#1: Next time you take a drive to get some new images, get going early before sunrise to get the light - but don't be discouraged if its foggy like it was the morning I set out to take this shot. I decided I'd make the fog a part of the theme or feel of any shots I found along the way. In the case of this ol shack, I got lucky with the early warm sun popping through the fog, and the fog still drifting in the background of the shot.

#2: Get some foreground in your shot to add depth and added interest.

#3: Choose a shooting angle that is not the norm; high or low to add some drama, or in this case to get down where the nice flowers were popping out of the high grass.

#4: Stop down on the aperture to get that foreground sharp in addition to the main subject in the background, again, like I was able to do with the flowers.

#5: Use a tripod to get it sharp.

© 2007 Joe Robbins, Houston Digital Photo Academy Instructor

Most people want to turn this photo upside down, we are so accustomed to viewing faces in the "correct" angle. But the boy was about to go down a water slide, and was literally hanging in the opening getting blasted by the water as he prepared to let go and shoot down the enclosed slide. The "Radial Blur" tool in Photoshop enhanced the feeling of swirling down this chute.

© 2007 Michael Hart, Houston Digital Photo Academy Instructor

Look for contrasting colors as leaves change in the fall. Using a telephoto lens helps to compress the scene and makes the trees look closer together for a solid splash of color.

© Jon Canfield, Seattle Digital Photo Academy Instructor

Keep Blu-ray discs in their cases as they are more susceptible to fingerprints and scratches than standard DVDs.

The old Kodak box instructions that said to have the sun behind you should be discarded! Backlight gives definition, and you don't have Uncle Harry or Baby Mark squinting like crazy at you. But keep in mind that bright, specular reflections on the water will throw your in-camera metering system off-balance, and you will need to open up/increase exposure to compensate. And give your subject "room to look;" in the above there is more room in front of the child than behind. It also illustrates "the rule of thirds..."

© 2007 Michael Hart, Houston Digital Photo Academy Instructor