I need Photography Help!?

Ansel Adams was an iconic photographer, but his books are a bit heavy reading for a young beginner. A better suggestion for a novice would be "Understanding Exposure", by Bryan Peterson.

Here are a couple of links I like for beginners:

http://asp.photo.free.fr/Composition/photoProgramC...

http://www.kodak.com/eknec/PageQuerier.jhtml?pq-pa...

Visit the library or bookstore for a book on the basics. Read your camera manual to get the best from your gear. Take a class if possible, or join a local club or group. Ask a more experienced photographer or family shutterbug for help and mentoring. Learn a few of the technical and artistic basics, and keep practicing. Don't ruin your photos with excessive post processing manipulation.

Look at lots of good images, pay attention to the lighting and composition. Different subjects look better under various lighting. Sunset and sunrise are better for portraits and landscapes. Closeups of flowers and other objects and portraits often benefit from overcast. Bright and sunny mid-days are often not good lighting for photography because the light is bright and overhead, creating harsh shadows and highlights. Try it yourself. Go out and shoot the same scene early in the morning, again at mid day, late in the afternoon, and at or just after sunset. See the difference light will make.

Begin learning and continue to practice. As you learn and your skill grows, your photography will get better and better. Here is a link to my Flickr snaps if you want to visit.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/12604020@N05/

Best wishes and happy shooting!

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

Reading Ansel Adam's series on the camera would be a good start.

While it is good to shoot outdoors, it's better to expand your experience to shooting in light less than ideal. You figure the National geographic photographers have to. Take a class or workshop on studio lighting if possible. Try not to rely on Photoshop 24/7 and imagine your camera to be a film one. It will make you limit and compose your compositions more carefully. Taking a painting class will help you to see composition and lighting as the mastesr did. Visit museums to see photographs as well as other art and your local library for info. Good luck!

Lighting is most important (i won a photo contest). Early morning lighting is very nice and so is just b4 the sun starts to set in the sky. During the day though you will want a clear day.

Tricks to getting good light....use a mirror and reflect light onto the object.....takes practice.

Good Luck (:

Trick Photography & Special Effects : http://tinyurl.com/7yHsL8WnfS

Outside on a sunny day for the best lighting.