It always appeared to me that our fascination with pictures is just part of our human DNA.

Don't you think?

For as long as history is recorded we see civilizations from all walks of life recording scenery.

But I have to admit that when photography hit the mainstream and not just professional photographers could learn to take great pictures that is when I feel things really took off in the industry.

It was like a tidal wave of pictures flooded the market. Pictures of our families, our pets, our friends, or a really cool sunset showed up everywhere.

There wasn't a coffee table that didn't have some sort of cherished memory caught in a picture.

I have to admit I was interested in many different forms of photography. There wasn't one form over another that stood out to me.  I wanted to learn them all. I actually learned a lot about photography from websites like About.com and other internet sites that featured cameras and the like.

And I became part of a group of amateur photographers from around the world.

I would like to talk about the different forms though so that you learn what there is out there when it comes to photography.

The first form of photography is no stranger to us all. It's the one known as aerial and is reflected in those amazing pictures to show a vast landscape or the view from a high building or plane.

This isn't the most accessible for most of us because getting access to the top of a building, the top of a mountain, or our own aircraft isn't all that common if we don't produce the money for it.

The next form of photography that Iearned about was through National Geographic. It is knowna as travel photography and we have all seen those pictures from around the world of beautiful, remote landscapes or cities, along with exotic animals.

It seems that photographers who really grasp this form can capture an emotion or a moment perfectly.

Thankfully we can all participate in this form of photography. We don't often need to go far for a picture that fits this genre.

Another form of photography that I personally enjoy is black and white.

This seems like a simple form of taking pictures but really it is not. It's about capturing so much more than that.

You can get texture, depth, beauty, and tone from B&W photos. It is truly beautiful.

Some B&W photographers say that color can skew the picture and take the onlooker away from the essence of the picture.

Another form of photography is often seen in sports. It is called action photography.

But it doesn't mean that catching a moment when your child is jumping into a pool or the cat is chasing the dog doesn't count. That's "action" as well.

I have found that slowing the shutter speed down makes a fantastic blurred image. It caught the moment perfectly.

Thankfully nowadays digital cameras allow us to easily take action photos. But there are still the old-school people who prefer to manually do it themselves.

If the action you want to take a shot of is really moving like a train or a cheetah then having fast shutter speed should do the trick.

And if you really want to feel important and you have the option of continuous mode then go for it. It'll be your own red carpet moment.

This may be a good time for me to suggest to you to make sure to get a great lens. Do your research and look for one that fits your budget. And if you can get more than one lens that is better because then you can swap out the lenses. Look for 24mm and 135mm.

I also tell people who ask me for photography tips that it's important to pay attention to the background. Think about what is behind the person you are shooting.

Also respect them and their environment. Take the shot and move on.

I also find that catching a person or a moment and keeping it natural as opposed to posing is optimal. It's about the moment, isn't it?

When a person just isn't ready for you those pictures almost always outshine ones that are posed. Look for people in their normal environment, either by themselves or interacting with others.

The different forms of photography I have mentioned here is a small list. There are other forms and are just as beautiful or even more so.

So go out with your camera and capture those precious moments and have fun doing it.