Being a professional digital photographer is a dream many people have but most lack the ambition to follow through. Still, you want to take the best digital pictures you can without forking over the cost of a photography degree. So, here are some tips to help you find the best digital photographer in you.

1. Take a class. Yes, we just said you don't want to go to school to learn. But, we aren't talking about a lot of classes, just one or two. This will help you learn about exposures, lighting, horizontal lines, flashes?. You get the idea. Most community colleges offer these types of classes to the public.

2. Get the right kind of camera for what you plan to use it for. Even the simplest pictures of your kids can look great if you know what you're doing with your camera. Don't buy something that is too high tech for you or something that is too simple either.

3. Know about white balance. Balancing the amount of white in a picture can create warmth in your pictures. How does your camera do this? Did you read the manual yet?

4. Use a filter. Just like wearing a pair of sunglasses, filters help to eliminate glare and reflections that can ruin a good picture. Again, consult your digital camera's manual to know how to do this with your camera.

5. Flash or Not to Flash? Read up on when you should and shouldn't use your flash. Auto flash isn't the only flash. In fact, you can get some great shots using the flash on setting as well.

6. Use close up. For some of the most detailed and best quality pictures, zoom in and get a close up. A simple picture of a leaf can look incredible in close up.

7. Get a good sized memory card. When you purchase your memory card, consider upgrading to the next level. In order to take good pictures you will want to use it at its highest setting. So, purchase a large enough memory card to hold the most pictures in the highest level of mega pixels.

There are many more tips and tricks you can learn and use to take the best possible digital photographs. Think about grabbing a book or two from the library and reading up. Or, if you're an Internet fan, check out several websites on digital photography. The more you know, the better your digital photographs will be.

John Howard is an avid digital photographer. Visit his site for tips and advice at: Digital Cameras

?2005 John Howard All Rights Reserved. This article may be published in web based or email form as long as this credit box is attached and the URL is active.