what one piece of advice would you offer a beginner? good morning! i'm already spending too much time on this site:) and need to get to washing some dishes and laundry...BUT first i'm...

kendrafus Loc: PA

good morning!
i'm already spending too much time on this site:) and need to get to washing some dishes and laundry...BUT first i'm wondering if you could offer something to a beginner, what would it be? i recently became the proud new owner of a cannon eos rebel t2i...and so far, it's so fun...but there's MUCH to learn!!!

one of my favorite shots so far!

nyweb2001

I just got my Canon 2 years ago. My biggest advances came when I worked on understanding lighting ! That said, the way I did this was to take a lot of pics, 15,000 in 2 years !

JimH Loc: Western South Jersey, USA

kendrafus wrote:

BUT first i'm wondering if you could offer something to a beginner, what would it be?

Don't listen to advice from anyone. :)

No, actually, it's simple. Learn. Pick up a simple book for beginners, and try each 'lesson' out. Don't try to do too much at one time, and don't get hung up on numbers like "f/4.5", "1/500th", "rule of thirds" or any of that BS for now.

Read the LENS and APERTURE primer noted on my signature below this post. Several people have said it lifted the veil of confusion. Others have suggested that I go soak my head in a bucket. You be the judge.

Take your camera off AUTO as soon as you can.

Understand how your camera works - it may be "automatic", but it's dumb. It doesn't SEE the image like you do. To get the camera to CAPTURE what YOU see, you need to take it off of AUTO and control it yourself.

Keep the good ones and throw away the bad ones. No one will ever know.

And, if you still don't get it in a few months, sell the camera and find another hobby that won't drive you nuts.

kendrafus Loc: PA

JimH wrote:

quote=kendrafus BUT first i'm wondering if you co... (show quote)

thanks! i've always loved taking pics, but my point and shoot digital cannon was just annoying:) i've been reading my user guide, to some extent, and trying different things in that and YES, i don't use auto so much, but am playing with the more advanced settings! things like taking 20 pics (or 50) of the same thing, tweeking the settings here and there to experiement what looks the best! it's fun but overwhelming!

i've never had an ounce of photography classes in my life, but just LOVE taking photos and seeing what works/doesn't work!

i'll check out the link you mentioned too...thanks!

MT Shooter Loc: Montana

To start with, forget all about the technical crap, it will only confuse you. Digital is wonderful for the instant gratification, not having to wait for developing, and instant editing, if its a crappy shot just delete it. The best piece of advice in this digital age is just get out and shoot!!! The learning curve comes with experience and experimentation. Some of my favorite shots over the last 40+ years have been off the cuff with a digital. Time will breed education as you crave it. Have fun in your quest above all else.

Canoe50d

Learn right, before you master wrong. Get a book , just for that camera, and get to know each and every function.

tkhphotography Loc: Gresham, Or, not Seattle

kendrafus wrote:

good morning!
i'm already spending too much time on this site:) and need to get to washing some dishes and laundry...BUT first i'm wondering if you could offer something to a beginner, what would it be? i recently became the proud new owner of a cannon eos rebel t2i...and so far, it's so fun...but there's MUCH to learn!!!

learn the manual, try to know what the buttons and dials do and more importantly, what they won't do.

Understand what a histogram is and what it represents on your captures.

Get a simple book of exposure and lighting.

cbdigital Loc: Stony Point, N.Y. 10980

Best advise, if it is a digital especially is just experiment. Read the manual to familiarize yourself with different features and just take pic's. My Dad was a semi- professional photographer as a hpbby. He took wedding pic's and worked for a company that photographed car's that were in accidents so he got a lot of practice in that way. He always tought me composition is the key to a good pic. You have to have an eye how to place things. A cloudy day can get you a better picture in certain instances, always shoot with the sun behind you to avoid glare, things like that. It's all a learning process. I have probably 40,000 pictures . One vacation to the beach is good for easily 3 - 4,000 shots. You can take 50 pic's and have one keeper out of that . Patience is key.

ggttc Loc: TN

I agree...just shoot and take notes

Roger Hicks Loc: Aquitaine

Practice.

(Liked the pic, by the way).

Cheers,

R.

melphoto60

best advice just keep shooting and dont amputate people

kendrafus wrote:

good morning!
i'm already spending too much time on this site:) and need to get to washing some dishes and laundry...BUT first i'm wondering if you could offer something to a beginner, what would it be? i recently became the proud new owner of a cannon eos rebel t2i...and so far, it's so fun...but there's MUCH to learn!!!

ShakyShutter Loc: Arizona

What they said above! :thumbup: All good advise.

If you love the technical side by all means jump in, learn a little history of the sport and enjoy. But if you are an old romantic that just loves the art of the image then find a nice middle ground for your camera settings and shot until you get blisters on your fingers.

A local mentor you can call on wouldn't hurt either. One outing with an experienced photog would do wonders early on in your experience.

forgot to mention please practice using upper case letters to start a sentence when posting.

P C Loc: Oregon, USA

kendrafus wrote:

good morning!
i'm already spending too much time on this site:) and need to get to washing some dishes and laundry...BUT first i'm wondering if you could offer something to a beginner, what would it be? i recently became the proud new owner of a cannon eos rebel t2i...and so far, it's so fun...but there's MUCH to learn!!!

An excellent starting point is to buy and study Bryan Peterson's 'Understanding Photography, field guide'.

http://www.amazon.com/Bryan-Petersons-Understanding-Photography-Field/dp/0817432256/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1323711044&sr=1-4

iresq Loc: Annapolis MD

A highly recommended book (and I liked it) is Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson. $17 at Amazon + ship (is eligible for free shipping on $25 order).

Swamp Gator Loc: Coastal South Carolina

The most important thing about photogrpahy to learn and understand is the relationship between shutter speed, lens opening, and ISO to your lighting and subject matter.