HDR's Stand for High Dynamic Range...Take 3 pictures each one with a -2,0,+2 exposure compensation majority DSLRS have a setting called bracketing...Its the same thing but the camera does it automatically..Then hold your camera still and take 3 pics of the same subject then using a photomerge-type software such as Photomatix or Photoshops Merge to HDR setting create your HDR...Simple

Tip #8

RAW vs. JPEG
People sometimes ask well should i shoot RAW or JPEG. Well to me its up to how long you want to store the images. If you plan on keeping your photos till the day you die then shoot RAW (if your camera is capable) if not then shoot JPEG. The reason being is that when a JPEG is a compressed file meaning that as the image is processed the file automatically deletes certain parts of the photograph (on a micro scale) an replaces it with a pixel that matches the two next to it therefore deleting part of the image in order to save space. Well over periods of time your digital image will start to deteriorate. On the other hand RAW files do not deteriorate and if you can compromise with a little extra memory space taken up, then raw is the way to shoot. RAW files offer more comprehensive color lighting and white-balance editing when it comes time for that. JPEG's are great for quick sharing and uploading but if you want your images to last then shoot RAW.

Tip #7

Dont limit yourself to vacation photography or photo op's that are mandatory i find the best thing to do is try to carry a camera with you wherever you go. The best memories are visual memories the tangible ones. Anything is a subject, it just depends on how you shoot it.

Tip #6

Angles, use them. Use high angles low angles whatever type to make your subject more interesting. Its fun to shoot a building, but when you shoot it from a low angle it makes the subject large and less of a typical photo. next time you are with friends shoot low shoot high it will depict the wild side. Go out and be obtuse not right.

Tip #5

Bulb mode?
What is it? Well if you have ever seen the photos of the sky and it looks like the stars are circling the sky. That is Bulb mode majority of the DSLR's have Bulb mode it can simply be found in your camera's "Manual" setting. Bulb mode is best used during night shoots with a tri-pod and a remote shutter release to avoid and eliminate all movement of the camera. Bulb mode lets you get creative with your exposures and lets you decide when the shutter time whether it 5 seconds or 5 hours and anything in between. Now go out there and get creative. Send me your photos and ill gladly post them.

Tip #4

This one is for you point and shooters. If your gonna buy a point and shoot buy one with a rechargeable battery. They may cost more but not by much, but they are going to save you money guaranteed. Point and shoot cameras drain batteries faster than you think. You will be spending money on AA's like crazy, if you take this route you will spend more money on bateries than for the camera itself. Now if you get one with a rechargeable battery great, now, there are ways to conserve battery life. Point and shoots typically have large screens that eat up battery power, now if you are constantly reviewing photos after you take them your battery life will suffer. My advice is to dim the backlight, and use that screen as little as possible. Another key factor in battery conservation is the flash, suprisingly the flash can eat up battery power. This is something you cannot avoid when shooting in dimly lit areas just make sure sure the flash is set to auto that way your camera will sense when the flash is needed and so it does not go off on every photo.

Tip #3

Aperture.
Aperture can be tricky if you don't know whats going on. Don't worry if your shooting with a point and shoot, aperture is automatically set for ya. For all you DSLR users it can be set automatically as well by setting the camera to AUTO. But for the adventurous photographer who wants to venture outside of AUTO and Aperture priority mode ( a setting that picks the aperture automatically in conjunction with how you set the shutter). Aperture is discretionary depending on the shot if you want a deep field of focus use shutter settings anywhere from f/16 to f/22 this will give you almost full focus throughout the frame. Smaller aperture such as f/2.8 to f/5 wil give you shallow focus on the background and sharp focus on your main subject (such as the squirrel sample photo i shot in Yosemite). Aperture is tricky yet it allows you to take creative shots that can make your shots stand out.