Beginner ! Where do you start?

[Manfred M]

Remember, learning is an iterative process. You figure something out, get comfortable with it, and then move on to the next bit.

I for one do not advocate reading the instruction manual. I look at it as a bit of an encyclopedia on your camera and reading the whole thing at once, especially if you are fairly new to photography is going to be a bit mind-blowing. Trying figuring out what high-speed synch is, or rear curtain, or mirror lock up, etc. I know lots of fairly good photographers that would never even think of using those advanced features, but they are covered in your manual (as they should be). On the other hand, read the sections regardling the bits that you do know about, so you do understand the feature set of your camera.

Figure out composition (even on fully automatic mode) and when you get to a bit of a roadblock in accomplishing certain shots, things like ISO, shutter priority, aperture priority, etc. will start coming into play. Perfect (i.e. practice lots) what you do know, and become comfortable with it before you venture too far into what you don't know.

[FrankMi]

Hi Martin, you may be interested in getting the Free E-Book on developing your photography composition 'Vision' - http://craftandvision.com/books/craft-and-vision/

[Scott Stephen]

Suggetion:

Video tutorials for basics on youtube; Search "Digital Photography 1 on 1:episode1". There are plenty of episodes and the Host is Mark Wallace.

Recomended book : Understanding exposure by Bryan Peterson and Understanding light by Tony Northrups

Ninefivepm makes some good suggestions. The Bryan Peterson book "Understanding Exposure" is really great. If you search videos in Google using a search like "tutorial digital photography" you will quickly find a LOT of general information. Add more specific terms as you progress. You can even enter "Canon 550D" and you will find stuff on just your particular camera (buttons and controls, etc.). I bought the book "Canon T3i/600D For Dummies" which is a good reference, and they make an edition for your model too.

I would consider buying an inexpensive tripod early on.

I'd also buy a bird feeder, preferably near a window you can shoot through.

I'd also suggest looking into getting a separate speedlite flash unit, though that would not reach far enough for birds (outside of the zoo). A flash can make a mediocre lens work almost as well as a higher-end lens at short range, because flash adds light, mitigating much of the "shutter speed gap" you have by virtue of not having a very wide aperature (expensive) lens.

[William W]

COMMENT on some LEARNING METHODOLOGIES:

I rarely make direct comments upon others' posts: but I will on this thread.

There are many suggestions made on this thread basically directing Martin to the best way to go about learning photography.

Those suggestions include a RANGE of METHODOLOGIES of LEARNING offered as ‘the best’, ‘what to do first’ – including: reading the manual; getting a book; searching for the vision, etc . . .

The point is: ALL those suggestions are correct.

AND the other point is the REASON that ALL those suggestions are correct, is because EACH methodology as described, very likely REFLECTS that author’s own PREFERRED and BEST Methodology of Learning.

***

EXPLANATION of one TEACHING METHODOLOGY:

One of the key reasons a Teacher might ask a Student to accurately define a difficulty, in the STUDENT’S OWN WORDS, is not so the TEACHER understands better the Problem, but rather the Teacher gets a better understanding of the Student’s inclinations; adaptively and learning preferences.

***

QUOTE of the WEEK:

the best way to start depends on you. Different people learn different ways.

YES!
Nailed it: in two simple sentences.

WW

[robertpobert]

Whatever your intentions and goals are do not take too much on in one go but do what you are happy with and try to improve on that - be prepared for a long and an enjoyable(not always) journey .

[RustBeltRaw]

Any learning process that yields good photos is valid. I have a fairly technical approach, and shoot full manual almost permanently, which is the most painstaking possible method. I've read the manual for my camera, flash, and even lenses cover-to-cover, and can change almost any setting without leaving the viewfinder, but that does not mean I'm brilliant. I'm weak on composition and have some habits from starting with low-light work that become handicaps under better conditions. As far as I'm concerned, composition is harder than technical mastery, so I think those advising starting with program mode and developing your eye are on the right track. Then the trick is expanding your technical knowledge to identify and plug the gaps in your results.

But whatever you do, please don't become one of those people with a $7,000 setup that never leaves program mode. Regardless of their results, that lot drives me crazy.

[Tonykro]

This has been the best post I have EVER read.

I totally agree with this. It reminds me of a story of the American author, Sinclair Lewis who arrived at Harvard to give a creative writing class and said. “Hands up, all those who want to be writers!” he yelled. Everyone’s hand went up. “Then why the hell aren’t you home writing?”
On a personal note, I only took photography up as a serious hobby, and started to think about shutter speed and aperture and ISO settings and all that kind of thing a year or so ago after I had been on Safari in Kenya.
I had bought a Panasonic Lumix and had it permanatly set on auto and captured what to date is my only published photo, which was picked up in a couple of UK national newspapers - I will probably never achieve anything like this again, however much I continue to learn about settings and golden thirds etc.

[FrankMi]

I had bought a Panasonic Lumix and had it permanatly set on auto and captured what to date is my only published photo, which was picked up in a couple of UK national newspapers - I will probably never achieve anything like this again, however much I continue to learn about settings and golden thirds etc.

Supurb! Of all the things you can master in photography, composition is probably the most rewarding! Thank you so much for sharing.

[bedantabd]

I totally agree with this. It reminds me of a story of the American author, Sinclair Lewis who arrived at Harvard to give a creative writing class and said. “Hands up, all those who want to be writers!” he yelled. Everyone’s hand went up. “Then why the hell aren’t you home writing?”
On a personal note, I only took photography up as a serious hobby, and started to think about shutter speed and aperture and ISO settings and all that kind of thing a year or so ago after I had been on Safari in Kenya.
I had bought a Panasonic Lumix and had it permanatly set on auto and captured what to date is my only published photo, which was picked up in a couple of UK national newspapers - I will probably never achieve anything like this again, however much I continue to learn about settings and golden thirds etc.

Great shot Tony.....very obedient models. They posed in perfect symmetry just the way you must have asked them to........lol.

About composition vs. camera setting: You can set the camera in Auto and take photos like this when the lighting etc. is perfect. But the same would not have been possible under say, poor lighting condition. In that case, setting the camera at a higher shutter speed (either in M or Tv mode) would be necessary to achieve the same result (in Auto mode the camera will simply select a slower shutter speed, resulting in a shaky image). What I mean to say is composition as well as understanding / operating your camera at different settings both are equally important to give you consistent results.