burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

Read The *Fine* Manual first. Sit with camera in lap and book in hand, and try each feature.

Two books worth reading are the aforementioned *Understanding Exposure*, and Tony Northrup's *Stunning Digital Photography.

YouTube is a gold mine of videos on virtually every topic related to photography. If you have a very popular camera, you can find a tutorial on it. Tony Northrup probably made one, but view several, because there is no one best authority out there.

Overviews inform Education, which informs Instruction, which informs Demonstration, which informs hands-on Training, which requires Review and Feedback... all of which precede PRACTICE.

So skim the manual, then read it. Read some books. Follow some step-by-step procedures to do some things with your camera. Have other photographers show you what they do. Take classes and seminars if any are available in your area. Join a club to have people look at your images and constructively criticize them. Above all, USE THE CAMERA. Learn post-processing. Learn ICC Color Management workflow. Learn to print and to prepare files for a lab to print.

In short, learn PRINCIPLES of photography, not lists of settings. When you understand the principles, you understand how to manipulate variables on the spot.

Tdaniel40

G.Brown: love this advise.

olemikey Loc: 6 mile creek, Spacecoast Florida

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

Set the camera on Auto and forget about this for now.

Go out and take an ungodly number of photos.

Look at your successes and failures, and look at what you did to get each. Learn from your mistakes, and improve on your successes. This way you will do more than just copy someone else's settings - you'll develop (pun intended) your own approach to things. Along these lines, my favorite quote about breaking the photographic rules came from Edward Weston who said "Consulting the rules of composition before taking a photograph, is like consulting the laws of gravity before going for a walk." People will tell you don't use a slow shutter speed for active subjects. Don't use shoot into the sun. Only use a small aperture for landscapes so everything will be in focus. And so on. Breaking the rules is what makes for creative expression, and that will never happen if you follow a formula. Don't let setting-paralysis hold you back. Go out take pics, experiment. Eventually it will all make sense.

I've been a photographer for 52 yrs, and that formula still works for me. Especially when I get a new piece of gear or software.

olemikey Loc: 6 mile creek, Spacecoast Florida

BOB WETHERELL

You make it sound like so much fun! Believe me, your advice is priceless.
Thank you!

autofocus Loc: North Central Connecticut