No disrespect intended...
Digital Asset Management (DAM)is a tool you should learn about.
I want to present two basic ideas, in 3 simple steps (and tips), to help you manage your photography work better. The first is managing you work on you computer (organizing it), and the second is the keywords and tags you add to it when submitting your work on-line.
A few words of introduction first. If you are a starting photographer, this is very important for you. The experienced ones will find it hard to Re-manage all the work they have done, and they probably have a system they work with (working, or not). However, if you are starting now to accumulate your photographs and submitting it on-line, this is essential for you, and easier to do.

Shell we begin?

1. Managing your photographs
This simple method is based on dates and places. The steps are all centered on creating a folder structure organized around the dates and places you took the pictures on.
This organization method is based on dates and places. Why? It’s simple: You can browse through your folders by the general time you remember the shots were taken, and easily find the places when it was taken. It's easier today, in this digital age, to find pictures by the dates they were taken and all you need to fill is the places they were taken in.

STEP 1: Have only ONE folder that contains all your pictures folders.
All your pictures folders should be contained in only one folder. If you start creating multiple folders on your drives, and duplicate, you will be lost.

STEP 2: Start with the year. Open a folder for 2008 (for example) and add inside a folder for the month (let's say June). Inside this folder you can add a folder for each date you took the pictures in, and add to the folders name - the location of the shoot (for examples 06_08_11-NewYork_GroundZero, 06-08-12-Paris_Museum). If you taken the photographs in different places, split the folders to show the same date but the different locations they were taken in.
REMEMBER: These folders DO NOT represent the subject of the pictures, but they are groupings of dates and places. We’re just grouping them into large categories. This way you’re dividing a large quantity of pictures into more manageable chunks.
It should look something like that:
» My Pictures
    » 2008
    » June
    » 06_08_11-NewYork_GroundZero, 06-08-12-Paris_Museum
    
STEP 3: Be consistent!
Now, use the same techniques every time you transfer more pictures from your camera to your computer. However, it is very important that you remain consistent every time you transfer new pictures to your computer. If you become lazy, you will have to go through the same process later on. However, it will take more time because you will not remember what has been organized and what hasn’t.

Conclusion:
After you used this system for a while you will see a map of your work by dates and places. All you will need to remember is the rough date you took it in (month is enough), and if you don't a few clicks is enough to locate it. It will also make it easier on you to remember the names of the places you've been. The EXIF data in your files will make it easier on you to find the specific shoot your looking for. Let's say a friend sees one of your pieces on-line and asks you if you have a few more shots from there... simply see the date this shot was taken on (the EXIF shows it) and locate the date in your folders.
Easy, isn't it?

2 tips:
1. Besides your folders run by dates make a special folder in you "My pictures" main folder. Call it "My collection" (or something like that). Add to that folder a few photos for each shoot you really liked. Not everything, just 2-3 photos you feel you might want to publish later. It will make it easier for you to backup you most treasured photographs, and also locate pieces for uploading later on
2. When you do post processing on your work, don't overwrite the original piece. Open a folder inside the folder your looking at and add the edited pictures in it. Also add the resized picture (for uploading) in a different folder inside of it.

2. Keywords and Tags
What do we need these for? Well, the Internet sort of works on that to help you get better marketing. You can also use software to add keywords to your files, but I just think it's too much work to begin with.
I can tell you from my experience that adding keywords and tags is not something I did from the beginning but once I learned, I found it made a big difference. 20% of my Flickr account traffic comes from the Tags I add. Different searches in Google, or Yahoo have generated lots of traffic to my images.

STEP 1: Imagine what searches you would be performing
Try to think about the kinds of pictures you’re taking and imagine what you would be searching against. For example: You want to find out all the pictures taken in New York with a yellow taxi showing. All these highlighted words would represent actual keywords but at this time try to think in terms of categories that these keywords fall under. So, would you be searching against cities? Or cars? Or colors? There might be more than one answer to this question, like both cities and cars, or both cars and colors. The answers to this question would help you identify the domains that you currently have for your pictures.
You should think like a searcher - Add "USA" since it defines the location, and also "NY" "NewYork" "New York" "NYC" and continue to the next word - "Yellow" "color", and "Taxi" car" "taxis" "cab" and so on.

