How better to show a funny situation than to take a photograph of it. The saying goes that a picture paints a thousand words and if you can be quick with your camera you can capture a moment that will give hours and hours of smiles in the future.

Either you can set your own funny photograph up or you can rely on having a camera on you.

If the photo is contrived it can still look natural and can be a lot of fun setting it up. If it’s natural you have to literally react at the speed of light to capture the exact moment that’s needed. Whatever the circumstances of when the photograph was actually taken, the story that goes with it can keep people entertained throughout the family and friends.

by Laura Hedgegate (www.photographyviews.com)

In order to become a good photographer, what steps will you need to take and what equipment will you need?

Apart from the camera all photographers need a tripod and a camera bag. Don’t be lured by the camera shop into buying lots of gadgets that you don’t need and will end up sitting on a shelf collecting dust. Take some time to assess what you think you will need before investing and know (from reading magazines) what you need before you go into the shop, so that you’re not baffled with science and come out with much more than you anticipated. Go for a make that has demonstrated quality and durability over the years and is within your budget. There is a wide range of prices and qualities in all aspects of photography. By reading and taking part in forums you will learn the makes that other people have found successful and value for money.

There are many forums on the internet where you can talk to other like-minded individuals and pick up objective views. Hardly anyone these days are investing in the traditional cameras that require films. With so much potential from our computers available, a far more individual and professional finish can now be gained through the use of digital cameras. They work on a memory card, rather than a film and when this is full the information is transferred to the computer. As each new model comes out the cards hold more pictures and they have a greater number of pixels, meaning that the density is greater and therefore the pictures are of a better quality. When the memory card is full it needs to be taken out and downloaded onto a computer’s hard drive and saved. The memory card will be wiped clean and you can start again.

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