Photos are great. They can capture a momentous event or occasion forever, remind us of a strange or wonderful sight or experience, or cause us to shake our heads at just what exactly we were thinking wearing that shirt. Taking a good photo however, despite today's modern technology, is not just a matter of pointing and clicking. Even with a fancy digital camera you need to know what you are doing if you want everything to look just right.

All cameras work on pretty much the same principle. There is an enclosed chamber with an 'aperture' at one end through which light can enter and hit a recording surface at the other end. A 'lens' in front of the aperture focuses the light so it forms an 'image' on the recording surface. Most traditional cameras use photographic 'film' to record the image, while digital cameras use electronic sensors.

Sounds simple enough, but it gets more complicated once you move beyond the fun disposable stage. Decent cameras have lots of features and buttons, which you have to learn how to use properly. Depending on your make and model of camera elements such as shutter speed, aperture stop, exposure time, focal lengths, depth of field, flash, types of film and types of lens all have to come together to make a perfect photo. The good news is that even a short photography nightcourse provides a basic introduction to all of this, and gives you the confidence to properly use these elements to take quality photos.

Despite the onset of digital, many people are more interested in the process and craft of old-school photography. There is something particularly satisfying about the traditional camera set-ups and processes that shiny perfect digital photography just can't match. A nightcourse will teach you how to manipulate each of the settings in different ways, choose the right lens, film and light and best compose your shot.

Darkroom courses are also popular. Processing film is a complex process, with a few different stages (developing, test strips, final print), and involves different chemicals (developer, fixer) and equipment (washers, agitators, spools, trays, dryers, enlargers). It takes patience and practice to learn how to process film correctly, however the final photo you produce can be pretty amazing. More advanced courses teach the use of different types of photographic papers and other printing techniques including sepia toning.

Most photography courses base their teaching on a single lens reflex (SLR) camera, typically a standard 35mm version. It is usually assumed that students on the course will have their own, and tutors or staff can advise you on where to get one for a decent price. You will also probably work with black and white film, as colour film is much more complicated to develop. However, this is a good thing as black and white adds an arty look to even normal enough images.

Digital cameras don't have much call for all those old-fangled chemicals and machines. Of course you can stick the camera on automatic all the time, but this will seriously limit the scope of the photos you can take. Digital camera classes will teach how the traditional photography techniques work in the digital age, and how to handle extra features such as editing options, memory cards and scene modes.

Digital technology also opens up all sorts of possibilities in image manipulation. To 'photoshop' is now a widely-used verb, and you can do pretty much anything with a photo once you load it onto your PC - including getting rid of red eyes, adding yourself to World Cup winning photos and removing unwanted exes from old holiday snaps. A course will also teach you how to use other useful bits of technology such as scanners, digital printers, and CD or DVD burners.

Other photography courses focus more on the aesthetics of taking a good photograph, and teach you how to compose shots and 'direct' your photos so you are not just taking a pretty picture of a person or a tree. You learn how to use a photograph to tell a story, depending on how you choose to frame, compose and theme your photos. Some courses will introduce you to famous photographers of the past, and give you theoretical and critical skills to analyse your own and other people's photos.

Some people like taking photos so much that they decide to go pro, and there are many courses available which provide the skills and training required for a career as a photographer, including full time third level degree and certificate courses, Portfolio Courses for those looking looking to get into college or impress potential employers and Portraiture Courses which teach lighting techniques, studio set-ups and how to deal with models.

So whatever your interest in photography, a course can teach you the skills and techniques to have you taking perfect photos in no time. Say cheese.