Early photography was done on plates of metal or glass. These were then developed, using chemicals and prints were made. Early photography equipment was big and heavy and bulky and made photography a difficult thing to pursue. Early photography was done in black and white or what is called sepia tone. Black and white photography was popular even after the advent of color photography. People thought that black and white looked more like real photography. Once film was invented for photography, more amateurs began to get involved in photography and its popularity grew.

But even with film, photography was still difficult and you need to get the film developed and this took time. But now with digital photography, there is no need for film or developing and even more people can enjoy the photography hobby and they don't have to wait for their pictures to be developed or mess around with dangerous chemicals, trying to develop the film themselves.

Digital photography came about as a response by newspapers to television news. Newspapers needed a way to get pictures to the public faster than the traditional photography way of having a photographer taking a picture and then having to send it to a lab for developing and printing and then back to the newspaper to be reproduced in the paper. Digital photography was the answer. Digital photography was once available only for commercial, professional use, but is now widely available and quite affordable.

The science of photography has come a long way, but the art of photography remains pretty much the same. Creating images by drawing with light. Of course, with digital photography, the whole process is so much easier and photography is much more accessible to the average person. Even small children are now pursuing photography as a hobby. It seems that almost everybody has a digital camera now. People are so much more in control of their photography now and able to see the results of their photography right away and then manipulate their photos themselves right on their own computers.

The photographer arrived at the airstrip just an hour before sundown. Sure enough, a small Cessna airplane was waiting. He jumped in with his equipment and shouted, "Let's go!" The tense man sitting in the pilot's seat swung the plane into the wind and soon they were in the air, though flying erratically.

"Fly over the north side of the fire," said the photographer, "and make several low-level passes." "Why?" asked the nervous pilot. "Because I'm going to take pictures!" yelled the photographer. "I'm a photographer, and photographers take pictures."

The pilot replied, "You mean you're not the flight instructor?

Once you have installed the software and read the camera's directions on how to hook it up to the computer, do something crazy like take a bunch of pictures. Take them inside and outside. Take them of any pets you may have and especially take them of the person who gave you the camera. Later in your quest of learning digital photography you'll learn photo manipulation and you can use their picture to show your appreciation for the gift.

The absolute worst thing that can happen to your pictures is they don't come out right. Maybe out of focus or the lighting is wrong. The pet wouldn't sit still or someone blinked, which offers a challenge on its own. Go back to the camera directions and look up delete and the problem is solved.

As you go about learning digital photography you will find it's a lot easier than you think. The basic approach is to just do it. Take tons of pictures and then sort them out on your computer. The absolutely horrible ones can be deleted to both save space and to be rid of the evidence. The better ones you can catalog and save and the really great ones you can brag about.

The Basics

If you have worked with a print camera previously, learning digital photography will be even easier. There is different terminology that, at first, may seem like learning a whole new language, but the basics are the same. Focus, lighting and composition but the biggest advantage you will find is in the final outcome. You have more control over what the finished picture will look like.

Your basic digital camera will usually have an automatic setting, which gives the camera full authority to adjust focus, lighting and exposure times. Once you put that picture onto your home computer is when learning digital photography starts to be really fun.

Most photo software will enable you to adjust lighting, brightness and contrast of your pictures as well as cropping out any unwanted details. It also allows you to have fun merging images. For example, that picture you took of the camera-giving relative can be manipulated to join their face with the face of your pet to come up with a thank-you-for-the-gift card. When they receive it, they will know you had fun learning digital photography.

Still life expresses the photographers self while using in animate objects such as pottery, flowers, candles, leaves, and fruit. The first step in still life photography is the lighting. You will want the object to have light from a single direction, so that you can cast shadows as well as light on the object. This will give it a depth of field, and dimension. You will need to choose whether you want a soft or harsh light. The more harsh the light the more shadow you will have. Often in still life reflectors are used to tone the light down. The best type of lighting for still life photography is side- lighting because you will attain more contrast between the object.

With still life photography, you have color control. You can choose the colors of the objects you use. When choosing the colors say with leaves and fruits you will want a contrast in colors, but retain a natural look. Harmony is the best word to use when attaining color control. The color will attract the viewer's eye, so if it is displeasing to you the chances are your viewers will find it just as displeasing.

