Pentax Optio 550 may be old, but it is still a good buy. The programmed auto-exposure mode provided by most digital cameras will only take you so far. It’ll provide perfectly acceptable snapshots, but it doesn’t provide the kind of creative control that more ambitious photographers will need. Why? Because programmed auto-exposure systems adjust the shutter speed and aperture in combination to get the right exposure. That’s fine if you don’t really understand much about photography but you miss out on the creative control possible when you can adjust the aperture and shutter speed independently.

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In order to capture the color in the sky with your digital camera, make sure you shoot at dusk, around 30 minutes after  sunset whereupon the sky will be a magical blue color. This window of opportunity will be longer during summer months and is  often referred to as the “golden hour”. In the city it is easier to get the timing right, because you will see building and  street lights become subtly brighter. The contrast between the sky and the buildings will also become more subdued.

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