Photography?

Almost every single photographer that I've come across, amateur and professional, started off by reading books and magazines. That's also how I started, too.

Go to a library and look up some old books on black and white (film) photography that will explain the parts of a camera, the different lenses, different films and filters, and explain to you such things as ISO (you may find it in the book as ASA and DIN), and learn about aperture and shutter speed and the relationship they play in a correct exposure and how they relate to depth of field; also learn about the composition and colors. I suggest that you pay attention to the terms used so that you'll be able to enjoy what you read and also understand more.

Once you're familiar with the camera parts and basic concepts of photography, get another book on color photography. Afterward, you may also want to pick up a book on digital photography since by then you'll be able to understand most of the concepts of this new medium.

Then you will have to make an important decidion: whether to learn with a film SLR camera or a SLR digital camera. That is going to be up to you. That's why it's important that you read about film as well as digital technology. What you learn in film technology will carry over into digital technology, but not much of what you learn about digital will carry over to film technology.

Insofar as cameras, if you choose to learn with a film camera, I suggest that you get the best for the money and the most versatile film camera: the Nikon N80; and the most versatile lens, Nikkor AF 28-105mm f/3.5-5.6D (or the cheaper version, Nikkor AF 35-105 f/3.5-5.6D-macro), and one of the best places to get this camera and lens at a great price is: www.keh.com.

If, however, you decide on a digital camera, you can choose either the Nikon D50 or the newer D80 (a little more expensive), and I suggest the very versatile lens, the Nikkor AF DX 18-135mm lens, and the best place to get this camera and lens is www.bhphotovideo.com (B & H Photo-Video is located in NYC).

You may want to take a Beginner's Course at a local community college near you through their Adult, Evening & Continuing Education Department, or at a YMCA or YWCA or any similar institution. You'd be surprised how much you will learn from these classes and in such a short time, too! You'll also enjoy the feedback from the instructor and the other students. I really recommend these classes.

Best of luck and best wishes.

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I am a photographer, like my father before me.

To really learn photography as an art, I recommend looking into some older books on SLR photography. Spend some time playing with different aperture, exposure, and lighting so that you know how to make the picture appear the way you want it, especially if that differs from the way it looks in real life.

Most people just point and shoot, but if you play with the settings on your camera, whether SLR or digital, you can make beautiful prints without having to cheat and alter the pictures afterward. Try to find an old photo development guide. Perhaps your school has one in the photo lab or the yearbook department. Also, older camera dealers may have them for you to purchase/borrow.

The best way to learn photography is from a good photographer. See if one of the newspaper photographers will take you out and give you some pointers. Tell them they can put it on their resume. Go practice. That's the beauty of digital...instant feedback and you don't have to print the pictures to see differences in the settings.

I enjoy photography, I have always had a camera, but only recently got into PHOTOGRAPHY. Everyone before me gave great advice, but one thing I havent seen mentioned here was DeviantArt.com This is an amazing community for artists of all kinds, mainly photographers. There are chatrooms where you can have fun, chat, and ask any question you have and get your answers quickly. There they have tutorials on everything involving photography. You can learn what camera is best for you, in your price range etc. You can also enter free contests that give you photo ideas and help you better yourself. You can move at your own pace, and if you put up your photography there, you can get constructive critisism, and complements on things you enter. Best of all, if you really get into it, you can make money by selling your photos. People like to have posters, mugs, magnets, calenders and such, and if you learn to take good enough photos, you can make a little extra cash. I wish you the best of luck, and hope to possibly view your art.

I am in my seventies and time is going by so quickly I haven't time to do all the photography I want to do. I can't bend down as I used to and when I do get down there to photograph that bug I can't get up again. I need a powerful diopter to see thru the viewfinder and a caddy to carry my heavy dslr plus this big tripod. (That's my wife). If I sit at my computer too long my back hurts and if I stand up I can't see the screen. Hey this is not the poor me's. I love photography in spite of the challenges and aches & pains. I am living in the most wonderful era of creativity in history and if Beethoven could compose his last symphony while blind I can still create good photos and I'm going to do it till I die Barry

i'm a hobby photographer. I like to take tasteful picture of family and people. I scrapbook for fun and a creative outlet. I'm wanting to be a portrait photographer so i'm taking college classes for it. Here is my advice: get a good camera, digital is great and in the long run cheaper. I found out that processing my film is twice the amount as getting digital prints. Take a few art classes, everything in general. You'll get a feel for your own creative taste. Research photographers, i have quiet a few favorites. And always practice! Learn your camera, always bring it with you, try different angles, lighting, poses, etc.

Good luck!

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Well I am a photographer and the best way to get started is to buy a good camera and go wild! Be creative. People don't want to see party pics of your friends, they want to see the world through you eyes! I would also really recommend that you work with Black&White film and develope it your self! It really allows you to understand how film works. Alot of Digital SLRs do the work for you and if you want to get clients and good jobs with it you have to be able to play with settings and make smart decisions.

I photograph for fun, hobby, and as a class.

The way I got started was to do research on famous photographers, and their styles.

Then I went outside, and just started taking snapshots and then trying to change the idea of them.

If you want to be a photographer, you have to understand that each photo should tell a story, or have the potential to.