Now that digital photography has pretty much taken over as the preferred method for taking photographs you should know a few things before you get started. If you don't have a camera yet please visit my Digital Camera Buying Tips Page. This will get you ready for your purchase so you get the right camera that's right for you. When you have your new camera the first thing you should do is read the owners manual. The second thing you should always do is bring your camera manual every where you take your camera. This is your photography bible. When your flying, lying on the beach or visiting family & friends, you should always familiarize yourself with your camera's settings and capabilities by reading the manual and practicing using the camera as you read. I still refer to my camera manual even after I have had the camera for 5 years, why? Because you can never remember everything about your camera's settings and capabilities. Plus trying new things is one thing, understanding them and knowing when to use them is another.
First Tip: Always have extra batteries with you that are fully charged. You can't take photos without power. Solar Charger might be handy if you're in a remote location.
Second Tip: Always have enough memory. Nothing worse then seeing "memory card filled". Having to delete photos without seeing them on a full screen monitor is heartbreaking.
Third Tip: Know when to use the flash and how to turn it on and turn it off when needed. Take the same photograph with flash and one photo without flash. This way you will learn the difference in color and effects that the flash produces. In low light situations and indoors sometimes force you to use the flash unless you have a tripod or the ability to keep the camera steady.
Forth Tip: Always look at the cameras settings before you take the photograph. You can usually see the settings on the photo viewing screen (click display) or by just looking quickly in the camera menu and seeing what your settings are for that particular shooting mood that you are in.
Fifth Tip: If not sure what settings to use then put your camera in the Automatic Mode. It will take you a while to learn what settings work best for your particular camera. I like to put my camera in the lowest ISO setting. 50, 64 or 100. I also shoot at the highest quality and pixel depth my camera will allow. It takes more memory but you will never have a great photo that is to small for printing or enlarging.
Sixth Tip: Shoot, shoot, shoot!! With digital you never waste money because it cost nothing to delete the photos you don't want. So have fun.
Here are some useful tips if still using a film a camera that you can also apply to your digital camera as well.
1: Know what film works best in your camera for most situations, mine is Fuji 200 Speed Film.
2: Know your camera and what settings work best for certain situations.
3: Even though morning and late afternoon sun is the best time for good light for outdoor photos, sometimes certain times in the day can give you the best light, so be aware of the angle of the Sun and don't be afraid to shoot a lot of photos at different settings and angles.
4: Most important, have your film developed at a place that you know processes high quality pictures. You can take the best picture in the world but if you have the film processed at a place that has poor quality equipment you'll miss out on a chance to have some great photos.
.
Personal Photography & Home Printing Courses Plus Great Photography Links
When printing at home remember there are some important variables to be aware of:
The Photo Paper (each type of paper reacts differently (glossy, matte, soft gloss) you could even have a bad batch of photo paper so don't always assume it's the printer, software or the photo itself.
The Printer and its settings (you could even have a bad ink cartridge or the wrong color profile)
The Software you use to Print & Edit the photo.
The Scanner settings if the photo is scanned.
The photo may also have slight color variations that you don't notice or your monitor is not seeing the color correctly.
Any one of these variables has effects on the quality of your finished product. So experiment with the settings of your printer, Software and also try different paper. Most important make one change at a time and write down all your changes and findings so that you can learn what settings and paper make the best photographs. When achieved you can print out some really great photos at home and have more control over the quality and price providing you have a nice printer of course that specializes in photo printing.
If your color is off on your printed photo you have a few things you need to check.
Make sure your monitor screen colors are correct and calibrated so you can see the colors in your photo as they are.
Print a color test page (under printer options or maintenance) If colors are correct save your color test page for future reference to compare to a new test page if suspecting a problem.
Check printer cartridge (sometimes you can get a bad one, if you do, switch cartridge's to see if that's the problem. You might have to try your deep cleaning option for your printer head (under printer maintenance) and print out a color test page to make sure each color looks OK. Make sure printer head is aligned (under printer maintenance).
It's better to adjust your photo in Photoshop or in other photo editing software instead of using your printer settings to get desired effects. Printer settings should mostly be adjusted for Paper type, size (portrait or landscape), extra fine and photo.
For optimum results make sure your photo is close to 300dpi before printing, especially if you're resizing the photo.
Even though "PictBridge" (camera to printer technology) is convenient, it's is always better to see your photo full screen on a 15" Monitor before printing. This way you're sure you're printing a good photo the way you want it without wasting paper & ink.
Print your photos using software Quarkxpress for best results, and for some of the best printers for home see my list.
.
Great websites for Printing Tips
Digital Dog.net Color.org Short Courses
Online Printing Sources for Brochures
Over Night Prints Image Media Staples Fedex Kinkos Customized Postage Vista Prints
Greeting Card Printing Websites
Online Printing, Sharing of Photographs & Picture Gifts
Smug Mug Snapfish Mpix Photo Works Ritz Pix kodak Shutter Fly iPrint 
Photo Scanning
Online Photo Books
Picaboo My Publisher Asuka Book Mpix Graphi Studio
Top Flight Albums Premira Albums Gp Albums Blurb
Framing Links
Picture Frames Mat Shop American Frame Frame fit Frame Closeouts Puzzle Photo
Anti-Reflective invisible glass, also known as Den Glass or Image Perfect is great for avoiding glare.
You can also use a softer gloss paper.
To protect photos from sun damage & fading try UV protective glass that blocks damaging ultraviolet light.
Personal Photography & Home Printing Courses & Great Websites for Photography
EasyShare C613 6.2MP with 3x Optical Zoom. Because it's easy to use and takes great photos. Very little lag time when focusing and clicking the shutter release button.