Way back when, I owned a sailboat. It was a nice Catalina 23 footer. Just the right size for an outing with 4-5 people, yet not so big that I couldn’t handle it by myself for a solo sail.

Some sailors I knew were suffering from the “One foot longer” syndrome. They were always looking for another boat that was just a bit bigger than what they had.

Digital camera users suffer from a similar affliction: “One more megapixel.” The assumption is that the newest Whizbang camera must be better than what they have. It must take better pictures. Of course, the camera manufacturers are more than happy to feed the need. This year we’ve seen Casio’s 12MP Point and Shoot camera and Canon just broke the 20MP barrier for DSLRs. WOW!!

Will these new high MP cameras take better pictures? Nope! More MP just buys you bigger prints. Plain and simple. The new cameras may have a slightly more sophisticated Autofocus or shoot at a higher frame rate, but any picture still comes down to shutter speed and aperture.

Learning about exposure, lighting, composition, and other photographic techniques will get you better pictures.

Spend some of your time and money on educating yourself before you consider the next Wonder Camera. Reading this blog and the articles on TeachMeToShoot.com are a good place to start. Join a camera club. Buy a DVD tutorial on lighting or Photoshop. Take a photo workshop from Mentorseries or Rocky Mountain School of Photography.

Feed your brain!