Nicole Toesca '89 (M.B.A.) is a fine arts photographer who had three works selected for display at the Washington, D.C., Touchstone Gallery's 2003 National All-Media Exhibition.

First, don't get rid of your old camera! Print film is at its best quality ever. Read your camera manual with your camera by your side. Don't get discouraged by complicated instructions. Get to know your camera well — practice!

For a good guide, buy the inexpensive Kodak Guide to 35mm Photography, which will help you understand how a typical camera works, and how you can get more control over your final results using lens openings and shutter speeds.

Photograph scenery and people outdoors within a couple of hours of sunrise or sunset, rather than during harsh mid-day light. Use your flash even when it's bright outside, because your camera meter can "think" there is too much light, and compensate by letting in too little, which causes a silhouetted face.

When working outside, use an old shower cap to shelter your camera from rain, and buy a polarizing filter to reduce reflections and to saturate colors. If you love taking pictures of sunsets and landscapes and want a big zone of sharpness, use a smaller aperture (lens opening) and steady the camera on a tripod.

With people, don't be afraid to move in close, and try to take photos from angles other than straight-on. Learn to be conscious of your subject's surroundings — avoid the "fencepost coming out of the head" scenario. For flowers, shoot in overcast skies, which helps bring out color, and carry a windscreen (I use a car sunscreen) and a spray bottle for a dewdrop effect. White posterboard, plain or covered with foil, can improve your photos. Use
it to fill shadows and to reflect one-sided lighting onto the other side of a person's face for a more balanced lighting effect.