new to photography...

[djtjr85]

hi im new to photography and to the boards so hello all. I just bought my first DSLR and its the canon t1i and ive been having alot of fun just messing with all the different functions (i used to be a point and shoot owner) so all this is very new. This is a hobby ive wanted to get into for a very long time and decided to pull the trigger on buying a camera and getting started on it. I was just wondering if there are any books to help me out that you guys/ladies would suggest for a new comer? Im looking to maybe get the "dummies" book for digital photography, just wondering if this is worth the money? thanks

[omni]

Hi and welcome to the forum! I'm in the same exact spot as you, except I own a T2i.
As for the book, I probably won't be able to help you too much on that. But one thing I have to say is that I've learned so much more about photography by doing it, rather than reading about it. If you're looking for information on lenses and their components, or photography terms such as aperture or what not, you can easily find that from the internet. I'd say that by just subscribing to this site is enough to learn new things about photography.
And if you know you're going to need your camera for a specifiction situation, such as traveling to Hawaii for vacation, you can easily read the Travel Photography articles.

[DivotMaker]

Welcome.

If you are looking for great advice, you have come to the right place. While I am not sure I would curl up with a good book, I can say by checking over this site you will find a ton of knowledge...for the taking.

There is a great post going on right now.....

Advice for first time dslr owners

And just by going through the tutorials...or reading the awesome articles posted on the main page (just click the DPS icon on the top of any page) ...you will find more than enough information to get you started.

But most of all, get your camera out...take some pictures, post some pictures, and listen to the advice..

Oh, and have FUN doing it....

[BioSpark]

Hey,

Welcome to the forum! I'm a bit a of a troll when it comes to this board, but I've made a plan to try and help out. What I did when I first got my camera was to either hit up the library for resources about the camera, or order a book from amazon on the specific brand of camera you have.

I have a 50D so I went and bought a book specifically written for a 50D. I read it from front to back and then read it again. After I had gotten a hang on what does what when and where, I then moved on to learning composition, portraits styles etc. Before anything, I would FIRST learn everything about the camera, because you can't really learn the different photography styles without first knowing what button helps you out with that photography style.

Hope this helps mate!

[djtjr85]

thanks all for the info, ive read the owners manual front to back, and i just feel like im understanding the camera but i would like to get a better grasp on the functions and when and where to use certain settings. I didnt spend the cash to leave the thing on auto lol.

[DivotMaker]

I understand..completely.

Best advice I can give you is read the link I posted above, then take some shots. Post them in the Critique sections...and listen to the feedback. People here are great, and everyone understands....and just wants to help you get better.

There is some great advice, from all angles of photography, here. You just have to post and ask for it...and then study what you were told.

Enjoy!

[Wanders]

I am new to photography as well. Besides DTS I have been reading "The Digital Photography Book" by Scott Kelby. I am finding it very helpful and it talks about photography in such a way that makes it really easy to understand.