Let me make this clear form the start: There's nothing wrong with using your camera only for shooting everyday photographs.
However, your digital camera can do so much more for you. The six tips listed here should help you find additional creative methods for using a camera.
Recording documents. If you need a copy of a news article, a calendar page, some notes, or some other kind of important document, but a copy machine isn't available, you can use your camera to shoot a picture of the item. Just use your camera's "document" scene mode, which should work well for shooting a clear image of text. Or use your camera's macro mode to obtain a sharp, close-up image. Shoot more than one image if the document is too large to fit in one photo.
Insured items. Using your digital camera to shoot photos of your possessions and the rooms of your home is a nice supplement to your homeowner's insurance policy. Hopefully you'll never need the photos, but it will be much easier for your insurance company to reimburse you for personal property if you have photo evidence of your possessions. Just be certain you store the photos outside your home, such as in a safe deposit box.
Damage evidence. If you ever receive a package that's damaged or rent a car that has some damage, you can use your digital camera to record an image of the damage, along with a time stamp. If you end up with a liability fight on your hands over the damage, you'll probably need more documentation than the photo alone, but it can help your case.
Scavenger hunt. If you and your friends want to have some fun with your cameras, organize a scavenger hunt. Give everyone a list of items that they need to photograph. A camera scavenger hunt works great with friends at home or with family members at a theme park, for example.
Finding your way. When traveling, it's easy to become disoriented and forget the way back in an unfamiliar city. Heck, it's easy to forget the model and color of your rental car or even your hotel room number when traveling. Try using your digital camera to shoot photos of your rental car, hotel room door, and the path you follow from the hotel to your destination. Scrolling through the images stored on your camera later can help spark your memory.
Video in a pinch. Many newer digital cameras can shoot HD video at a resolution of at least 720p. If you need to shoot some video, but you don't have your digital camcorder handy, most newer digital still cameras can do the trick for you. Just make sure you have a large memory card with plenty of storage space available to store your video.
When using a camera, try to be creative ... not only in the types of photographs you shoot, but also in how you choose to use your camera!
