Lym Loc: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Hi

I used to be a point and shoot "photographer", having used a Canon Powershot G4 for several years and then a Canon Powershot G10, again for several years.

Because I dropped the G10 into a swimming pool when I was on holiday (vacation) as unbeknown to me, the screws holding the anchor for the strap somehow got loose and fell out (at the wrong time), causing the camera strap to slip through my hand into the water, I had no choice but to buy a new camera.

I threw caution to the winds, as I am not really a "photographer", and bought a Canon EOS 60D with a Canon 18-200mm lens kit.

Since it will be a big waste to use this camera on auto mode to point and shoot, I am hoping to learn how to use it to maximum benefit.

One way of doing it to read and sift through all past Ugly Hedgehog [are there handsome/beautiful hedgehogs? ;-)] postings to find what I can learn from them. However, this may take a long time before I can really learn about how to use the camera.

So, does anyone know of any website in which not only camera nomenclature is explained but also the effect of using the various ways/modes of taking a picture manually - so that I can become a "real" photographer?

Thanks for any advice.

St3v3M Loc: 35,000 feet

Welcome to UHH

raysass Loc: Brooklin, On, Canada.

Read the manual on how to take pictures using TV(shutter speed)and AV(depth of field.)Try different settings and see how the pictures come out.Also put your ISO on Auto until you figure out how to use it.Good luck.Ray.

SharpShooter Loc: NorCal

Lym, welcome to the Hog. It will be a good place to learn.
Lym, your already a real photographer, maybe you just need to get more technically proficient. You can learn a lot of technical procedure right here on the Hog by both asking and searching for old discussions that pertain to your queries.
I learn my camera by going through my manual. I never not have it with me. It lives in my camera bag. Though not all find the manual exciting reading.
Many here know of good websites as well as easy to understand manuals.
I start at page one of the manual and go page by page till I get to the end. I do that as many times as needed to be fairly proficient with my camera.
Lym, again welcome and good luck.

Lym Loc: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Thanks raysass. I am reading the manual (page by page in sequence) that came with the camera, but I will now jump to those topics you have kindly suggested.

Lym Loc: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Thanks SharpShooter. Yes, it is tough-going reading the thick manual, but I guess I will have to persevere if I want to be as sharp a shooter as you ;-).

lighthouse Loc: No Fixed Abode

This site might help you. It has lots of basic information that can lead to more understanding.
http://digital-photography-school.com/learning-exposure-in-digital-photography

Jinzee

Lym, going through the same thing, and am also reading 'everything' I can get my hands on before venturing in with my eyes closed. If you have an I-phone there are free DSLR applications like "Photo academy", or "Karl Taylor" and many others that have various topics to help you get a better understanding of the how's, and why's. There are also DSLR 'Cheet-Sheets'. Good luck... Have fun with your new venture.

Moallem

Photography using DSLR is a whole new world that you will love, but as a concept can be simple once you understand the basics.
Get familiar with: Shutter Speed (Exposure) , Aperture (F number), and ISO. Take your time to learn the meaning of each, and experiment to see how they affect the resulting image (amount of light, sharpness, and noise) and you will find your way from there.

Good luck and enjoy!

rpavich Loc: West Virginia

Welcome Lym!

First off, you live in a place where there are a LOT of beautiful and interesting things to point your camera at! That's good.

Here is what I'd suggest; buy after reading the manual and playing with your camera to get familiar with the buttons and dials, that you buy Bryan Peterson's book "Understanding Exposure."

One of the hardest things for new photographers to understand is different controls that your camera has and why you would set your camera a certain way to get certain effects which is exactly WHY you don't just want to "point and shoot"

I would also recommend looking on Youtube and searching things like "basic photography tutorial" and things like that and watch the videos, there are a lot of good ones.


It WILL take time, and it IS an ongoing process, there is always something new to learn.

Welcome and come back with questions!

Leicaflex Loc: Cymru

Welcome to the HOG.
As previously mentioned, read the manual thoroughly and when you get stuck, someone here will help you out.

craggycrossers Loc: Robin Hood Country, UK

Hello Lym - here's my tuppenceworth from the UK - lots of good, simple and easy-2-understand short video tutorials from this guy - http://www.photographycourses.biz/all_photography_videos.html

EstherP

That's a good place to start, Lym. May I suggest you keep a pencil handy to mark those sections you would like to go back to?
Also, and this I found very helpful for myself: Some afternoons or evenings, I just make myself comfortable on the couch, with a cup of hot chocolate handy, and both the manual and camera within reach. Then go to one of the marked pages, and try whatever it says there, with your camera. Don't be afraid to try different settings - if you get it all messed up, you can likely reset to factory settings and start over again.
Sooner or later you will hear about certain techniques. When you do, try and find that in the index of the manual, then try it out with the camera.
Above: don't let the camera become your master! Just have fun with it, laugh about your "bad" pictures and be mighty proud of the good ones!
EstherP

BigBear Loc: Northern CT

In addition with learning the settings and what they do, get familiar with the histogram. The general rule is shoot to the right which means make the graph fill as far to the right of the chart without climbing the wall. I find this tool a great help to get a quick reading of the available light and set my shutter duration first, then my aperture, then if I still don't have enough light I raise my ISO always starting at 100.

lighthouse Loc: No Fixed Abode

I do not think it is a good idea to teach a beginner to shoot to the right.
I think that complicates things a bit initially for someone just starting out.
Best to teach them 18% grey until they are ready for that next step.

Lym, I would ignore the "shoot to the right" advice for now and just try to take the photo as you see the scene.