- E. Sort the pictures on your computer in two: One best shot selected from each motive as one sample, and the remaining in another sample.

- F. Compare the two groups of photos, and reflect on what you have learned.

If you apply what you have learned you will increase your own satisfaction with your photography because you will be able to create much more memorable photographs and your digital photo shows will be much more appreciated by your guests, friends and family.

Heading out on a vacation? Here's a few suggestions for getting the best images that you can bring home. Make sure you print your photographs because they won't last on the internet forever.

1. Read your camera's manual. I know its boring and tedious, but you will be glad you did if you don't totally understand how to use the camera. I've read my manual twice all the way through (and it's a big manual), and I refer to it now and then when I need a refresher.

2. But, you can use Landscape mode to keep the entire area in focus, or you can use Portrait Mode to make the main subject in focus, but the background will be blurry.

3. On a DSLR or other camera where you can adjust the settings, make sure you know how to use them. The aperture (f-stop) controls the amount of your image that is in focus. A f-stop of 2.8 will have very little in focus, just the main subject you have focused on. A f-stop of 16 will have everything in focus. The shutter speed controls subjects that are in motion. If you are photographing a kid moving around, you need a shutter speed of at least 1/125. The ISO controls the amount of light allowed into the image. An ISO of 200 won't allow as much light as ISO 400 or 800. In daylight, ISO 200 is usually sufficient. The aperture and shutter speed also have impact on the amount of light entering your camera's sensor. For instance f/2.8 will allow a lot of light onto the sensor, whereas f/16 allows very little. A shutter speed of 1/25 allows a lot of light, whereas 1/250 allows much less. Practice, Practice, Practice! Make different adjustments on these 3 settings to see what happens.

4. The composition of a photograph is very important. Putting the subject dead center is usually pretty boring. The rule of thirds is a guideline - you picture a tic-tac-toe over your image viewer and place your subject at one of the intersections. It's also usually better to pick one part of the landscape and photograph that instead of trying to get everything into the picture. Five mountain peaks will look very small and far away, as opposed to picking one of the peaks and including something in the foreground, like flowers, will look much better.

When photographing people in your landscapes, make sure they don't have trees growing out of their heads and place the person off center to include some of the background so you can show where you are at. Focus your camera on the person, hold the shutter button half way down and then move your camera to include everything you want, then push the shutter all the way. Vacation and Travel Photography Tips, Vacation and Travel Photography Tips, Photography Posing Tips - Photos Lacking A Little Something? 5 Tips To Improve Your Posing!,

Hi everyone! I'm just getting started on Xanga... Drop me a comment if you've got some ideas on what to do first - or just to say, "Hi!"