Brand New

Some people like the NYIP online course. I suggest going to a well stocked bookstore and getting a basic photography book. John Hedgecoe has a few good ones and Bryan Peterson recently came out with a good guide book. Go through it section by section. There's too much to digest at any one time. You should also read the manual that came with the camera. If it's not well written, get the Magic Lantern Guide to your camera. You should also subscribe to one or more photography magazines. My favorite is still Popular Photography.

Do some reading and a lot of shooting and ask all the questions you want. Most of all be patient. It takes time to be good. You wouldn't expect to pick up a tennis racket and play like a pro right away.

Start here . It's cheap and good; two terms that are often mutually exclusive.

Hi Ellie,

I too am extremely new to DSLR... but what I've done to save money (i'm a student) but still get to learn at taking better pictures is as follows:

Study your camera's manual - you'll be surprise how much you can learn just by studying the manual

Take pictures of the same thing in different settings and log them... it helps to see what different settings with the same object can look like and you'll learn lots that way

With the photos you take pick the ones you like the most, post it and ask for a critique. (let them know you're a beginner) and the feedback you get is incredible in your learning process.

Ask questions... Be smart about it... do a search of your question prior to posting.. most of the time someone has already posted that question before and you can get a load of information just by reading their posts.

You'll learn a load just by coming on this site and reading what other people have to say and look through other's portfolios.

I used to tease my partner about his obsession with his Subaru forum... but now I can understand why he would always be on it... It's so informative and best of all, it can be done at your own time and it's free!! (well, minus the subscription cost if you decide to sign up.)
Welcome to PN! You'll learn soo much and will continue to learn daily! Happy Shooting!
B from Tdot.

Hello Ellie. Welcome to Photo.net and to DSLR photography. I never had time to take any photography classes myself. When I started out, in addition to A LOT of reading P.net, I got the Magic Lantern Guide for my camera. The good thing about guides like these is that, as they are explaing things, they also tell you how to do them on your particular camera. I've also read lots of recomendations for Bryan Peterson's book ("Understanding Exposure" I think it's called). There are lots of other books and guides out there too. If you do decide to get a book, I recomend reading it with your camera close by so that you can try things out as your reading them. It will be much more meaningful that way. There's no need to try to read the whole thing at one sitting. Read one section and then go out and practice. Good Luck!

Links to illustrated online tutorials, some video tutorials, mostly free .

Ellie,

You’ve gotten gobs of extremely helpful advice from everybody who’se written above me. But they’ve all overlooked what I consider to be the most important.

With your camera, you bought an all-you-can-eat lifetime’s supply of “film.” Be sure to get your money’s worth.

Cheers,

b&

I'd like to echo Ben's point. Well made.

If by 'classes' you mean 'workshops' (on specific topics) then yes, they can certainly be useful. But otherwise I wouldn't spend any resources or energy on classes or courses (unless you want access to specific equipment which you can't access on your own). I'll concisely list what you need to consider:

- Look at lots and lots and lots and lots of photos (e.g. I love old stock catalogues)
- Hand around PN a lot ;-)
- Take lots and lots and lots and lots of photos
- Have higher standards than you can reach

Ellie,
One of the best resources (and most overlooked!) is your User Manual!
Study the User's Manual that came with your camera. It will not only teach you the "basics of photography" but also how to find and use the "features" of your camera along the way.
As other's have said, take a lot of shots, study the work of other's, and don't hesitate to ask questions! Just make sure you have some "fun along the way!" Don't be afraid to use some of the "auto" settings once in awhile!
Best wishes,

Ellie,

I also would recommend John Hedgecoe's Modern Photography book. ( Big blue hard cover thing ). It covers a lot of topics and has plenty of examples. What is good about this sort of book is you learn the photography jargon and what all those settings do. THEN you have a better foundation to learn from and ask specific questions.

I also like Bryan Petersons books. His newest "Photography Guide" ( Which then says something about taking great shots with any camera ) is another good book for using your camera creatively. I have his "Understanding Exposure" book as well as his " Guide to Close-up Photography" book. Those two subjects are covered in that first one I mentioned, with a bit less completeness. I found the "Exposure" books to have lots of good ideas that I could put to use, not boring textbook like ideas.

Those two books still require you to know how you camera works, so you can follow along. So, start dog-earing that manual. If the manual seems to be written by an engineer who didn't have a firm grasp of English, then a Magic Lantern book would be a good second option.