Get to know your camera and how to use it properly. Each digital camera has its own individual modes and functions. The best way to get to know your camera is to read the instruction manual which comes with it. Don't just throw it out.

Even on sunny days you still might need to use your flash outdoors. Sometimes, when taking photographs on a sunny day the sun can throw dark patches or shadows on your subjects. By using thr flash on the camera, you immediately help brighten up the subjects in the shot.

Learning how to hold your camera properly can help you from deleting wasted shots from your camera at a later stage. Hold your camera tightly in both hands, in order to avoid that dreaded shake in your shot. Try and keep your limbs and watches/jewellery behind the lens. Also, when pushing the capture button, push it gently and make sure that the camera doesn't move. If possible you can use a tripod.

If you're not planning to use you digital camera for long periods then make sure to remove the batteries from the camera. Sometimes the batteries will leak within the camera which is not good and can cause damage. Better to be safe than sorry.

Have a look around your local area to see if there are any camera clubs or groups already set up. You could join a local photography club or group and get any queries or questains that you have answered. Other photographers are bound to have the same problems and issues as you. Maybe you could accompany a more experienced photographer on a shoot and see if you can pick up any tips.

There's no need to go mad and buy the most expensive equipment right at the start. Use a cheap and easy camera starting off so that you can get to know the basics first. It's easier and cheaper to iron out the problems at the start and buy more expensive equipment as you get more confident.

Study other photographers work and try and learn from them. Visit photographic competitions or galleries and maybe you will pick up some tips or ideas for your own photographs. Try to develop a style from the ideas that you pick up, not just copying the types of photos that you see but bring their ideas on to the next level.

These are just some of the best digital photography tips that I remember being given when I started off with my first digital camera. Being able to get the basics right in digital photography is the key to getting those developed, skillful shots.

Setting up your Backyard Photo Shoots

The biggest challenge isn't actually attracting birds to your yard. Once your feeders are discovered, word will travel fast! The biggest challenge is getting the birds to perch where you want them. So before setting up your feeding stations and birdbaths, consider the locations carefully.

Choose locations that won't make the birds easy prey for cats and other predators, and at the same time that will provide you with the opportunity to photograph them with nice backgrounds and good angles.

Do remember that if you set feeders out in the winter to consistently provide quality seed so your feathery subjects aren't filling up on something like bread that won't provide them with the energy needed to stay warm at night.

Birdbaths also provide a great opportunity for pictures, and bird houses will help keep birds in the neighborhood.

If your goal is to attract certain species of birds, check with The Audubon Society to see what types of seeds or plants (in the case of birds that won't take their meals at feeders) are best. You can also find good tips at the National Wildlife Federation's "Gardening for Wildlife" pages at http://www.nwf.org/gardenforwildlife/tips.cfm?campaignid

Don't limit your photographs to the bird feeders and baths either. These will help attract birds to your yard that will land on tree limbs and fences nearby, so make sure to scout these areas out with your camera in hand.

Camera Settings

Have you ever noticed that birds are in almost constant motion? When eating, their little heads are bobbing up and down, and when they are on the ground they are always looking this way and that for predators. The best camera setting for bird photography is a high shutter speed, so use either the Sports Mode on your camera or set the shutter speed to be at least 1/250.

If you have an optical zoom on your digital compact or a telephoto lens on an SLR, this will make shooting pictures a whole lot easier. An optical zoom of 6x, depending on the camera, can give you about the same magnification as a 200mm lens, meaning a photograph taken from about 10 feet away could look like a close up.

Some of the so called "bridge cameras" offer zooms from 10 to 20 feet, but not all produce quality results so check around before purchasing. You may also need a tripod or other camera stabilizer when using the high range zooms, and as always, opt for optical.

Given a long enough lens, you can get some wonderful pictures of birds in flight or perched high up in trees too. Professional nature photographers will often use a 600 lens to capture images with good detail of birds in flight or far away.

Telephoto lenses of this size are very expensive, but there is another way, brought to us from birders. It's called digiscoping. With this method, you combine the birder's spotting scope with a digital camera. Here is one of many good articles online introducing the digiscoping method to bird photographers: http://www.birdwatchersdigest.com/site/photography/index.aspx

Blue skies are best for pictures of birds in flight. And the bluest sky of the day is often that hour after dawn. Also, look for patterns when you may have flocks of birds that fly over your yard at certain times of day. Or, if you want to photograph birds of prey, such as osprey, go to a lake or river early in the evening when they fish. This is also a good time for soft, even and warm lighting.

Hopefully by using these photo tips, you'll not only attract more birds to your area, but you'll capture some fantastic photos you'll want to display.