There are two ways to store the photographs you take with your digital camera. First, we have what's called internal memory. This is a great feature for a couple reasons that we'll discuss later. The second type of memory is a digital memory card. Many cameras are sold with the memory card slot, but without the digital memory card itself. So one of the benefits of have internal memory is you can remove your camera from the box, put it in your camera case and begin taking pictures right away.

Internal memory can also be used for putting together a personal photo album, perhaps of your precious grandchildren. That way you'll always have their pictures handy to show all your friends. Your camera's internal memory can also be used as back-up memory, should your memory cards become full while you still have a few more photos you really want to get. When selecting a camera case, look for one that has dedicated space for your memory cards, keeping them safe and handy.

But, the average digital camera only offers somewhere between 8 and 32 MB of internal memory. This amount of memory will only store somewhere between 5 and 20 photographs, depending on the camera's resolution settings. Fortunately, most digital cameras are now equipped with a memory card slot, giving consumers the best of both worlds.

Memory cards are available in a variety of sizes. Some cameras are sold with a memory card included, but it usually is very small, generally between 16 and 32 MB. Depending on the camera resolution, this size card won't hold very many images either. For example, if you have a 6 megapixel camera and use it at its highest resolution, with a 32MB memory card, you'll be able to store approximately 10 photographs on that memory card. The different sizes of memory cards available are 16MB, 32MB, 64MB, 128MB, 256MB, 512MB, 1G, 2G, and 4G. The higher the camera's megapixels, the fewer the images stored on the memory card. If you have 128MB memory card and two cameras, you'd get 106 images on that card with the 3MP camera, but only 40 images saved with the 6MP camera.

It's a good idea to have more than one memory card. Some photographers recommend using more then one while you're shooting a series of photographs to avoid mishaps such as lost, damaged, or stolen cards. If you use a couple different cards during your vacation, and something happens to one of them, at least everything won't be lost. Another good idea, whenever possible, is to copy your pictures to your computer and once you've backed them up and they're safe, you can erase them from your memory card to give you renewed space.

Shop around, select your memory cards carefully. They're put out by many companies, including camera manufacturers. Look for cards that offer a warranty, preferably one that's a full year. The higher the speed, the higher the price. If you're not too concerned with high speed memory, go for the quality cards that don't necessarily cost quite as much. Select a camera bag that's durable and user friendly. A camera bag you can trust to accommodate your digital camera, accessories, and extra memory cards. Then get ready to go find those great shots.