timing. Be ready at the right place and be ready to shoot at the right time. Most sports have predictable moments - scoring a goal, getting a home run, shooting a basket. Be ready for when these moments happen.

Remember the following - "If you see the action, you missed it." This basically means you need to anticipate the action. Don't wait for the batter to hit the ball before pressing the shutter. If you do, the image will likely to be taken once the ball has been hit and has left the frame. Anticipate by holding the shutter release down half way (so the camera can focus and set the exposure level). Just before the ball is hit, press the shutter all the way down. Through experience, you will learn how much time beforehand you need to press the shutter.
Be aware that sports also have unpredictable moments, so keep a keen eye out for these and have your camera ready.

Sports Equipment
Having the correct gear is essential to great sports photography. Because most of the time you will be standing a long way from the action, you will almost certainly need a telephoto lens to enable you to zoom in. Because most good telephoto lenses are large and bulky, you should also think about a monopod (a tripod with only one leg). An optional piece of equipment is a flash with a high output but be aware that a lot of sports events do not allow flashes. Talk to an event official first to get the okay.

Focus
An out of focus shot is pretty useless. You should aim for every photo to be crisp and clear. Auto focus cameras do a very good job of this, and they usually focus pretty quickly. Many times, however, manual focus will work much better because the camera's auto focus can take a long time to complete.

There are two ways you can focus your camera - Zone Focus and Follow Focus. Follow Focus is where you keep your camera on the subject, changing the focus as needed to ensure the subject stays in focus as they are moving around the court (or ground). This works well when most of your subjects are moving from side to side in your image - car racing, football and soccer are three examples.

Zone Focus is where you expect the action to take place at a specific position - eg a the basket ball ring or the jump point for a high jumper. Focus on the area you want to be sharp and wait for your athlete to move into the zone.

CompositionFaces. The face is the primary source of emotion, and because emotion is what makes a shot it's vitally important to include faces in your digital images. It can be difficult to capture faces in some sports (fencing for example involves face cages, baseball caps create shadows on the players faces). Use a flash to fill in the shadows in these instances but remember the flash has a very limited range.

Use Vertical. Because the human form is taller than it is wide, it lends itself to a vertical composition. Rotate your camera 90 degrees so the height of your image is also larger than the width.

Rule Of Thirds. The Rule Of Thirds is also useful here. Divide the frame into thirds vertically and horizontally and place the subject where the lines intersect. Watch for where the player is moving too - if they are moving to the right, place them on the left third line and vice versa.

Take Individual Shots.
Most professional photographs are of individuals so try to shoot one person at a time. Exceptions to this are when there is conflict - two players fighting for a ball.
Know Your SportEach sport has a different technique for getting the best images and it helps to know the key elements of your sport. Know the basic fundamentals of the game and be prepared for what may happen next. With 15 seconds to go with a basketball team two points down, they may try to shoot a basket from the opposite end of the court. Anticipating this will help immensely with your photographs.
It also helps to know the players. If a particular player does a victory dance after each touchdown, be ready for it when it happens.

Freezing Action Shots
Most of the time you want to freeze the action. People want to see people suspended in mid air, or in mid shot. To freeze the action you need a fast shutter speed. The faster the shutter speed, the better the freeze but the more light you need. Most of the time this won't be a problem as a lot of sports are held outdoors. Set your camera to the fastest shutter speed possible.

The Illusion of Movement
It isn't always the best thing to freeze-frame the action. Blurry images imply movement which helps in some sports. You don't want a race car to appear to be standing still but having the car crisp while the background is blurry will help show that the car is moving fast.
Slow your shutter speed down and follow the subject (panning) with your camera. Try to keep your subject in the same position in the frame. This will blur the background and keep your subject sharply focused.

Emotion
Hands down Emotion is what makes fantastic photos. If there is no emotion, there is no desire to view a photo. Fortunately, sports participants who are exerting themselves exhibit emotion. The thrill of victory or the agony of defeat are both fantastic emotions to capture. But don.t forget the other chances for emotion to show: A high jumper preparing for the highest jump of his career; a cricketer batsman positioning a hit ball between two fielders; Even a junior hockey player getting the hair out of her eyes.
Oh, and crowd reactions also make fantastic shots. Don't forget to turn your camera around every now and again and look at the crowd.

Take Safe Images
Although you want to try to take memorable shots at key points in the action, sometimes you just miss them. To ensure you have a record of the day, take a number of "safe" images that will show what happened, but may not have the emotion of that specific action shot. Take images of the players doing "what they do" in the sport. Eg a tennis player serving.

