I’m sure you have some questions about digital photography and how to utilize your camera.  Let’s start at the beginning with resolution and megapixels. 

While shopping for your digital camera you may remember your salesperson telling you about megapixels.  Megapixels basically determine how large you can print your photos without losing picture quality.  If you plan to print basic 4 x 6” photos then you don’t need to worry much about megapixels since most digital cameras today are more than adequate.  For larger photos, you will need a higher megapixel capability.  Once you’ve bought your camera you will need to adjust the settings in order to get the quality you want.  The higher the resolution, the fewer photos you can fit on your camera.  This is a personal preference that each person will have to decide for themselves.  Would you rather have more pictures at a lower quality or fewer pictures at a higher quality?  Once you make this decision and set up your digital camera you are ready to begin.

Resolution comes into play when printing or displaying your photos.  The resolution tells you how many dots are present within a designated area of your photo.  For example, if you are planning on printing your pictures you will want to use a resolution of around 300 dpi.  If you plan only on displaying them on your computer you will only need a resolution of 72 dpi because that is the highest resolution your monitor can display.  There are some high-end printers out there that can print in excess of 300 dpi, but in general 300 is all you need for good quality photos.

One last tip for digital photography.  If time allows, don’t be afraid to experiment with your camera’s features.  Try flipping over to manual mode and see what you can accomplish.  Experiment with the macro features, black and white, night settings, and more.  Your imagination is the limit here and you can always delete pictures you don’t like.