Why?

Probably the best course for taking lessons online is the well-known, "Landscape Photography 101 - Master the Art of Seeing". You will learn a vast amount of knowledge with this course, even all the "techy" stuff, but in an easy to understand format. You will know your camera inside-out, as well as the techniques of taking photographs of breathtaking scenery the way a professional would.

Have you ever noticed how being a photographer and being a sniper are very similar?

Tip 3: Do not cover the flash or lens with your fingers. Sometimes, it's amusing to see novice photographers cover the flash light or lens with their fingers when taking photos. When they do this, part of the photo may be deleted or the images appear darkened.

And they gently squeeze the shutter release to avoid camera shake.

While less than 1% of you are likely to be keeping a notebook, the top photographers do. I've been harping on it forever. This one simple act can propel your photography to heights you can only dream of right now.

When you are shooting, there are a million things to think about and consider. Add to that the fact that - often it is a high stress situation and cannot be repeated (weddings or other once in a lifetime events). Do you really want to lose the shot because you had a hard time getting the battery compartment back in place? Or the memory stick was inserted incorrectly?

First off, there's the obvious term - shoot. A sniper is trained to shoot and a photographer is trained to shoot. We call it shooting a portrait or shooting a landscape - having a model shoot and so on...

Can you imagine a highly trained sniper not knowing what a certain button or knob on his or her rifle does?

Some techniques are simple to learn, and have to do with your equipment. Try experimenting with your lens filters for a new view... try rubbing a thin film of Vaseline onto an old filter (but NEVER directly onto a lens - this will permanently ruin your lens), or try wrapping something around the filter, like a piece of tinted cellophane or a patch of pantyhose for an interesting effect.

Just got your first digital camera? Here are some tips on how to make full use of your brand new digital cam.

You may never find yourself in a high stress - or life and death situation, but the confidence of knowing your camera gear inside and out will eventually show in your photography.