STEP 2: The subject of the photo is not enough
OK, you added keywords for the subject of the photo. What about the atmosphere in the photo, or the general colors, category? You can always add categories, as you know them, like "Urban" "Abstract" "Landscape" "portraits" and if the pictures shows strong color you should keword it, like "red" "yellow" "black" and so on. The most important (for me) is trying to capture the atmosphere of the shot, like "lonely" "happy" "expressive" and so on. Taking it further you can add to a landscape shot the words "sky" "clouds" "meadow"

STEP 3: Who is you audience?
Who do you want to attract to your photographs? Do you want people that buys stock to find it? Animal lovers? Friends your age? This is an important issue since it defines the way you choose your words. If you want them to attract stock buyers you will use "stock" "landscape photographs" "paris postcards". For animal lovers you will emphasize what animal lovers like "cute kitten" "my cat" "whiskers". For friends your age you will use the words in your lingo and so on... You need to think about that when you choose your words.

Conclusion:
Generating traffic to your on-line work is important, and Keywords and Tags are the ways to do it (among others). You should be a "copy writer" and try and aim the photo to the possible searches that may want to find it in the results. Don't be too predictable since you result won't show. Find the unique thing about your photograph and highlight it.  

2 tips:
1. Use combinations of two words or more (don't forget to put them in commas). You have more of a chance they will be found in a search.
2. Search engines look for the title of the piece, the name of the file, and the keywords/tags before all the text in the description. If it's really important to you - try and insert a strong key word to the title of the image and even the file name.
3. Follow the statistics of what searches brought up your photos. It's possible on Flickr, but not here.. I know. You can learn from it a lot about what you did good, and where you missed.

OK - Good luck!
G

In General

Well, a few words about Infrared.
I will not get too technical cause it’s not my strong side, just a few words about it. Infrared photographs show a kind of thermo effect. Trees with white leaves and luminous white clouds against colored skies are the most common use for it. Many photographers on DA have tried it in the last few years and it seems to be more and more popular.
The Infrared opens a window on a parallel world intriguingly different to the one we usually see. The effect is surreal ans it shows a different kind of "documenting reality".

Here you can see the scene in normal view


And here is when using the IR filter -


We can't see Infrared light without the filter, we can only see it when It's isolated. Infrared photography is often confused with thermal imaging. It's not, It's just shows an effect similar to that. The difference is basically one of wavelength of electromagnetic radiation.
The filter shows the object because the sun (or some other light source) shines infrared light on it and it is reflected or absorbed by the object. You could say that this reflecting or absorbing of infrared helps to determine the object's color in a four-dimensional color space made up of blue, green, red and infrared.



Camera and filter

If you are using film camera, I won't get into this.
Important you know! Digital cameras don’t work evenly with IR filter.
Digital sensors have a special infrared-blocking filter in front of the light-sensitive CCD array, as the IR light degrades the visible-light image quality. The question is how much of infrared will the filter let through.
There are a few great compact digital models like the Sony 717, The Olympus C-2020z, Minolta Dimage 7, and the canon G1 (the G2 is great too). Among the DSLR the Nikon D70 and D50 are the best option right now. Canon popular models don't support high quality IR (and most other models and brands). That means that it can shoot IR but in lower quality (clarity, sharpness, colors) then the Nikon D70 (D70s) and D50.
Check out more about the Infrared sensitivity here [link]

Of course it’s much harder working IR with DSLR, since you have no preview of the result, and it’s impossible to see anything through the viewfinder, with the filter attached. I’ll get to this later (In technique).
The filter I use and recommend is Hoya R72.
There are several others that get good results, but this one gets the classic color effect in the best way possible.

  

You can test your non DSLR camera for IR photography
Use the “TV remote test” to determine if your digital camera is sensitive to infrared light.  Television remote controls use infrared light to turn the TV on and off and to change channels.  Aim your TV remote control at the lens of your digital camera from a few inches away, push a button on your remote, and view the image on the LCD panel (not the optical viewfinder) of the camera.  If you see a white flash of light coming from the TV remote on your camera’s LCD screen, you’ve just determined that your camera is infrared-sensitive. That only means that the camera is capable of shooting IR, but not the quality of the results.

