Without decent photographs or other artwork to accompany an article many features published in todays magazines and newspapers would never see light of day, so it makes sense to try and supply illustrations along with your submissions.

Last month's article gave some tips and advice on how to improve your camera wielding technique so click here if you missed it.

This month we're going to look at how photographs can spark off ideas for features and other writing opportunities which means taking slightly unusual step of writing article around picture rather than finding photographs to illustrate article.

So let's begin with hanged man. Who on earth is that and what does he have to do with writing or photography? Not much really, but he makes a nice analogy. The hanged man from Tarot card deck for those not familiar with this form of divination, is only card in major arcana which is right way up when it shows hanged man upside down!

Although he is bound and beset by problems and troubles he has taken bold step of considering world and his options from an alternative view point which is what exchanging our computers and pens for a camera can do for us.

A good method of doing this is to set yourself a couple of themes. What these themes are depend on you and your interests, but let's suppose you chose "chimneys" and "dogs".

Both of these are common enough to ensure plenty of subject matter and you should be able to find enough examples whether you are a town or country dweller. Don't forget to take plenty of film with you, (or spare batteries and flash cards for digital cameras), and most importantly! A pen and notebook!

A couple of hours wandering streets gazing skywards at smoke blackened chimney stacks or staring fixedly at local canine Romeo plighting his troth to Lady Muck's prize Saluki might earn you a few odd looks from neighbours, but with a bit of luck and determination on your part could also add a few pennies to coffers as well.

The trick is to take plenty of snaps, a doddle if you've got a digital camera as you'll only be printing off shots you want to keep. If not, well you can often get cheap film from your local dealer's bargain box. The developing costs you'll have to take on chin, unless there's a special offer running.

There are no neutral words when you're trying to be persuasive - every word must be doing real work and every sentence must be necessary. Don't say in two sentences what you can say in one; don't use five words when you can use three. Don't use a five-syllable word when an available two-syllable word means same thing. Take fluff out of your writing.

Fluff is often subtle cancer that grows - and ultimately kills - good writing. If your writing isn't achieving effects you want, consider a few of warning signs of a fluff infection:

Redundancy. Analyze your writing for places where you are repeating yourself. It happens often, particularly when writer isn't convinced that reader will get point without it. Give your reader some credit. Make each point once and make it effectively - and then don't make it again.

Tangents. A good piece of writing is one that makes a single effective point, supported by other lesser ones; anything that doesn't directly contribute to that support structure is a distraction and an excuse to stop reading. Don't take readers on side trips and don't let them catch their breath. Cut out anything that doesn't directly advance final cause.