Providing local newspapers with good photographs can go a long way toward getting your story into print. When you lack either the time or the manpower to receive photo support from a higher headquarters, your UPAR or other designated person can step in and fill the bill. Thanks to the technology of point-and-shoot 35 mm cameras and the availability of many commercial photo developing outlets, much of the mystery has been removed from taking good photos. And in a growing number of places, digital still picture photography is revolutionizing the process. But easy-to-use cameras still require some care and practice. First, a good photograph must meet certain technical standards. To be used in a newspaper or magazine, a photo must be in sharp focus - no exceptions. The photo should have a good range of contrasts, that means it should not look washed out or muddy. And since most photos are printed in color, the colors should be rich and vivid. Second, a photo must have eye appeal. It should grab your attention and the attention of a reporter or editor who makes the decision on whether it is published or not. From the smallest weekly newspaper to a big city daily, all papers want to publish photographs with visual stopping power. Don't settle for second best. Third, a photo must serve the purpose of illustrating the story you are telling. If your story is about a change of command, a good head and shoulders picture of a new commander illustrates the story, probably much better than a group picture of the unit's senior leadership, or the customary "passing the flag" picture. If your unit has received new equipment, take photos of the equipment in action, not in a parking lot or resting on the armory floor. Any subject - a person, equipment, or training area - can be photographed in an unlimited number of ways. Each picture will give a different impression of the subject. Close-ups can be very powerful images. Taking a photo at an unusual time or day or during stormy weather can add additional impact to a photograph and increase your chances for having it published. Armed with a dependable camera and plenty of film, a good photographer needs to develop his or her ability to observe the action and decide how best to tell a story with one or more photographs. Be willing to experiment, be willing to practice, and ask for help from professionals. Here are more tips:   For low-cost training, cut a 4"x5" rectangle in the middle of a piece of cardboard that is the size of a sheet of stationery. Look through the opening with one eye to "see" what your finished photo will look like. By shifting the frame back and forth, vertical and horizontal, you can quickly visualize what kind of scene your camera shots will capture.   Look for informal or unrehearsed scenes. Posed pictures look "posed" and don't have the stopping power that will catch an editor's eye. Since you can't always take pictures without others noticing, spend a few moments with your subjects to put them at ease as much as possible.   Beware of things in the background of your photos. Is a tree branch or howitzer barrel "growing" out of the back of the head of your subject? And be aware that it is hard to see troops in camouflaged uniforms when they are posed against trees and shrubs. That's the point of military camouflage, but there are times when you must avoid it with news photography. Shoot from a lower angle and make the sky your background, or search for other viewpoints that reduce the chance your subjects will blend into the background too much.   Take a few moments for a "safety check" of your subjects. Are they in a proper military uniform? Are they working with equipment or weapons in an approved and safe manner? If you must, put things in order before you take the picture. It is unreasonable to make every scene appear inspection-ready, but be sensible.   Don't crowd a photograph with people or subjects. A flexible limit of four or five people to a shot should be the maximum. And in your finished prints, each person's face should at least be the size of a dime for it to reproduce well in a newspaper.   Avoid grip-and-grin photos for newspapers. They're just fine for scrapbooks, but most editors avoid these photos at all costs. If a person is receiving an award for a job well done, the best photo is a picture of the soldier or airman on the job.   Fill the viewfinder of your camera with the subject you want published in the paper. This means getting as close to the action as is safely possible. When you move in close, take the picture. Then move in closer and take one more.   Watch the horizon when you are shooting indoors. Unless you are trying to dramatize the action, the horizon should be as level as it is in nature. If the picture isn't straight, it marks you as a beginner and reduces your chances a photo will be published.   Speed is important. Your photos and articles should be delivered to a newspaper, together, as quickly as possible. The news value of a story and pictures is very perishable. This often means meeting deadlines in hours, not days, and certainly not from one month's training assembly to another. If you can, use e-mail to deliver your products.   Avoid the temptation to flood a newspaper office with prints. Don't be skimpy, but send only your very strongest photos. If it is necessary, especially with pictures of equipment or events that a non-military journalist might not understand, include some background information that explains why certain photos are more important than others, but let the editor decide which ones to print.   Every photograph must have a caption. Take extra care to ensure that names are spelled correctly and that equipment or the action in the photo is adequately described.