Woods Nicole. - Photography: Complete Guide To Taking Stunning, Beautiful Pictures

One of the first things that uninitiated photographers will be looking for when buying a camera is the number of pixels that the camera uses on an image. These are little dots that make up an image and theoretically the more you have available, the better the quality of the image. However, this isn't where it all starts or ends. Let's try and explain the way around your camera, so that you gain a better understanding.

Before doing that, you need to decide the kind of photographs that you are likely to take, as this will determine the kind of camera that you buy. For example, will you be taking distance shots of nature or sports? If so, you will need a camera with a telephoto lens. Will you want to use a macro or close up lens? Is there one available for the camera you are looking at. It isn't just about pixels. It's about the features that a camera has in relation to your use of that camera.

The key in owning your camera is in understanding its parts and how they work in relation to the kind of photos that you want to produce. In this section, you will learn about the most important parts of the digital camera and what roles they play in capturing beautiful moments.

Don t worry, this discussion will not get too technical, but will include just a few bits and pieces that will help you understand how your camera works and find your way around the different features.

1. The Body - The body encases the entirety of your camera. While it does not affect the quality of your photo, it plays a huge role in comfort and confidence while you are taking pictures. When buying a camera, look to see if the body looks solidly made because some are very cheap packages that are intended more for the child market. The body should be of a sturdy build and it's worthwhile holding it in your hands to see where the buttons are in relation to your fingers. Some are a little awkward to use, so choose a camera which fits your hand and which has a solid body and a great manufacturer's guarantee.

2. The Lens - The lens is perhaps one of the most important parts of your camera when you are concerned about the quality of photos. The photographic process begins here once the light enters the camera. Some cameras have a fixed lens, meaning you cannot change it. Others have interchangeable lens-- and this feature allows you to switch from one lens to another depending on your need. These are particularly useful for professional work or for specialty work such as nature pictures, sports images etc. You also have through the lens or TTL cameras, SLR or single lens reflex and of course, optical zoom lenses, meaning that the lens is built in but that it extends to form a longer lens for close-up work.

Since the discussion about focal points can be too technical, we will just discuss the different kinds of lens and how they affect the photos you will capture.

a. Ultra-wide angle - As the name suggests this lens can be used even when you are near the target of your photo, but even though you are very close to the subject, the whole frame will still be covered by it. This is useful for taking pictures of large crowds so is ideal for the wedding photographer or those who wish to produce images that incorporate a lot of detail over a wide space.