    

What if my camera is not IR sensitive?
Well, there are options to shoot IR with models that don't support it. However, they mean you damage the ability of the camera to capture 'normal' photography. Basically you remover the glass that protects the CCD in the camera.
You can remove it and replace it with a built in IR filter (convert the camera completely for shooting IR), or simply replace the glass for a regular glass and reducing the IR block of the camera (could damage you normal photography, and you still need to use a filter for IR).
If you really love IR it is recommended you convert your camera. Working with a converted camera is much easier. You can shoot short exposures and get better details. However, you need to do it on a spare camera since the camera is useless for regular photography.

For more on that - [link] and [link]



Technique

OK, so we are talking about shooting IR with a DSLR (a regular one)

Tripod -
Besides your digital camera and filter, a tripod is an absolute necessity since exposures through the infrared filter should be long.  For long exposures, some cameras will automatically fire the flash to light the scene, because the camera’s “brain” thinks its dark.  But you don’t want to use flash. Be sure to turn off the flash so the camera will make the exposure by infrared light.
  
Iso settings -
Work in low Iso (50-200) so you won’t pick up too much noise.

Camera function -
Work in fully Manual (if possible) to get a good light reading from the camera, so You’ll know if you are using a long enough exposure.

Set White Balance -
This is the part that most beginners go wrong...
You will have to measure the white balance yourself. That’s the secret of getting a good color balance in IR photography (with digital photography). Measure the WB in ‘PRE’ condition with your filter ON from something green as green grass (not in the shade.. in a sunny area). That would get you the right balance. Test the result, and if needed, try measuring it again.
You should know: Nikon generates more colors in IR then Canon. The canon will get almost B&W when adjusting the WB. Nikon will get B&W and also brown.  

Composition -
To begin, photograph a daylight scene in auto WB.  Mount your camera on the tripod and compose the shot normally (Take the widest angle possible for a landscape shot) without the infrared filter over the lens, and make a normal, color picture.  The color picture will be a “reference” picture.  You might want to combine it with the infrared picture for creative effect later.

Final steps -
After you composed it, and focused it, in the color version, take it out of Auto focus. Mount the filter carefully, so you won’t destroy the camera position and composition. Switch your WB to the pre position (that you measured earlier). Now, shoot a second picture in exactly the same way except go through the infrared filter.  With the infrared filter on the lens, you’ll see the infrared effect on the camera’s LCD viewing screen (or only in the result in DSLR cameras).  The image will appear dark and a monochromatic red-pink in color.  This is normal for an infrared picture.  After you shoot the picture, you should review the image on the camera’s LCD screen and check for proper exposure.  If the image is dark, you might want to switch the camera to manual and increase the exposure.  





Post processing

Once you’ve captured your infrared images, you’ll want to do a little clean up in an image-processing program like Photoshop.



When you open the infrared image file, you’ll probably see a monochromatic red-pink image that might be a little bit dark. You may want to adjust the curves or levels to brighten the image.  





Also, you may want to adjust the contrast to your liking.  By Now you have an image very similar to one shot on infrared film, but without the hassles.



I usually love to change the channels, to replace the red with a blue.
In Photoshop go to Image>Adjustments>Channel mixer you will first see the setting to the red channel.



The red is on 100 and the green and blue are on 0. Turn the red to 0 and the blue to 100.



Now go to the blue channel (the top drop down menu in the message box). Turn the red to 100 and the blue to 0.

Now, look at the difference -

Before -   After -

The channels have switched and if you want a better balance change the settings a bit.

If the ‘Whites’ are a bit ‘Reddish’, you can go to Image>adjustments>Hue/saturation and lower the saturation of the red (and yellow) channel.

That’s the IR story in short.
Photography by the “invisible” light of infrared can open a new world of artistic expression. I love it, and I hope you do too
Feel free to add from your own experience, add tips, and ask questions.
Again, I’m not sure I’ll be able to answer all, But I’ll try.

  

Good Links: [link] [link] And a wonderful galley to enjoy [link]

I submitted a tutorial on IR in my journal, and I got many questions regarding technique ans models fitting for IR photography. Please take a look to know more - [link]

What do you do when you don't know what to do</u>

You get these "I don't know what to do next..." phases? When you want to do some photography, but your creative ideas simply ran out... Well, I can tell you what I do. You should know that what works for me may not be right for someone else. I am more of a "street photographer", I don't direst my shots, don't plan them. I'm not into models or stills in particular and so I depend solely on inspiration.

