If you’d like to capture a cascading waterfall, the best way to show its size is to place something else near it—like in the picture here. This tip and photo comes from a site called “Better Photo Tips.” More gems to follow!

If you’re camera won’t cooperate when you try to take a picture here’s what you need to know:

“Many cameras have a safety feature that prevents the flash capacitor from charging if the case is opened. This is to lessen the chance of electric shock. They usually use one or two of the screws along the perimeter of the camera to complete a circuit that lets the processor know that the case is closed. Verify that all the screws are in place along the perimeter of your camera, and that there are no gaps along the perimeter seams. If you're missing a screw, try using one of the others to replace it.

If they're all there, next thing to check is the batteries. The brand that you're using may have reached its shelf life, or just may not have sufficient power to charge the flash capacitor. Try a better brand, or better yet rechargeable NiMH batteries.

If the above didn't help, then the flash tube or its circuit is probably at fault. In this case, would then recommend professional repair. This repair is somewhat difficult, requires some soldering, has some danger of electrical shock, and goes beyond what I'd like to describe here.”

Photo CC 2.0, ZardozSpeaks

Renowned nature photographer Richard Ettlinger provides 6 tips on capturing the majestic beauty of birds in flight:

1. Observe first, photograph second. Learn about the bird species in your area, including the best times of year to photograph them. Go outdoors with binoculars and a field guide on birds and study their behavior. You will learn how to get close to them because birds are creatures of habit that repeat many of their actions.

2. Start with larger, slower birds. Look for larger, slower-moving species, such as gulls and herons, before you try smaller, faster-moving birds. Buy a fast-focusing digital SLR camera body and pay for the best glass (lens) you can. Go for a small, lightweight lens, such as a 400mm f/5.6.

3. Assume the right position. Before pushing the shutter button, do the following:
(a) Shoot with the camera hand-held instead of using a tripod to capture consistently good images; a shoulder stock can help steady the lens. (b) Spread your feet at least shoulder width apart to allow for freedom of movement while you follow your subject in the viewfinder. (c) Don’t hold the camera and lens too tightly; maintain a firm, relaxed grip. (d) While panning to follow your subject, keep it smooth and avoid sudden, erratic movements; don’t stop when the shutter releases. (e) Eye-hand coordination is key; follow the bird’s flight pattern with your eye—not in the viewfinder—for better transfer from spotting to tracking your subject. (f) Aim slightly ahead of the subject, depending on the subject’s speed.

4. Use the right equipment. The better your camera body and lens combination, the better your results. When shooting without a tripod, camera and lens weight will be an issue, so stay away from the real big glass for now. For newbies, I recommend the Canon EOS Digital Rebel or Canon EOS Digital SLR 40D with 300mm IS 4L Canon lens and 1.4X converter.

5. Ready, set, focus. The best approach is manual camera settings. Start with Program mode with Bracketing. When you have an understanding of exposure, move back to manual. In Manual mode, use partial or evaluative metering to get a light reading for your subject. I often meter off grass, trees, shrubs, and blue sky. Select 1/1250 shutter speed or higher, ISO 320-400.

6. Find the best light and location. Late afternoon and early morning are the best times of day, when the slanting light making it easier to catch reflected sunlight in the bird’s eye. It’s what makes the bird look alive. Have the sun behind you at all times, the subject in front of you, and the wind at your back. No need to travel far. Check out the parks, beaches, and wildlife refuges in your area.

Photo CC 2.0, 77krc

PCPhoto recommends seven techniques to get the most out of even the trickiest exposures. The first three are:

Step 1. Shoot RAW Files
Shoot RAW files. RAW files have greater postprocessing flexibility than JPEG files. That means that even if your exposure is a bit under or over the “correct” exposure, you can still develop a good exposure in the digital darkroom. This is especially important when shooting a scene with bright highlights (like the clouds at the top left of my shot) and the relatively dark areas (like the remains of the buildings in the shadows of the mountains).

Step 2. Double-Process An Image
Double-processing an image means opening a RAW file in Adobe Camera Raw and processing it once for the highlight areas, then reopening it and processing it once for the shadow areas. The final step in double-processing is when you open and combine both images in Photoshop.

Step 3. Drag And Erase
When you try this technique, the next step is to drag one file on top of the other file, giving you a two-layer image. To line up the pictures exactly, hold down the Shift key during the dragging process.

Using the Eraser tool (with a soft brush selected), erase the undesirable shadow or undesirable highlight areas (depending which is the top layer). The result of your erasing should result in an image that looks like the scene when you took the image. That’s because our eyes have a much greater dynamic range (about 11 ƒ-stops) than any digital camera image sensor.

Photo CC 2.0, szeke