It’s not critical that you own the best, most expensive digital camera. You can take wonderful photos with a mid-price camera. But you do need a big media card.
You should try to get the largest media card you can afford, as this will ensure that you never miss a shot. Typically, if you have a 3 mega pixel camera, it is advisable to use a memory card of at least 256MB. A 4 mega pixel camera, on the other hand, should have at least 512MB of memory and if you have 6 mega pixels or above, you should consider a 1GB media card.
In some situations, it may be prudent to invest in other pieces of equipment, such as a tripod. Of course, in the majority of circumstances tripods are a cumbersome nuisance. However, if you can afford to spend a little extra money, it is possible to find a lightweight, compact tripod that can be easily placed into a bag or even a pocket.
Tripods are particularly useful when taking shots of landscapes, flora and fauna. So, whether the tripod is a necessary part of your equipment will depend on your interests.
When it comes to taking digital pictures, be aware that you do not have to stick to the default or auto setting on your camera. In fact, this setting will not always produce the best shots.
Therefore, it is advisable to experiment with your settings regardless of the conditions. In other words, try using the flash outside even on bright days, check out the effect that using a cloudy setting has on the tone of your pictures. Try to remember which shots were taken with which settings, so you will be able to compare and contrast.
Remember that a large part of what separates mediocre photographs from great photographs is composition. In other words, where your subject is positioned in the frame, what is in the background of the shot, what is in the foreground etc.
However, this does not mean that the composition of your photographs has to be complicated. On the contrary, sometimes simplicity really is best. The best shots have something interesting and eye-catching about them.
When learning digital photography, the most important thing to remember is to take photographs and lots of them. The best way to discover which setting work best and how to capture an interesting composition is to practice.
One of the best features of a digital camera is that you can easily delete those shots that didn’t work out, so you’ve got nothing to lose by experimenting.
