Taking pictures is a very interesting thing to do. You can bring home your unforgettable memories from your travels, enjoy the process of taking and making pictures, share your photos to your friends and make these picture more artistic and cool. If you want these, follow these top ten techniques that you can do with your Canon compact camera.

Focus on your Subject. Focusing on your subject is great if you want to take a picture of your pet, child or your house that stands out against a blurry background. The secret is this: the smaller the f-stop # or depth-of-field is the more focused the attention is towards the subject. The higher depth-of-field or f-stop # is the more focus of the background when captured.

Being Bold. Always remember that you cannot professionally take pictures of anything you want especially those that involve sensitive and politically-incorrect photos. But it always pays to ask permission if you can take photo. Be wise and be bold.

Selectivity. Begin by centering all your effort in taking picture of something that interests you most. It could be your favorite pet, the car's trail lights, trees or the different hues of the sky.

Move closer. The next time you take a photo, move closer to your subject that it almost fills your entire frame. This technique will make your viewer understand more about the photo. Take note that in photography details are far more interesting than the general view.

Play with Shutter Speed. One of the best things about taking pictures is that you can play with time and how you'll capture it. Using your Canon compact camera shutter, you can slow down or catch a split second. Experiment with your shutter and a tripod (for better results) to catch an object in motion.

Know the lights. It means that you have to be aware of what time of the day you are taking pictures. A picture taken during sunrise will definitely look different when taken during sundown. In relation to light, you can also play with the shadows of the object to create fantastic images.

Weather counts. Sometimes, weather can affect much the appearance of a photo especially those taken outdoors. Thus, as much as possible, use a polarizer to remove muted tones in your subject.

Balance and Beauty. Even if you're not planning to sell your photographs, always keep it balanced and strikingly beautiful. Have you notice that pictures that are attractive are those that have balanced symmetry?

Make it simple. It is natural that you want to have the most beautiful pictures in the world right away. One common mistake of many is to use all the canon compact camera's tools all at the same time. The best way to do is to learn simple set ups and use it at the most suited situation.

Ralph Iser is a marketing executive that has a penchant for photography. Though he is busy in his office and corporate works, he never forgets to set a special time taking incredible pictures using his Canon compact cameras. He also writes articles, blogs and forums on topic related to photography such as how to maximize the use of one's Canon compact camera.