Weekly digital photography podcasts, photo tips, reader submitted pictures, equipment reviews and more.

Are you ready to take photos that reflect your creative spirit, rather than just another set of snapshots? Then you want this book in your camera bag. Well-organized so you can look up topics quickly, The Digital Photography Companion gives you creative tips and technical advice for taking top-notch digital photos in a wide range of conditions. In other words, this book will help you make pictures that look better than everyone else's.

The Digital Photography Companion is the official camera guide for Digital Story members (the back cover of the book even has a TDS logo!). Over the coming weeks and months, we'll feature photos and anecdotes by TDS photographers who have living examples of tips from the book. This page will expand The Digital Photography Companion's body of knowledge by providing additional techniques to help you distinguish your photography from that of others.

"It was late on a stormy afternoon in Everglades City, Florida," said Jim Austin. "The wind was howling, and a storm was on the way. Raindrops kissed the hot metal of a car nearby." "I crouched down. The fins of the car, a 1957 Chevy BelAir, towered above my Canon EF 10-22 lens like a skyscraper. Resting on my stomach so I could gaze upwards, I made three bracketed exposures in color with a Canon DSLR." "All three shots looked well-exposed in the viewfinder. By now the sky had opened and lighting and thunder were rolling in. The image...

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In a recent podcast I asked the question, HDR: Do We Still Need It?. "Yes, we do," answers Landon Michaelson. He goes on to explain how he crafted his Wet Fields image. It's an outstanding example of pushing dynamic range creatively. He applies his own term to the process, Hybrid Exposure Compensation, and explains how he did it. Capture "I was standing in the mud on the edges of these expansive daffodil fields in the Skagit Valley of Washington State," said Landon. "I wanted to keep the scene more of how it felt to be standing here. The sky...

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Digital gear needs protection from excessive heat when working in summer weather. For these conditions, you may want to use a thermal bag to keep your gear from overheating. I like this eBags Crew Cooler because it has a second compartment on top where you can put your cool items, yet keep them separate from your gear in the insulated bottom compartment. There are plenty of zippered pockets for accessories, dual handles, shoulder strap, and lots of storage (15 x 8.5 x 10.5 inches), yet the Crew Cooler only weighs 2 pounds. The eBag isn't cheap ($39.99 on Amazon),...

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