SharpShooter Loc: NorCal

Yes they are!
Tracy, welcome to the Hog.
Why don't you re-ask your questions one at a time, and you will get help...., one at a time.
Also, do a search here for both those terms(one at a time), as a LOT has been said about them before.
Both of those will help you understand.
There is something currently going on about histograms, just go back a few pages at most.
Good luck! ;-)
SS

Tracy B. Loc: Indiana

Thanks all of you for the good advice, sugestions and kind supporting words. When I play my guitar I feel it's a part of me. I can't wait for the moment the camera feels that way.

James R. Kyle Loc: Saint Louis, Missouri (A Suburb of Ferguson)

When I got "overwhelmed" with the New Digital system(s) of the camera I first bought = Digital that is...

I put the camera on "M".... Until I got use to all that Automatic crap. I figured that I bought the camera - so I might as well use ALL of it.

Still to this day, I shoot 90% of my photographs in Manual mode. And Yes I use a handheld "Spot Meter".

I was really getting good photographs in the Auto modes... However, there was One element out of the capturing process.... I felt that I was "Part of the Camera" and that the camera was not an extension of my mind and what I Wanted In The Frame.... I too was going on automatic....
So I went back to Manual operation.... I have been there except for a few difficult situations.

imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida

AMEN ! ....

FramerMCB Loc: Northern, ID (formerly Portland, OR area)

I would suggest trying to find a one-day class that you could take...or perhaps several on the various photography topics, or aspects thereof, that interest you.

dat2ra Loc: Sacramento

Tracy, be patient with yourself and know you will never know it all. As the saying goes, the way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time. Most important is to have fun with what you have learned, and what you just learned.

Shutter Bugger

Welcome Tracy.

Keep shooting.

Post your pictures and ask for advice if you are not happy with the result. Tell us what you were trying to achieve
and what aspect of the image is not satisfying you.

There are some very savvy shooters here
that can help with specific issues.

blackest Loc: Ireland

The Histogram is essentially a guide of how bright or how dark the pixels in your image are, typically a mountain type peak which means a few dark near black pixels a lot of mid tones and a few really bright ones.

A U shaped histogram means a lot of contrast in the scene lots of dark and lots of light and not very many midtones.

If the tones are gathered to the left you are tending to under expose if they are to the right you are tending to over expose.

If you have spikes to the left you are clipping the blacks and if you have spikes on the right you are blowing the highlights.

Ideally you want a histogram with a wide base most of the time. A low key image tends to peak on the left and a high key to the right.

Many camera's have what is known as blinkies (mine only in digital preview) that is the screen will flash the pixels it sees as under exposed or over exposed.

Generally you will find in practice that the sky tends to be getting over exposed. So you can reduce the exposure (faster shutter speed or smaller aperture( greater depth of field) to leave some colour in the sky). unfortunately that may leave your main subject under exposed, so you might want to add some flash to fill in and lighten up your foreground.

Another option might be to used a graduated neutral density filter to darken the sky while leaving your foreground as bright as you want it.
Another technique is bracketing, shooting 3 different exposures and blending them by post processing.

I'm sure anything i've said which is incorrect or needs more explanation, or i missed will be added to, later in this thread but i think that covers the basics.

James R. Kyle Loc: Saint Louis, Missouri (A Suburb of Ferguson)

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

YES! You have. And quite well.

I am sure that there will be others to make comments on what (or How you explained it).

raysass Loc: Brooklin, On, Canada.

Slow down and do one thing at a time. Get to know your lenses and how each one works in different lighting situations. Then there's your flash.
Have you found out what your preference is in picture taking? Wildlife, landscapes,portrature,Architecture?
Don't forget to have fun.
Ray.

R.G. Loc: Scotland

If any hyperfocal articles hit you with a blizzard of data, just take a note of the info for the two smallest apertures for each of your lenses - it should be something like f/22 and the next smallest aperture. The data for any f-stop lower than about f/16 is probably superfluous for 99.99% of situations - the chances of you using a larger aperture when you're going for maximum DOF are fairly remote, so you don't really need that data.

I haven't seen an article on hyperfocal distance that condenses it down like that, but it should simplify things a bit for you if you do it yourself.

Tracy B. Loc: Indiana

R.G. Good point, I didn't even think of that. Thanks

axiesdad Loc: Monticello, Indiana

"Switch to Manual" (Thanks, James R) may be the best advice I've read in UHH yet. The "free film" of digital photography coupled with all the automatic features of my DSLR seduces me to just take lots of shots and hope some are good. The effort of making a good shot happen is part of the fun and I am learning much more about my camera.

Greenguy33 Loc: Rhode Island

Hi Tracy. You sound like me. I have purchased several books on digital and landscape photography. I watch every You Tube video that I can on photography.
What I am learning is that the best in their fields didn't wake one morning and become the best. It takes thousands of hours of practice. I make it a point to go out shooting AT LEAST one full morning per week. I try to apply what I have learned during the week.
A French instructor told me (I am learning French) it is better to study for 15 minutes every day, than to study one day for 8 hours and not study again for a week.
I hope this helps.
Bonne chance! ;-)

anotherview Loc: California

Let me please suggest you re-enter your learning of photography by way of studying image composition. Aside from exposure, composition can make or break virtually any photograph.

Composition for the most part applies the Rule of Thirds (really a principle of visual balance) for a visually pleasing image -- the object of all worthy photography.

Good luck.