My Photography "Secrets"

*First off, a big, humble thank you to you for your compliments on my photos.
You make me happy! :) *

On to this highly anticipated post...
{catch my sarcasm?}
I am not a photographer.

I have never taken a photography class

and I don't have a fancy camera.

{Though I wish I could afford one!}

However, sometimes I feel like I may have the eye of a photographer.

For example, before I took this picture:

I saw the light coming through the trees and I remember thinking,

"I have to take a picture. This is such great light."

What normal person thinks that?

So, my first photography "secret," for lack of a better word, is:

1. Look for the light.

Sounds cheesy, but without proper lighting, a picture just doesn't come out right.

Chances are, no matter what your subject matter,

the picture will turn out great if it's lighted well.

2. Know your camera.

I have a regular digital camera that Franco and I received

as a generous wedding present in June of 2007.
It's old in technology age.

In photographer terms, my camera is a Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX 12 7.2 MP blah blah blah.

{It is not worth the $300 Amazon is asking for it, though...

plus I looked it up at Costco where our friends

bought it and it cost about $170 in 2007.}

Anyways, where I'm getting at is that even with a relatively normal or sub-normal camera,

if you read your camera's instruction manual as I did,

you can then adjust ISO limits, white balance, zoom, megapixels, flash, etcetera, according to what you're trying to photograph.
Mine also has a "Scene" option where I can choose from dozens of possible subjects like: landscape, beach, baby, portrait, night portrait, candlelight, party, sports, and then the camera adjusts everything for me. Piece of photography cake.

3. Photoshop.

I said I've never taken a photography class,

but I have edited thousands and thousands of photographs

in the last six years since I studied graphic design.
I am a graphic artist--
therefore, I know and love photoshop.

I know how to manipulate images very well.

I recently found actions--
which some photographers swear by while others regard them as
"cheating" but come on, if you're like me and can't afford tuition to Brooks Institute and /or ten thousand dollar camera equipment,
yeah, I'm going to use actions.

{Explanation of what actions are and some actions I use found here.}
If you do not have Photoshop, use your already-installed software such as Windows Photo Gallery {for Vista}, or even Powerpoint can do lots of things.
~OR~
use

4. Picnik.com.

Yes, this is probably my best kept "secret" though it really shouldn't be.

Easy, breezy, picnik.com.

It's a whole new world and it's F-R-E-E.
And addicting.

5. Take lots of pictures.

This may seem like a "well, duh" type of "secret" but what I do is just take lots of pictures. We all have 1-or 2-Gigger memory cards able to store an average of 700 photographs, right? You may even have a 4-Gigger or larger. Either way, you have plenty of room to snap hundreds of pictures.
The beautiful part is: you can delete the ones you don't want.
Simple.

I am an artist.
I don't mean that in a gloating or conceited way,
but as the result of a process of elimination because I know what I am not.
I appreciate art in any form.
I dabble in many art forms and hope to dabble much further
into the photography department in the near future...
probably not until my husband is a doctor
and can buy me a Nikon,
but until then, I'll do the best I can with what I have.

In summary:
1. Look for the light.
2.Know your camera.
Use 3. Photoshop and/or
4. Picnik.com.
And
5. Take lots of pictures.
Go crazy because you can.

Oh, and another tip:
check out real photography websites, portfolios, and blogs for
their tips and tricks and real photography secrets.
Don't take my word for it;
like I said,
I'm no photographer.
;)

Some of my fave Photographers:
A Little Sussy
Brenda Manookin
Gideon Photography
Jose Villa
Jessica Claire
Phase4Photography
Ash Photography

Sites for inspiration:
The Cherry Blossom Girl
Oh Happy Day
Creature Comforts
Rockstar Diaries

and a shameless plug for my design website...
Acastrejondesign
=}

Happy photographing!
So did you learn anything??