FIX THE PIX!

Turning faulty snapshots into great photographs, believe it or not, doesn't take much. Mostly, it's about being aware of what your photographing, framing and exposing it right, and using the right lens. With today's compact digital cameras, that's easier than ever to accomplish.

I've identified 14 classic picture-taking mistakes; I've reproduced these boo-boos to illustrate the problem, then rephotographed them after making adjustments (either moving the camera or changing a setting) to show the best way to fix them). Perhaps you'll recognize one or two mistakes that you've made yourself, but don't worry: You'll soon be shooting like a pro!

We're posting these tips one a day, through Sept. 23. Follow the links to read each exciting episode of...FIX THE PIX!

• Episode 1: Lighten deep shadows in bright sunlight
• Episode 2: Farewell fuzzy faces forever
• Episode 3: No more camera motion blur
• Episode 4: Is the background brighter than the foreground?
• Episode 5: Do your photos have too much space overhead?
• Episode 6: "Hey, what's with that tree growing out of my head?"
• Episode 7: Fill the frame when shooting a portrait
• Episode 8: "Why is my nose so big?"
• Episode 9: Avoid uneven portrait lighting under trees
• Episode 10: Undo unflattering flash with a simple setting
• Episode 11: Did you shake your camera while in night portrait mode?
• Episode 12: Dont let far flash foible leave your subject in the dark
• Episode 13: Don't overuse your zoom lens
• Episode 14: Off-color remarks