Recently I spent a few hours at 'PAWS' in San Andreas, California (Performing Animal Welfare Society - wild animal refuge). I managed to capture this male African Lion.  He was about 300 feet away up on a hill.  In the past it would have been very difficult (let's be honest.... IMPOSSIBLE) for me to take a photo like this because of the distance and fact I shoot with a Pentax DSLR.   With the new K mount lenses that are available that fit the Pentax cameras, the updated DSLR sensors, shake reduction features, and improved auto focus (I usually shoot manual - but at that distance I tried the auto focus feature) it came out better than I could have done shooting manually and hoping my eye would be able to get the fine features.  As I have stated on many of my postings, it's a good idea to try several different settings when taking photos.  Shoot until you find what is best for you and for the conditions.  Because it was impossible to get any closer to this beautiful lion it was important that I use/have a lens that will compensate for the distance.  Even if you don't, take the photo anyway and see what you come up with...  you can always enlarge the object and crop it. 

These are some photos that are in the Modesto Camera Clubs End of the Year Competition Program that I have submitted.  The Camera Club is a great place to learn how to take better photos.  If you're ever in the area, you should stop by...   check out the meeting information: 

http://www.modestocameraclub.net

Lady passing by while coat changes color

Another example....  Woman passing by and her coat changes color.  By taking the same

photo over several times and having the object move just a little in each photo, you can

stitch the photos together into a movie format and make the movie look like an old style 

film.  Photos don't have to be stagnant... having them move within one photo frame makes

the photo just a bit more interesting.  Try it...  be creative and don't forget to share your

photos with others.  

First you don't see it... then you do

First you don't see it, then you do, and then you don't.
Experimenting with photos is fun.  Taking the exact same photo
and adding a feature, then taking it away can make for an
interesting short for a photo.  It gives the viewer something
to compare and it distracts from a long still photo without
shifting the viewer away from the photo.  Just something to
do to change things up.