Party favors and wrap. Ribbons and bows. Cake and ice cream. It all adds up to fun. And if you remember to bring along the camera, the celebration will last long after the last guest departs. Parties are a great place for picture-taking. Everyone sets out to have a good time, which means there are plenty of smiles to go around. And if it's a party at which games are played, the photo opportunities are endless! Here are just a few suggestions.

If you're looking for a simple, inexpensive way to add pizzazz to your photos, look no further. The answer is as close as your nearby photo dealer. there you'll find a wide array of special-effects filters to fit your camera. Filters guaranteed to take ordinary scenes and turn them into extraordinary photographic events.

Filters come in one of two types-either as individual screw-on models that fit common lens barrel widths or as part of an integrated filter system adaptable to nearly any width lens. But it's not filters' sizing that makes them spectacular. It's what they can do to spice up a scene.

Olympus 550UZ

Cameras with this option usually indicate a need for the anti-shake feature by displaying the icon of a vibrating or shaking upheld hand in the viewfinder. Often there is an illuminated button or switch with the same icon, which turns it on and off. Several different technologies can be used to accomplish anti-shake; however, the results are not the same among them.

With summer on its way, plan for your photo opportunities and have the correct equipment on hand.

If you are scheduling a vacation that will include water sports and boating activities, it’s a good idea to purchase a new digital camera that is waterproof. These cameras can be used on land but also take a dunking in fresh and salt water without damage. Among the many models on the market, two of the best are...