any tips for taking great pics?

Answer 1

This is a directory of tips and tutorials on photography: http://www.net-art.it/photomonitor/enter.html

Answer 2

The best way to take really neat pics is to learn how to compose your photo. Look thru the lense and ask yourself "is this neat looking pic?" Compose your photo. Give it balance, focal point, interest, perspective. These are all common design principles that will help make your subject more interesting. By the way, balance doesn't mean making a photo that purely symmetrical. Asymmetry is much more interesting. My advice is go out & buy a "Design 1" text book. That'll help you set up your photo & the rest is technical. Remember, you can play with all the filters and gadgets and doodads and photoshop stuff in the world...but if the pics doesn't look just plain cool by itself, you'll have a tough time. Set up your shot! Set up your shot! Set up your shot!

Answer 3

Buy a cheap camera. Learn to take photographs in all types of lighting. If you can, buy black & white film, at first. Use the black and white film to take pictures of things that have multiple colors. Then, you will be able to see how different colors contrast against each other. For example, blue and red don't both come out black on black & white film. Each one is a slightly different shade of gray. A cheap camera will also force you to learn about exposure and depth of field on your own. Remember, it is never the camera that makes the photograph. It is always the photographer that makes the photograph.