…Take better digital photographs

Sure you could just point and shoot. But your results may vary. Here are three ways to take photos worthy of a double take:

1.  Read your manual Many of us don’t bother and it shows. Since most digital cameras have an auto setting, we think the camera will do all the work. The results are usually acceptable. But sometimes it pays to use the fancy features most digital cameras have. Use the burst mode to take action shots without the blurry results. Adjust the camera’s ISO settings so your pictures come out even when there is low or poor light. Or use the macro setting to take close-ups.

2.  Get creative If you consider your digital camera’s automatic settings your best friends, then pay attention to how you take your pictures. Get close to your subjects. Try to find interesting angles. Don’t take pictures with your subject in the center -- that’s boring. Many photographers have been trained to use the “rule of thirds,” in which they imagine three vertical and three horizontal lines dividing the photo. They then frame the subject of the photo near the place that one set of horizontal and vertical lines intersect. In other words, mix it up. Dare to experiment.

3.  Spend a little more money Buy a digital SLR (single lens reflex) camera. Why? They outperform point-and-shoot cameras on shutter speed and autofocus. You can take pictures faster, like a pro. SLRs take higher-resolution photos. You can attach different lenses -- which allow for different zooming options, wide angles and other special functions -- to your camera. Most SLR cameras start at close to $1,000, but prices are starting to come down.