1. Check out the weather.
When I have an idea what I want to take pictures of, it's easy.. I go there. When I have no idea what to shoot, I simply go without knowing where. I check the weather to decide on the general idea. Warm days (without clouds in the sky) are good for urban shots since I don't need the sky in the frame, and it's mostly shaded anyway. Warm days with nice clouds are perfect for IR or landscape. Colder days are great for nature, Macro and reflections (puddles of rain), and they are also good for indoor shots and moody landscapes. Think of nice places you know that can natch these conditions, and simply go. The world is moving, and all you need is watch it revolve around you.

2. Get the perspective of your sensor
So, now you know the direction you match the gear. Wide lenses for landscapes, tele lenses for nature, middle length for urban...
I love taking the lenses I plan on (not the whole bag) and limit myself to the gear. That gives me aim at what I look at and help me focus on a perspective looking at the world. Looking at everything without that focus can make me miss a few ideas. It's kind of limiting yourself to think like the camera, instead of the person you are. I always feel more focused as a photographer at seeing things, than I feel when I don't have the camera on me.

3. Watch and think before you shoot
Don't force yourself to shoot. Blend into your surroundings. Feel the tempo of what happens around you and things will look differently. Take some time to examine things from a wider point of view, and then start breaking it don to details, scenes, corners. For an example, look at a street and feel the commotion. Direction people go, people that stand, compositions, the way the light falls, advertising billboards, colors, shapes, patterns.. now break it down to what will happen if you focus on a someone if he passes the building in a exact second.. What if you take the tall building from a wide angle, including a bus stop from a low angle... So, take some time to look before you act.

4. Dare yourself to try it differently
You've seen something interesting? Good! Now try and think of the way to present it. If you present it exactly like you see it, it has to be really special not to look corny. I mean, that's the way everybody sees it all the time... So, take a second and think as a photographer. The angle changes a lot. Maybe go to a higher point of view, maybe a lower, maybe through a reflection, maybe against the light, and maybe with a different depth of field. The point is to challenge yourself to think differently because there is someone that you want to show it to, and you need to make him stop and think to make an impact.

5. And back to the first stage... your ideas
This is a very important stage for a creative photographer, one that wants his pictures to be more than beautiful and have a meaning. The ideas don't have to come from planned scenes. You have an opinion on things, a personal thought. How can you make it come to life through photography? That's maybe the hardest part, but when you figure this out - you are on your way to making a difference. People want to see ideas and opinion in photographs, and not only beautiful colors. When you look at something you want to shoot stop for a second. Think. How can I show it in a way it will show it is you that's taking the picture. A lot of who you are as a photographer hides in this.

Good luck
G

Well, I thought I'll sum up some pointers and tips regarding composition. I used some of my photos as examples in the different topics. I hope I can help, or even refresh, some of you photographers out there. If you have anymore ideas to share here, please do.

What would you say is the most important thing in a good photograph?
Colors? Idea and expression? Sharpness? Perspective?

Well, since there are no "right and wrong" (just opinions) everyone is right, but in my book, one of the most important thing is definitely composition.
It's the same in almost every art form, but since in photography you don't always have time to plan the situation in details, composition becomes a very important skill in your decision making.
I never learned photography in the "old fashion" way of school or teachers, and my composition skills have developed by my own sense of intuitive point of view. It's only later that I diagnosed the decision making I made without thinking about it.
I want to share with you what I learned, and maybe in a way, help you diagnose your own decisions.
I have no intention of mentioning all the different approaches to composition, you can add to this as much as you want. I only want to make my own beliefs prioritized and organized here.

General statement</u>
There are many things to think about while deciding on a composition (that you have a split of a second to think about). That means that you have to realize all the parameters in a spontaneous way, without breaking it down like I do here. What do I mean?
You have to consider all the lines in the frame, you have to consider the dynamics of movement, the direction, the things outside the frame, the Depth of field you are using. It's impossible to forecast everything. What makes a good photographer skillful is deciding on the right composition, without thinking about it. In my opinion, you have to add something to all I mentioned - be original.
Don't go with the composition you feel comfortable with.. explore different options while being aware of what you want to show with the photo that would be forever yours.


