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Photo essays rely on a simple truth: Telling stories with pictures can be more evocative and moving than using words. A photo essay engages the viewer at a very personal level. While people can respond to written stories intellectually, photography essays often create an instant emotion within the viewer.

There are no fixed rules in photography, but there are guidelines which can often help you to enhance the impact of your photos.

How to avoid mistakes with photography

"Simplicity Can Seem Complex Memorable pictures are made using time-tested techniques, methods -- and, yes, even tricks. To help photographers of all stripes up their game, LIFE.com is launching a series of "lessons" on photography, focusing on elemental aspects of picture-taking. One of those aspects, of course, is the critical consideration of lighting. LIFE.com asked professional photographer Tyler Stalman to offer insights on effective lighting, use of shadows, shooting at night, etc. Of this stunning Andreas Feininger picture of a young Dennis Stock (a formidable photographer in his own right) holding camera in front of his face, Stalman says, "The main lesson here is that a smart, accomplished photographer can manipulate light and shadow so the viewer is not immediately aware of what's going on -- while knowing that the image itself is somehow powerful. I admit, I went for years without realizing that it was simply lighting at work in this picture, creating an amazing 'shape' within the image, rather than the subject wearing gloves, or a sort of cowl on his head. So sometimes a really simple technique -- like this tight circle of bright light on a face -- really goes a long way.""

"Find Natural Frames Memorable pictures are made using time-tested techniques, methods -- and, yes, even tricks. To help photographers of all stripes up their game, LIFE.com is launching a series of "lessons" on photography, focusing on elemental aspects of picture-taking. One of those aspects, for instance, is composition, or how a picture is framed, and how that frame is filled. LIFE.com asked professional photographer Tyler Stalman to offer insights on effective composition. "I love this photograph," Stalman says of Ralph Morse's shot taken on a naval ship in 1942 for LIFE. "Keep an eye out for natural frames for your subjects. Here, even if the doorway or hatch had not been there, it would have been a nice photo. But the framing adds an extra level of drama: You get a kind of voyeuristic look through the door, which is heightened because the guy is not looking at the camera, as if he's unaware of it.""

"Look for New Environments, Mix People Up Memorable pictures are made using time-tested techniques, methods -- and, yes, even tricks. To help photographers of all stripes up their game, LIFE.com is launching a series of "lessons" on photography, focusing on elemental aspects of picture-taking. Among those: portraiture, or how to take pictures of people that really feel alive. LIFE.com asked professional photographer Tyler Stalman to offer insights on taking great portraits. Of this classic LIFE photograph by John Loengard of the Beatles in a pool in Miami, Stalman says: "Most people, when taking group shots, want to line everybody up -- even putting them in rows -- but when you have a bunch of people it's great to put them in a new or unexpected environment. Like this Loengard photo: you get all this extra depth in the picture, and there's so much going on at once. Don't be afraid to shuffle people around when you're doing a group shot.""

"Cold Weather Pictures: How to Use Your Camera in Cold Weather Winter Photo Tips"

"Instagram says it now has the right to sell your photos In its first big policy shift since Facebook bought the photo-sharing site, Instagram claims the right to sell users' photos without payment or notification. Oh, and there's no way to opt out."

Lighting is one of the most important elements of any picture, and understanding the color, direction, quantity, and quality of the light you use is one of the surest ways to improve your photos. We'll show you how to use lighting to your advantage-and give you some helpful rules for when and when not to use your camera's flash.

(Note: the Error Level Analysis tool linked to at the end of the articles has been discontinued)

"During the Great Depression, the United States government sent Danish-born photographer Peter Sekaer on a mission through America's back roads to chronicle the lives of ordinary Americans as they struggled through one of the most challenging periods in U.S. history. Now, for the first time, Sekaer's telling odyssey through America is available to the public after years in obscurity. The 87 vintage gelatin silver prints are in an Atlanta High Museum exhibit called "Signs of Life: Photographs by Peter Sekaer," which will be on view from now until January 9, 2011."

Create a book (ex: adjectives, geography, vocabulary, etc.) using Flickr pics.

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