Do you want to become a better photographer, but you think that you need to wait until you can afford the best photography equipment or have the talent to take great pictures.
I have news for you, the best way for you to get where you want to be is by using what you have today.
The photographers that keep their camera handy are the ones that will catch the perfect shot.
It is not your subject that takes hours to get ready it is the photographer.
You have to be prepared to catch that perfect moment because it can come and go in a heart beat.
If you are observant about what is going on around you y ou will be able to capture that special photo with little effort.
If you are looking to take photographs that are of publication quality, you will want to use a digital camera that is over 5 mega pixels.
Any thing smaller may not have the support features that are needed for this type of photography.
The quality of the lens and size of the sensor can also affect the quality of digital photographs.
The great thing about digital photography is that you can use editing software, so even if you can't afford a high-end camera that would have 8 to 10 mega pixels, you are still able to get raw data from your camera and then use the software to make the most of your photos.
Another thing that is to your benefit is that you can save your work electronically from e-mails and be able to place your photos on cd's and dvd's.
By saving your pictures on the cd's and dvd's you will be sure to have a working copy.
Also you can mix photos and film together using software packages, and make a mini movies out of any projects that you may have.
This is very cool and easy to do.
Most computers have some type of free Photoshop that is available to you.
I'm getting ahead of myself here because before you get into the editing you need to capture the images.
For you that are just beginning to take photos using a digital camera that is simple to use is the best way to go.
The point and click cameras are great.
There are many models for the amateur digital photographer.
You have cameras that are automatic and cost very little and then there are amateur cameras that offer a bit more in the way of having controlled settings.
Most of these digital cameras offer 3 to 5 mega pixels.
Remember that you need 5 mega pixels to take publication quality photos, if you are just taking pictures of friends and family that will pose for you the smaller mega pixels camera is just fine.
A lot of these smaller digital cameras have manual setting and even come with rechargeable batteries which makes them a lot of fun.