Looking to get a digital camera or you already have one like a point and shoot camera, and you are considering upgrading to a digital SLR camera, you may find it difficult to decide on what camera is best for you. Understandably, with all the new features that digital cameras have, it can be confusing of what all those features are used for and how to properly use them to take really good digital photographs. Learning to use a digital camera can be a lot of fun and excitement once you have a basic understanding of how your digital camera works and what desired effects certain features and settings produce.

Digital cameras already come with programmed automatic settings for focus, shutter speed, aperture, exposure compensation, and selected scene positions. To learn how to use a digital camera to take professional looking quality digital photos, you will have to venture into shooting in manual mode. It really is quite easy to learn.

So here is a brief "snap shot" of some of the features you will be using:

Aperture - The camera's aperture is the opening of the lens. You can change the depth of focus by adjusting the aperture setting. A large or wide aperture is used when you want the background to be out of focus so the emphasis is on the main subject, such as in a portrait. A smaller aperture allows for the background and foreground of the subject to remain in focus.

Continuous Shooting - This is the setting that professional paparazzi use to take multiple shots in rapid sequence and decide later on the best shot to print. For your use, this is ideal for taking photos of moving subjects, such as sporting events, moving or running wildlife, parades, etc.

Macro - Used for close-up photography. A tip when shooting in macro mode and using the flash, is to remove your camera's lens adapter ring. If the adapter ring is not removed, you will find a shadow image at the bottom of your final print.

Shutter Speed - How long or fast the shutter remains open depends on the sense of motion you want to capture. Taking a picture of someone performing a bicycle jump over a ramp, as an example, you would need to use a fast shutter speed to freeze the subject over the ramp and capture the subject's "hang time". A slow shutter speed is great to use in twilight or at night where there is a limited amount of light present. Really cool effects can be made under these shooting conditions.

Learning to use a digital camera to take quality professional looking photos with some more advanced tricks and techniques can be a lot of fun and make great looking scrap books and photo albums. Just by making a few simple adjustments to the proper settings, and the correct use of flash and focus, you too can shoot digital photos like a seasoned professional. So now that you have an idea of how to use your digital camera's basic features, you can start getting creative with your picture taking.