[MissInformation]

If you are reading these replies and thinking all of this talk about shutter speeds and what not is daunting then let me tell you that while it is really good to know all of this, it is not the absolute end to getting a good photo... I don't mess with shutter speeds, most of my camera settings are on "auto" and I still get good shots... I am not a professional photographer, but my photos have been used by local papers and in a NASA end of year report, and I am often asked for permission for my photos to be used on other websites.

My camera is a Panasonic FZ20, with a 12 X optical zoom and image stabilization (a must for the bigger zooms).

Mostly advice for digital photog: Fast shutter speed is important to me for catching action shots, so I use sequence mode quite a bit. If you use sequence mode, make sure you have lots of memory because you will take a lot of photos (over 1,900 the two days I was at VCU this past weekend). Ideally, I try to be as close to the field as possible and not hate the people who actually get to be right there at the field (I think if I were a pushier person, I could get that close, may have to work on this).

I've always been anti-flash, but I've softened towards it during the past 2 years (mainly because the camera I have now is no where as good as my UZi was in low light). I tend to only use flash if I think the shot is a one chance deal or if I notice the light is still too dark for sequence shots.

Don't be afraid to use editing software on your photos. If they are too dark, they can be lightened. If a little blurry, sharpened. Something distracting in the shot that takes away from what you want the focus to be on? Cropping can sometimes help. Histograms, curves, learning your editing tools can be as useful as learning your shutter speeds.

Heidi (who swears that one day she will take a photography class and learn all of those shutter speeds, iso thingies and what not)