Extra! Extra! Easy Lessons

*Grab your morning bagel, your a steaming cup of coffee and, pick up a digital camera-training manual (aka: the newspaper).

The newspaper (more than any other publication) offers all kinds of digital picture styles in every section:

• The sports
• The news
• The gossip

Everyone one of those photographers uses a style that's unique to their section—a style that you can learn from. See how high speed sports shots are meant to look, check out the art of candid shots and find out how shots can portray emotions. It's all in there…for less than a buck.

Take Time Off to Learn

Probably one of the best ways to learn anything is through experience. Learning digital photography is no exception to this rule. So take a vacation, a day trip, a long lunch or anything you can do to get out to see the sites and capture them with your new digital camera. Each time out you'll learn something new. Plus, have some fun in the process.

Invaluable In-Store Advice

Probably the best “digital photography for beginners” lesson comes before you even pay for the camera—it's when you're in the store, choosing your camera (that's when you should take advantage of free novice lessons and advice).

In most electronic super stores they usually employ knowledgeable people for each section (computers, stereos, TVs, digital cameras, etc.). These people are there to convince you want to buy their stuff. So, make ‘em earn their keep. Probe them and find out:

• Which digital cameras they like best
• What each digital camera can do
• Digital photography hints
• Benefits associated with different cameras

A lesson in Taking Lessons

Once you get the basics down, the real digital photography fun begins. It may also be the time when you really want to learn more about digital photography:

• Understand basic composition
• Understand the full gamut of what this device can accomplish
• Understand how you can use outdoor elements to your advantage

All of these things can be found in any digital photography training book. You can also take a digital photography course. However, if you don't want to shell out the cash for a class there are some online alternatives. Sites like dotphoto.com offer free digital photography tips & techniques. Plus, since it's online, you can learn at your own pace.

Learning is a Snap

Open the box, leaf through the instruction manual, experiment with the controls and you'll soon figure out that digital cameras are pretty user-friendly. Plus, aside from what's included, there are also many books on digital photography for beginners out there. However, when learning to master both cameras, digital probably holds the slight edge.

When you shoot digitally there's always room for error. Screw up a picture? Just delete and shoot again—as many times as you want. Plus, since you can see the pictures right away, you can also correct your mistakes just as fast. Film is permanent. Once you shoot a picture there's no going back. You also don't get to analyze what you did until after you've paid to process the film. So, although film cameras might cost less, digital cameras offer less costly mistakes.

A Photo is Worth 1000 Lessons

Sometimes the best way to learn digital photography is through the eyes of others. Sites like dotphoto.com host a wide range digital picture galleries that anyone can browse through. See how people handle shots at night. See how they use their digital camera special effects. Basically see what they are doing right and learn from it.