On the 4th of July, people all over the nation come together to celebrate Independence and freedom. That makes it a great day to take a lot of photos. After all, there?s so much going on ? parades, picnics, water sports, camping, barbecues, baseball games, and fireworks, of course.

It?s also a great holiday for easy photo sharing online. Any time you combine large gatherings of people, food and fun activities ? well, those are good times everyone wants to remember and share.

So here are five ways you can make this 4th of July extra special, and extra memorable.

Tip number one: Be confident about taking pictures. Keep your camera in your hands, ready to go. You never know when a moment might occur between a child and a pet, or when that truly unique parade float will roll by. You don?t have to be in everyone?s face with your camera, but you don?t have to be shy about it either. You?re there to record the fun.

Tip number two: Get email addresses from the people you know. And if you don?t know someone, get an introduction from a friend so everyone can enjoy the photos you?ll share. People want reminders of the fun events they take part in over the course of a year ? the 4th of July isn?t any different.

Tip number three: Treat your celebration like a birthday party for our nation?s Independence. Take as many photos with patriotic themes as possible ? a child or young person with red, white and blue face paint ? people dressed as Uncle Sam ? other symbols of America, such as shots of hamburgers, hot dogs, apple pie.

Then, when you share your photos, intersperse these patriotic photos with regular photos of people have fun. It?ll keep the flavor and spirit of day alive however you share your photos, whether it?s in a slideshow, a photo album, or even in just a collection of prints.

Tip number four: Get close to the action. If you?re at a baseball game, get as close to the batter as possible. If it?s a parade, you might want to walk along side for short while and get shots of the crowd from the perspective of the people in the parade. If you come across people eating watermelon, sit across from them and get in on the fun.

Tip number five: Don?t forget the fireworks. Some people don?t want to take pictures of fireworks because they don?t think they?ll turn out. And while every shot may not turn out, you might be surprised at the great pictures you do get.

Just be sure to hold the camera as still as possible while getting a mix of close up and faraway shots. Also be careful about your surroundings ? you don?t want to get burned, and you don?t want a bunch of tree limbs or phone wires blocking an otherwise wonderful picture.

One other thing you?ll want to keep in mind ? make sure you find a reliable photo sharing site that allows you to share by sending emails and printed keepsakes such as photo albums, calendars and cards.

After all, you?ll be documenting a memorable day for a lot of people ? one they?ll want to cherish for many years to come. Consider building a nice online photo album and email that to your family and friends. That way, they can order printed copies of your album if they so choose.

Of course, if you do a really good job, you?ll be asked to document next year?s 4th of July celebrations. And what photographer wouldn?t want a job like that every year!

Matt Smolsky develops marketing programs and has written articles for a variety of clients, including Hoorray, a new website for easy photo sharing and easy photo printing.