You need to save your SLR from dust if you want to obtain consistent results. This is not an easy battle to win because dust finds different ways to get inside your camera body and stick to the sensor. This happens especially when the lens is being replaced. Sometimes it happens when the sensors get charged, and suck in dust.

The easiest way to avoid dust is to change the lens in a non-dusty place. You should never change your camera lens in a windy, dusty or sandy location. It is much better to change your lens inside a closed room before you leave for a shoot.

In case you decide to change the lens in the field then you should find a relatively sheltered location. You should also reduce the time the camera is kept open by keeping the replacement lens ready for a swap.

Always hold the camera facing down while changing the lens to avoid dust from entering from above. The mirror fixed inside your SLR offers protection to the sensor from dust to a large extent. The mirror/sensor chamber, which can accumulate dust, should therefore be kept clean to avoid dust from finding its way to the sensor.

Never clean the insides of your camera with compressed air stored inside an Aerosol can. The propellant in the Aerosol can sometimes sprays a liquid that quickly evaporates leaving a residue behind on the surface of the sensor resulting in malfunctioning of the sensor.

A blower brush that is available at most camera stores is a much better tool for cleaning the mirror chamber. When using the blower you should keep your camera tilted downwards. If you perform this procedure once a week you will greatly reduce the chances of the sensor developing dust related problems.

In emergency situations you can shoot with wide aperture openings. This reduces the camera’s depth of field and negatives the impact that dust may have on an image. However, this should not be made a practice. The dust, if it is allowed to accumulate on the sensor surface will lower its sensitivity.

Some lazy photographers prefer to remove dust with the help of an image editor. This can at best be called a short term solution. They must learn to keep their cameras free of dust if they want to use their digital SLRs fruitfully over long periods of time.

The three key features that make a memorable photograph are: light, focus, composition. If you get this right, then your job is done. You can be assured of a great photograph. If, however, you let the camera’s automatic functions carry out these tasks then you will get a photograph, but not a great photograph.

Light, needless to say, is the most critical element in photography. There can be no picture without sufficient light. When shooting, you must make sure that the light is falling on the subject (s). If you place the subjects in the shadow then you will end up getting dark faces only.

Sun is the best source of light. However, you must avoid taking pictures at full noon because then the sun is at its zenith. It throws very short shadows and produces an intense, white light which is not good for photography.

The best light is when the sun is lower on the horizon – either in the morning or in the evening. During these hours, light has a soft golden red hue that adds to the colors in the picture.

The availability of light becomes even more critical in indoor photography. One way to overcome the paucity of light is to use a flash. The other is to go for a longer exposure so that the sensor is sufficiently charged. However, when doing so you should use a tripod. This takes away the possibility of the camera shaking in your hands.

When it comes to focus you need special skills. One way is to let your camera do it, especially if it can set the aperture and shutter speed automatically for portraits, landscapes or group photographs. But then you don’t learn anything.

Some of the points that you need to keep in mind while fixing focus are:

a) A small aperture will produce a wider depth of field. This is most suited for landscapes. To narrow the size of the aperture you need to increase the f-stop settings.
b) For portraits or single subjects you need wide aperture. This will reduce the depth of field and the focus will be sharper.

Composition helps you frame the photograph by removing the extraneous elements from the scene. You can place the subject in the middle of the frame, along the diagonal or in the corner. You can use light falling through a window to make the frame or use a car’s rearview mirror to frame the subject.

Your effort should be to get as many different angles of your subject, and then select one which focuses best on the subject. Remember, the best composed photograph is that which draws your attention immediately to the subject.

Once you have mastered these three — light, composition and focus – you can safely say that you have become a good photographer.

There are many innovative ways to use your digital camera that you may not have thought of. Apart from taking photographs of listings and putting them on the Web, there are many other innovative ways to use your digital camera.

If your front porch needs to be repaired and you want to get estimates from carpenters, you can shoot photos of the porch and e-mail them to several carpenters. You don’t have to wait for them to visit you. They can even e-mail the estimates after looking at the pictures.

If you are in a meeting, you can shoot photos of the flip chart, or white board with your digital camera, instead of trying to scribble notes. Later, you can either print the photos, or import the images into a word file.

Take photos of your clients, with their permission, and include the photos in you database of contacts. Look at the photo before you talk to a person.

If you want a copy of a document and don’t want to use a scanner, or copier, you can take a digital photo. Use a high resolution camera to do this. Also, hold the camera steady and ensure there is plenty of light.

To remember the address, or phone number on a billboard or yard sign, you can click a digital photo. If you tend to forget where you park your car, a photo will help you to remember.

If you are involved in a car accident, take photos of the damage and send them to your insurance company. You can also create a visual record of furniture that is scratched by movers or of packages that arrive in bad shape.

Remember that your digital camera is capable of shooting video. You can use it for making movies, though this can fill up the memory quickly. You can record video images the way you use a voice recorder, to store reminders, comments, notes, etc.

You can shoot photos of the back portion of computers, stereo sets, etc. This will help you to have a record of the serial numbers, the jacks and ports and how they are connected.

Take a photo of the contents of a box, before you close it and stash it in the attic. This will help you to remember what it contains.

The list is endless. It depends how you use your digital camera.