Take lots of images
Not every image you take will be a perfect shot capturing the action and emotion. Prepare for this and take as many shots as you can while at the event. It's not unusual for professional photographers to take 100 shots during a match and only use two or three. Don't just take any old shots though. Try to plan each one to capture a story or an emotion.
Taking memorable sports images can take time and effort, but with patience and a little knowledge, you too can produce sports magazine quality images

Landscape

Lighting Secrets
by David Peterson
Almost as important as composition is the use of light. Here are some secrets for using light.
The best outdoors light to be found is at dawn and dusk. Here the light is not as bright as midday, and the sun produces some wonderful reds. Both these help to make a normally ordinary shot look magic by creating a warm glow.
When you are shooting outdoors, the best way to shoot is away from the sun. Don't have the sun in your photographs because it will overpower the colors and ensure the side of your subject facing the camera is in shadow. Ensure the sun is behind your back.
Another thing to watch out for is that your subject doesn't squint. We all love to see bright wide eyes, so ensure the sun isn't too bright. This is another reason to shoot at dawn or dusk - you can have the subject facing the sun but not squinting... and you get much better colors in your image at the same time!
If shooting in sunlight, watch for shadows. Look at the shadow cast by your subject and ensure it doesn't block anything, or look unsightly. Additionally, ensure your own shadow doesn't fall into the picture!
The best night shots are taken just after sunset. This is where scenes are lit up as if it were night, but there is still a tiny bit of sunlight around to help light the scene and bring out the detail.
When indoors, try moving your lighting sources around. Lights at lower angles are usually more dramatic than plain overhead lighting.
Remember the secret about using your flash during the day? It's also possible on most digital cameras to take night shots without a flash. Try setting your ISO speed to 800 or above to ensure the camera is sensitive to very low light.
Need to use the flash, but it's a bit harsh? Try taping some wax paper over the flash to diffuse the light.
Want to light a very small object? If you're using your macro setting to take a shot, cut up a plastic milk container and place it around the object. It will diffuse the surrounding light.

Clean your Camera
by David Peterson
If your images always turn out all blurry, it may mean your lens needs a clean. Most high end cameras come with threads to which you can attach a SkyLight (or UV) filter. This helps to protect the lens from not only dirt, but scratches. Cheaper cameras don't have threads so remember to cover the lens when not in use and try not to touch it.
Don't clean the lens too often - depending on how often you use your camera, every few weeks or few months is fine. To clean your lens, pick up a lens cleaning kit from your local photo store. Use the lens brush and air blower to remove any loose clinging particles. Place a drop of lens cleaning fluid onto some lens tissue (or a cloth) and wipe the lens clean with a circular motion. Use the blower to dry the lens, or let it dry naturally. Don't use any abrasive solution (such as soap) or wipe too hard on the lens as you can wipe away the special coatings.
Ensure you protect the other parts of your camera as well. Particularly the Memory Card slot and Battery contacts. If you find they have any corrosion, you can remove it easily with a pencil eraser. Make sure you remove the excess eraser that can get left in the compartment with an air blower. Never ever insert anything into the memory card slot that isn't meant to be there, as you could break the small pins. To keep clean, it's best to leave a memory card in the slot, or at least keep the cover closed.

Shooting Vacations
by David Peterson
Here are some tips for helping with your vacation shots
Take plenty of memory!
Make sure you have extra memory cards, have another storage facility like a Laptop or media storage unit.
Get close
Don.t stand too far from your subject . instead get nice and close so you can see their face. Either a three-quarter shot, or profile generally works well.
Candid counts
Images with people are usually more interesting when the subject is caught in a candid moment. When setting up for a posed shot, try to include something interesting to liven up the shot.
Make your trip a story. Create a visual diary by photographing landmarks along your journey such as signposts and street scenes. You can also capture the mood of the day - If you feel bright and happy, shoot some scenes which will capture that feeling. If you.re moved by what you see, ensure your shots convey that feeling.
Take shots at meals
This is the time when family is gathered around. Take advantage of it by taking an image or two of your relatives around the dinner table. Ensure you use a the red eye reduction mode of your flash and activate the self timer if you also wish to be in the shot.
Include the mundane
Most vacation photographers just photograph landmarks and scenery. Make your vacation shots more interesting by including the mundane . washing the dishes, taking off in the car, setting up camp, waiting for an aeroplane etc.

Look for Reflections
by David Peterson
Water is a fantastic element to include in your photos, as the reflections it generates can make your image stand out.
Keep a look out for water around your environment when you shoot. Reflections from lights, or splashes of color can really help with the ambience of an image.
Rainy days are particularly good as puddles abound!
Extra Secret: Photographing just the reflection and leaving the subject out is a great way to produce abstract images.

Use the LCD Monitor to preview images
by David Peterson
The LCD monitor will show you what your final image will look like. It won't be as large in size as your final image, but you will get enough of a feel for the image to know how your shot will turn out.
If your camera can show you a half second freeze of your shot just after you have taken it, turn this feature on. The half second will give you enough time to see if the image was well framed, and have the correct exposure or if you need to take another one.

Don't add frills
by David Peterson
Some manufactures give you a feature that can imprint the current date and time onto your image. Or they offer to imprint other stats like the current exposure settings, or shot number.
Turn these off!
You don't want anything to distract you or your viewer from the subject of your photo.
Modern digital cameras record the time and date the shot was taken anyway in a separate part of the image file anyway, and most digital printing places will stamp the back of the image with the time and date the shot was taken so you can always see it.

