How do you know when you've captured a successful photo? One way is to make good use of the LCD (liquid crystal display) screen on the back of your camera. Everyone who has seen or used a digital camera knows how exciting it is to be able to view your images right on the spot. In fact, this is one of the greatest things about shooting digitally. Much more than simply giving you the joy of immediate gratification, the LCD screen actually helps you learn how to become a better photographer.

The LCD screen is the little one- to two-inch color monitor usually located on the back of the camera. Some people refer to this as an LCD viewfinder, but we prefer to call it an LCD screen. The LCD screen is the most important feature of shooting digitally. In the old days of film photography, serious students interested in learning photography had to carry little notebooks with them everywhere they photographed, carefully jotting down aperture, shutter speed, frame number, and other notes each time they took a picture. After getting the slides or prints back from the photo lab, photographers would sit down and compare those notes with the results.