      


The subject</u>
What's the photo about?
To make it clear is the first thing you have to consider while thinking of the composition.  It should be very obvious with a single glance to every viewer what the photograph is "about". That doesn't mean the subject should be in the middle of the frame, not at all. That means that you should build your whole composition while being aware to what is the subject. You can lead to it with graphic lines, focus, angle, negative space, colors, and lighting.

Tip: The subject maybe something that you can't even see in the photograph. Think about it.

      

Leading the viewer</u>
How the viewer's eye is lead from one part of the photograph to another?
One way to give flow to a photograph is to use lines. They can be horizontal, vertical, diagonal, converging or diverging lines. This will create the illusion of motion (or lack of motion if so desired). Diagonal, converging or diverging lines are considered to be "dynamic" while horizontal and vertical lines are considered to be "static". A careful balance of dynamic and static elements will give an overall sense of motion to your photographs. You should also consider the direction of leading the eye. If you place someone watching to the right, on the right side of the photo, you loose the leading of the viewer and create a sense of something missing. You should leave some space for the movement in the frame. Use perspective to draw the eye or use it to give a point of view and create the illusion the viewer is on the scene.

Tip: If you place the subject in the middle of the frame, it's much harder to lead the eye to him and the photo might become flat.

      

Perspective and proportions</u>
You want to show something is far, something is huge?
Think of proportions, of scale. The viewer must be feeling what you feel while you are "out there". If you shoot a wonderful sunset and you want to show how huge the sky looks, you have to include something in the frame to give scale. Without it the feeling can't be transformed. If you can show something repetitive in the frame you will get good dynamics to the frame, but you will also get a sense of perspective. Using this is one of the things I really love to do.

Tip: If you have the ability to control light and composition, you are a master in technique. Think of using light in your composition to get a silhouette or a nice lighting that shows the difference between your foreground and background and help the feeling of depth or scale.

      

Rule of 3rds </u>
I've been told there's something psychologically appealing about groups of 3's.
I used this rule in my work, without even knowing.. I just knew I shouldn't center my work. The eye goes to the center as default. If you satisfy the viewer right at the beginning, you lost the chance to lead him inside a good photograph.
In the rule of Thirds we play around that center, placing objects a point about two-thirds up a page. Crop your photo so that the main subjects are located around one of the intersection points rather than in the center of the image. Divide your frame to 9 even squares and imagine the points where the lines meet.
For example in landscapes you can apply the rule of thirds when you place your horizon line one-third up from the bottom, leaving the sky to take up the top two-thirds of the picture.

Tip: Don't use a tilted horizon line. That can always make a good photo look amateur. Align the horizon line with something straight in the frame. Still, use it if it balanced the frame, only then will it look intentional.

      

Negative Space </u>
Basically a large areas of empty space in the frame. Psychologically, we humans want to fill that space with our imagination (kind of like a cartoon thought balloon). Use it in a minimalist frame, or to give the frame a more "dreamy" touch.

Tip: A busy frame with lots of details on one side, and negative space on the other is not good. It will break the order and destroy the feeling of balance. Use negative space in minimal compositions.

      

Framing </u>
If you can find a way to naturally frame your shot, do it. That adds a wonderful sense of order to it. Look for things such as doorways, bridges, signs and other things to frame your subject under. It gives a sense of perspective and intimacy to the image.

Tip: A door, the way you close in on a face, branches of trees, buildings on the side of the road

      

Balance </u>
Sometimes keeping the balance is the greatest thing in a photograph, and sometimes, it's exactly the opposite. Be aware and think about the meaning of balance in your frame. It could help create a sense of illusion (when it's not balanced), or just make it classy (when there is a good balance).

Tip: Use the rule of the thirds to put a lot of weight on one side, but always look for someone to balance it of the opposite third of the frame.

      

Cutting the details </u>
Sometimes you cut important details in the frame not on purpose.. That's very bad. The viewer always knows when it was on purpose. Think of what you cut and how. Sometimes you have to cut and crop things (sometimes you want to), just think of the best way to do it.

Tip: I love using intentionally cropping of details in portraits; It makes a face look much more interesting, and allows to zoom in to the details.