Which brings to mind and old Joke:

The absent-minded maestro was racing up New York’s Seventh Avenue to a rehearsal, when a stranger stopped him.

“Pardon me,” he said, “can you tell me how to get to Carnegie Hall?”

“Yes,” answered the maestro breathlessly. “Practice!”


Honestly there are no tricks to learning photography, except Practice, Practice, Practice

You are very fortunate to learn in the Digital age, where practicing cost you nothing and your results are immediate.

Maybe take an online class from Linda Learning https://www.lynda.com/
It is s free with most public library cards.
Ben Long is a pretty good teacher for the basics.

Maybe a good tip would be to start your Digital filing system early and stick with it?

I know you want some magic words Practice, Practice, Practice

Hi 'Beginner', hope you stay the course and not put-off by some replies. I was a 'Beginner' in the late 1940's. I borrowed my older brothers camera to use (even if it had no film in it). I just liked using a camera. When I could afford a 2nd hand roll film camera which had stops f/ 8//11//16/ and 22...Probably four shutter speeds, plus B and T. Focus was by setting a pointer against the feet marking scale. Everything was B&W in those days. In the transition period between school, and starting work, my income changed from a newspaper-round, to a weekly apprentice wage. The pocket money from that went into more photographic purchases.(chemicals so I could develop my films, and contact prints). I used to set myself assignments for a day/film. just using a certain aperture, shutter speed, or distance setting. and hopefully learn the good and bad points from the results. I became a Press/Public Relations Photographer at an International Company for 26 years. between running a Freelance Business. I now just use cameras with all of the 'Bells & Whistles', for my own pleasure. I picked up letters after my name from three Photographic Bodies along the way. all from the beginners 'Go out and do it'.. attitude. Best of luck in your journey. Hope it is a long and happy one. I have no regrets, after 73 years of Photographic interest.

Shoot a scene with some depth, such as columns or posts in a row from one end of the row.

Shoot in aperture priority and auto ISO, at your widest aperture ... lowest f number ... aiming at the first object, then the second and so on.

Then try the next f stop and repeat the process.

Review how depth of field and distance change the result.

By studying the results the settings will mean more to you than arcane numbers on a foal or in a viewfinder.

Next shoot an action scene in shutter priority, a waterfall or something and start at several action shots at your fastest shutter speed ... then drop the shutter speed by half and repeat until you get to a full second.

Lots of people say read the manual. My manual is 349 pages long. No way I would ever just "read the manual." Couldn't do it. My brain does not learn that way. But I do use the manual fairly often. When I come across something, while using my camera, that I don't understand, usually some control buried in the menus, I will look it up. This almost always leads to reading the next thing or two in the manual. After about three years I've pretty much got it down. I'm not sure if I envy those that can sit down and read the manual or am aghast that anyone can do that. I suspect I am not the only one who feels this way. Have a problem, look it up. Have another problem, look it up. Have twenty minutes to kill, browse through a section of the manual. This is the only way I could retain this stuff.
..Cam