Digital Photography

Introduction to digital cameras

Taking a photo with a digital camera

Since the 1990s, digital cameras have become more and more common—and also more affordable. Because of this, it's now easier than ever to get started with photography. Luckily, you don't need to buy a professional-level camera to get good results. The most important factor is the skill of the photographer. In this tutorial, we'll show you how to use lighting, composition, and your camera's settings to take better digital photos—no matter what kind of camera you have.

What can you do with a digital camera?

There are many things you can do with a digital camera. Here are just a few examples:

Using a digital camera to capture memories

• Capture memories: You can take snapshots of your friends or document your family's trip to the beach. If you want, you can print them on photo paper, or you can just view them on a computer, TV, or digital photo frame.
• Share your photos online: You can post your photos on Facebook, Flickr, Picasa, or another site. This is even easier if you have a smartphone, since you can take a photo and upload it immediately.
• Use it as a scanner: If you don't have a scanner, you can simply take a photograph of a document. For example, you could take a picture of your tax forms to keep a record of them.
• Capture data: You can use a camera to help you remember things. For example, when you park your car at the mall or airport you can take a photo of the parking lot section number so you can find your car later on. You could also take pictures of things like store hours, phone numbers, and more. A camera phone is ideal for this, since you'll always have it with you.
• Start taking photos as a hobby: You can hone your photography skills, get creative, and even use image-editing software to experiment with your photos. At this point, you may want to invest in a higher-quality camera to improve your photos.

For more ideas of things you can do with a digital camera, read our article on 10 Everyday Uses for Your Phone's Camera.