I usually don't reply to a post, because I'm just a beginner in photography. I also don't want to sound like an idiot. But I seen this post and had to reply to it. I've never had someone to teach me. I've only been shooting for about 4 years now. There's so much to learn. I've been learning through sites like this. But if a person doesn't want to learn about photography and just wants to shoot pics to put on Facebook then amateurs like me won't even bother looking at a site like this.

Anyway, back to why I'm replying. When I first bought my camera, a Canon t1i, I tried all the settings to see what they did. But after a few days I started to shoot in manual mode. Because I did, and still do, want to learn how to take a good, if no great, picture. I have taken many lousy pictures but slowly I am learning more and more the technical side of this camera and on how to try take them great shots that I've always wanted to take. I haven't taken any really great shots but I've taken some good shots. So I would tell an amature like me to start out in manual mode. They can play with the other modes but stick with manual mode if they really want to learn photography. I'd also tell them to find sites like this and to really read and practice the things they learn from sites like this. Like I have and still do.

Thank you Ugly Hedgehog for a it like this. It has become a valuable tool in my learning how to maybe one day become a good, if not great, photographer!!!

That's the very reason when I bought my first DSLR camera. I started shooting in manual after a few shots in other modes. Because I wanted to learn how to manipulate the images I was seeing and do what those other settings did. I'm an amateur and still learning how to take pictures.