The word appealing means different things to different people, especially in art. However, following your instincts with light, color, shape, and form (as I discuss in Chapter 1) and maybe a rule or two (say the Rule of Thirds) can help you produce a picture — like Figure 19-1 — that's attractive in many décors.

Figure 19-1. Light, color, and contrast produce desirable wall art.

The newest point-and-shoot cameras — both digital and film — produce some great results, like the photo shown in Figure 19-2. However, the spiffier (and pricier) digital SLRs (dSLRs) and film SLRs have more options, including toys that provide you with quicker response time when you press the shutter as well as additional manual settings that let you adjust your f-stops and shutter speeds in different light and contrast environments. Higher-end point-and-shoots (5 megapixel [MP] and higher) as well as dSLRs/film SLRs can produce effects that can deepen your colors and/or make your image look like an art piece. Both are suitable for you to create an outstanding photo, especially if you have fine weather and can balance your f-stop and shutter speed (as discussed in Chapter 6) to get the best of the scene and/or action.

Figure 19-2. Most middle-level and high-end cameras can shoot good photos.

From natural light's spectacular dawn and dusk window, where subtle light provides soft shadows, all photos are light dependent. Although you can certainly shoot indoors and use flash fill to augment existing light or provide the light you need, photos often look their best when shot under natural lighting conditions. The softness that natural light provides is often far superior than what emanates from artificial sources. Train your eye to seek out existing light, as in this photo of a plate of fresh bakery bagels (see Figure 19-3).

Figure 19-3. One light source and no flash makes these bagels fresh forever.

Whether tiny wildflowers in a field, random and spontaneous, or a hybrid annual, fertilized and coddled, flowers shot at the macro level are transformed into other-worldly creations that captivate and explode with color. To get this close to your subject (as I did in Figure 19-4), use a macro lens or the macro lens setting (which most midrange and high-end digital cameras have). For more about lenses and cameras, see Chapter 2.

Figure 19-4. Shoot up close for great perspective.

Whether you're shooting or cropping your photo, balancing images is half the fun and a good part of the creativity in your art photography. Creating a sense of balance when taking a picture of a sculptural form is easy: It's already been done for you by the sculptor. What's important for you, the photographer, is to add foreground (or not add it); enhance color that puts your imprint on the remade art.

When taking pictures of signage, for example, I look for balance — lots of it, but not necessarily in the object of a whole because many parts of objects spark interest among viewers. Feel free to shoot from a weird angle or include objects that are of the same color or form, like a trio of pink clowns, a long row of silver bullet trains, or the gap between subway cars shot from the view-point of a child (stoop or lie down for this one), as shown in Figure 19-5.

Figure 19-5. Craft your photos with balance.

Think in themes, from repetition to solitude to fun. Categorize your photos by subject to get started. Consider sports, transportation, or flying as themes. Transportation can have subcategories within it — motorized versus nonmotorized vehicles, for instance — to get even more focused. Figure 19-6 shows a horse-drawn carriage that emulates those of bygone eras, yet the picture was taken recently in the hippest section of San Diego, the Gas Lamp district. The photo fits into a number of themes, too, from photos of horses to transportation to moving things. Photo sets can help you resell an image many times and also provide you with an opportunity to sell more than one photo at once because they come as a set. (For more on photo sets, see this book's companion Web site, www.dummies.com/go/digitalartphotos.)

Figure 19-6. One image can fit into a number of themes

You can emulate any masters, but instead of duplicating their work, create a new version, perhaps from a new perspective or a change of hues. Figure 19-7 shows a photo of the same church that van Gogh painted, which I tweaked using color balance and Photoshop's Twirl and Clouds filters. For more on using filters in Photoshop, see Chapter 15.

Figure 19-7. Emulate the masters' works using Photoshop.

Capture as much detail and essence of your subject as possible in your photos to tell a story (as in Figure 19-8) or impart a message. For example, you're better off photographing a chef in a kitchen than in a silver mine (unless he's mining for truffles, I suppose). You don't have to step back and photograph to tell your story; you can also photograph close-up to get the details. For more about using photo sets to tell a story, see this book's companion Web site.

Figure 19-8. Create a story with photos.

Artists often express themselves through the surreal. Salvador Dali painted forms that went beyond humanity in form and color to explain his fears and hopes. Figure 19-9 is a perfect example, featuring a man walking through a wall. (How often do you see that?)

Figure 19-9. Always keep an eye open for the unusual.

TV commercials used to call it a Kodak moment — those perfect snippets of life that demanded to be captured on film. When you always have a camera with you, you've got a sporting chance of catching all those vignettes of life that define us all. The ease and portability of digital cameras (as long as you have batteries) can help you sigh in relief that you were glad you had your camera. There's nothing like the concentration of a child when she or he is first learning how to ride a bicycle, or when, at only three years old, a boy decides to take to a skateboard, as shown in Figure 19-10.

Figure 19-10. Most things don't last forever, so always carry your camera!