With still life, you can choose an abstract motif. You may choose to put two objects together that do not make sense, but create a moving picture. You might have an interesting cut on fruit, such as a melon to reveal the inside core. The angle of the cut and the meaning of the picture will require thought from the viewer. Some viewers see different from what another viewer might see. This happens in the art world daily. What one thinks represents art another finds unappealing. Never let these influence your dreams and stop you from becoming even better in your work as a photographer.

You can also have control of variations. You can use the same subject repeatedly with different backgrounds, arrangements, and other objects. The key is to avoid clutter while creating contrast. The rule of thirds of composition is a great way to utilize still life objects. You can create a pattern based on the rule of thirds. Setting up the arrangements and trying several shots will lead you to finding the harmony between the objects.

You may think still life photography lacks the depth of other mediums; however, it can be used as a stepping-stone to greater photography. Still life can include an arranged garden to please the eye or a natural look. You can use natural light to offset the shadows and find the contrast. Still life inside or outside creating the arrangements is just one way to find pictures you will wish to display or give to friends. Remember lighting, color, and variations on arrangements will provide you will tons of subjects.

Applications for still life photography can include taking photographs for magazines. Often magazines have still life photos to show flower arrangements or decorating ideas for the home. With the many choices in photography, still life takes a special eye for arranging objects and understanding lighting techniques. With all of photography being art you need to pick the subjects that will speak most to you and make them speak to others. These types of pictures go well when deciding to sell your photos or display them for the public. All pictures whether you think it or not may be just what someone wants to display and may offer to buy it. This helps you start a real goldmine of a business if you feel confident with your work.

The latest high end canon digital camera is the PowerShot S2 IS. This is a 5.0 mega pixel Canon digital camera that features a 12x optical zoom and a 4x digital zoom. This baby is furnished with Optical Image Stabilizer (that is what the IS in S2 IS stands for) that eliminates camera shakes for people who have shaky hands or for taking camera shots. The UD lens found in this canon digital camera provide amazing color accuracy throughout the whole zoom area.

As with many digital cameras nowadays, this certain canon digital camera can record moving pictures. Now with another first, the S2 allows you to record moving pictures, and there no use for missing a perfect image incorporated with that moving picture. With the Movie Snap feature, just snap away when you see that perfect image, and it will be saved in your canon digital camera along with the recorded video.

This canon digital camera is also equipped with the DIGIC II Image processor that is designed to increase processing speed and image quality. It instantly says that with the DIGIC II, your canon digital camera has faster start-up time, playback and auto focus while giving your images the absolute brilliance.

The S2 also support USB 2.0 Hi-speed standard, so you will always have the easiest time transferring your files to and from your computer. With the USB 2.0, you can take advantage of your super hi-speed SD card.

This canon digital camera is also supplied with a 1.8 inch LCD power saving and fold out screen that's 115,000 pixel resolution. S2 shoots at 30 frames per second; this shooting rate can be reduced when taking pictures in night display, to give you the brightness that you need when taking pictures.

On the other hand, the latest point and shoot canon digital camera is the PowerShot SD500 and the PowerShot SD400.

The SD500 is the first 7.1 mega pixel canon digital camera that gives amazing images and absolutely to die for details. It has a 3x optical zoom that enables close up shooting with a 37-111mm equivalent with a 35mm film camera. This is one of the new perpetual curve design for a canon digital camera that fits the hands perfectly.

Sporting a very slim design, you would marvel at its 2.0 inch LCD that gives easier frame and play back use.

This baby is also equipped with the same DIGIC II Image Processor found in canon digital cameras that gives you amazing features. Also USB 2.0 compatible and works with the same high-speed SD card.

Even better than most digital cameras out there, this gadget can shoot moving images to up to 60 frames per second- perfect for moving objects (especially in sports) and a 30 frames per second for shooting still images. Furnished with scene modes like portrait (blurs the background and focuses on your subject), foliage (perfect for foliage, greenery or blossoms), beach (sunny shots without the dark faces), underwater (reduced background scatter. Tip: you can always buy waterproof case for shooting underwater images), fireworks, night snapshot, kids and pets, indoor, snow and digital macro (larger than life images).

This canon digital camera even enables you to customize and correct as you shoot. With modes like lightening skin tones, positive film, darker skin tones and others, you can never go wrong with using a canon digital camera.

These are just some of the many features of the SD500. There are more to the SD500 that has yet to be discussed. Check canon's website at www.usa.canon.com for a full profile of the SD500 and to other latest releases and products.