Use Predefined Modes

Many people don't know that most cameras now come with selected modes for taking shots. Eg Landscape, Cloudy Day, Full Sun, Indoors, Night.
Changing the mode of your camera to match your situation can result in better shots, as the camera has a better chance of selecting the shutter speed, flash and other exposure choices for a perfect picture.
Camera makers put a lot of thought into the settings for each of the different modes and tailor the settings to what will work well with their camera. So don't be afraid to use the predefined scene modes of your camera.

Use Different Lenses and Filters

There are a wide variety of lenses and filters available to increase the range of options you have for shooting a photograph.

Note that not all digital cameras come with the ability to attach different lenses and filters.
Check the manual for your camera.

Some lens types include :

Wide Angle
Telephoto
Fish Eye

Using a Wide Angle lens is good for shooting a indoor room, or shooting a mountain vista. A TelePhoto lens can be useful when you need a close up. TelePhoto lenses are bascically a better optical zoom.

Filters include :

Polarizing
Soft Focus
Cooling/Warming
Graduated

A polarizing filter can be the most useful filter to own. A Polarizing filter can deepen the color and contrast in the sky, eliminate glare from water or reflective surfaces, or cut through fog like haze. Soft Focus filters generate more diffused looks for romantic, moody, atmospheric, foggy or glowing effects in your shots.

Cooling filters add more blue to an image giving a psychological effect of calming or serenity in the final image. Warming filters cut out excess blue in an overcast sky to add more reddish tones to the image and make your photos look less harsh.

Finally, graduated lenses help for scenes that have a huge difference in light level - eg late in the day when the sky is still bright, but the foreground is in shadow.

Don't Rely On Flash

We've discussed using your flash a lot until now. There are ccasions where using a flash ruins the mood of the event you are photographing.
Why? A flash tends to create harsh subjects and will ruin any natural mood.
So, rather than using the flash whenever your camera tells you to, use available light whenever possible. In a dark situation, it's often better to open the shutter for longer to let in more light, or turn on existing lights to illuminate the room than to use the flash.
In daytime and when your subject is inside and near a window, have them face the light and position the camera between the window and your subject. This will allow the sunlight to light your image fully.

Use Red Eye Reduction Flash
by David Peterson
Most newer cameras have two flash modes. Standard and Red Eye Reduction.
The Red Eye Reduction flash causes the camera to flash multiple times before taking the shot to get the subject's eyes used to the bright light.
Use this whenever taking photographs of people looking directly at the camera in low light.
Many people don't realise they needed to use the red-eye flash until after they look at their photos after the event. So remember to use red eye reduction whenever taking photos in the following situations :
People looking directly at the camera
Low Light
Using your flash.
It is also possible to remove Red Eye with software programs if you don't have this feature on your camera. There are a few free programs available to do this on the Internet. The Free Photo Editing site does free red eye removal. Note they do require payment for other photo editing work. Picasa is a free image manipulation program that does a great job of removing red eye.

Give Yourself A Theme
Sometimes you need to think creatively to find better shots. Set yourself a theme to give your brain a head start.
For example, on a vacation choose a different color every day and ensure all your shots for that day have that color in that image. Or shoot only shots with triangles in them.
Other examples of themes are:
Fences
Bright Colors
Time
Cliche
Unfinished
Repeating Patterns
Desperation
Bliss
Make sure your theme is simple otherwise you'll be more pre-occupied with getting a shot in line with your theme than the image itself.
Another option for a theme when on vacation is to choose a selection of themes that captures the essence of the destination. Every area has themes relating to its landscapes, climate, cities, culture etc. Do some research by looking at local postcards or talking to taxi drivers to get an idea of the good picture taking locations.

Look For Light
Different lighting can change the mood and feel of a shot, or be the difference between a mediocre and stunning shot.
The light from the setting sun can produce wonderful lighting for a subject, as does sunlight through leaves. Maybe you see a shaft of light between two large objects such as buildings that can be a perfect backdrop for your subject.
Other options for different light sources at night include :
Neon lights make great night time subjects. You can silhouette your subjects in front of them, or use them as a subject themselves.
Use a long exposure on a tripod to capture streaks of car lights on a road or highway, or other moving lights like on a ferry.

Use Continuous Shooting
by David Peterson
Most digital cameras have a continuous shooting mode, where shots are taken one after the other in rapid succession.
When taking shots, there is often a short delay between when you press your finger on the button, and when the picture is actually taken. This delay may mean your subject has finished their action (eg blowing out candles on a cake) and you have missed the magic moment.
With Continuous Shooting you can take a sequence of shots and keep just the right one. Continuous Shooting also increases you chances of capturing a candid moment.
Where else can this be useful? Any shots of children or group shots will benefit from continuous mode.