Check your neighborhood calendar for local fairs. These events often have entertainment and lots of interesting characters showing off their goods and services, which make for great photographs.

A “gray card” (a card that’s printed at an 18% shade of gray) can be placed in your images to help you correct white balance and color casts with your computer after you’ve photographed an image. Put the gray card in your frame and take one shot, and use that frame as your sample point for white balance for all shots captured under the same lighting.

Puddles can make some great reflective surfaces, and they’re great for taking an ordinary item like a building and turning it “on its head.” Shoot a skyscraper reflected in a puddle and suddenly you have two elements coming together in an interesting composition.

With digital you can change white balance on the fly, but when there are multiple light sources it’s hard to pick which one is the right setting. Take a few pictures with each one set at a different white balance setting and see which one looks the best.

A small light source produces a very hard, harsh light, while a large light source provides a softer light. To make a small light appear softer, bounce it off one or more objects before it hits the subject (ceilings, walls, pieces of cloth—anything will work). Just remember that a non-white ceiling or wall will reflect that color light onto your subject.

Use your camera’s scene settings to help teach yourself the basics instead of just setting the dial to “Automatic.” Watch the aperture and shutter speed settings, and check out what ISO the camera sets. Then try to figure out the correct exposure on your own. It’s like having an instructor show you the basics.

If your camera has face recognition, turn it off when it’s not necessary. You don’t need to find a face when you’re shooting a landscape or other scenic, because in a scene with no faces, the camera may try to focus on something you didn’t intend.

Photograph all the belongings in your house. It’s important for your homeowner or renter’s insurance to have a record of the items you own. It will also let you practice taking “product” shots.

Celebrate Valentine’s Day by taking photographs of the ones you love. Put your camera on a tripod and set the self-timer to make a photo of you and your honey together.

Pick an object that you like (or even one you hate) and take a picture every time you see a similar object. It could be spider webs, interesting doorknobs, or manhole covers. Often these self-assignments can turn into lifelong projects.