Beginner, need advice/help on how to get started

[oneloveonetime]

I want to start photography as a hobby or for friends/family. I have a Nikon D3100. Where should I begin?

 

[KmH]

Start by reading the camera Reference Manual. The manual is a PDF file on the software disc.
Have your camera close at hand so you can push all the buttons related to the section of the manual you are reading.

Next read these Digital Photography Tutorials

Additional reading:

Scott Kelby's Digital Photography Boxed Set, Parts 1, 2, 3, and 4
Digital Photography Masterclass
Digital Photography Essentials
Understanding Exposure, 3rd Edition: How to Shoot Great Photographs with Any Camera

Bryan Peterson's Understanding Composition Field Guide: How to See and Photograph Images with Impact
Learning to See Creatively: Design, Color & Composition in Photography (Updated Edition)
Beyond Portraiture: Creative People Photography
The Photographer's Eye: Composition and Design for Better Digital Photos
The Photographer's Mind: Creative Thinking for Better Digital Photos
The Photographer's Vision: Understanding and Appreciating Great Photography

On-Camera Flash Techniques for Digital Wedding and Portrait Photography
Off-Camera Flash Techniques for Digital Photographers

Light Science and Magic. 4th Edition - An Introduction to Photographic Lighting
Light It, Shoot It, Retouch It: Learn Step by Step How to Go from Empty Studio to Finished Image (Voices That Matter)
Photographic Lighting Equipment: A Comprehensive Guide for Digital Photographers
Minimalist Lighting: Professional Techniques for Studio Photography
Minimalist Lighting: Professional Techniques for Location Photography
Posing for Portrait Photography: A Head-to-Toe Guide for Digital Photographers
Doug Box's Guide to Posing for Portrait Photographers

 

[BGeise]

Start taking pictures of what interests you or what you see is picture worthy. Edit them if you have software. If you don't just post some of what you are shooting and ask for comments and critique or as we call it C&C. Then we will give you tips and ideas on perfecting your skills. Take the advice and learn. There is a lot of great photographers on here with some great advice. You have come to the right place to learn. Don't be disappointed when your pictures aren't what you see in your head the first time around you will get there just takes patience and practice.

 

[WayneF]

I want to start photography as a hobby or for friends/family. I have a Nikon D3100. Where should I begin?

I would suggest STARTING with this one (the most essential fundamentals, and it is an easy short read).

Understanding Exposure, 3rd Edition: How to Shoot Great Photographs with Any Camera: Bryan Peterson: 0884798534707: Amazon.com: Books

 

[Derrel]

Look for any of the John Hedgcoe books on photography. Learn about "photography",not digital photography and how to run computer software to correct mistakes. Learn how to see and find light and subjects and how to use a camera---not a "digital camera",but a camera. Forget the overly dedicated, era-specific recipe books desined to sell on-line training, and learn the knowledge amassed over the first 140 years of photography, and not just the last decade.

 

[Designer]

Where should I begin?

While you're reading all those excellent books and your user's manual, make LOTS of mistakes. That's right, I said mistakes! Let's face it; nobody is a wonderful photographer the very first shot. When we make mistakes, we learn (hopefully). So you've pretty much got to get those first 10,000 shots out of the way, and the sooner the better.

Now you may think I am being unduly flippant, but you really do have to make a lot of shots to:

1. learn your camera
2. learn the fundamentals of exposure
3. learn the fundamentals of composition
4. learn how to manipulate light

And probably a few other things that I am not thinking of just now.

Anyway, welcome, and have FUN.

 

[Nounboy]

Make photographs.
Don't spend all you time online, talking photography. Don't spend all you time lusting after more and better equipment. Cameras don't MAKE photographs. They TAKE photographs. Just MAKE lots of photographs.

Simple

 

[SmilingTears]

Look for any of the John Hedgcoe books on photography. Learn about "photography",not digital photography and how to run computer software to correct mistakes. Learn how to see and find light and subjects and how to use a camera---not a "digital camera",but a camera. Forget the overly dedicated, era-specific recipe books desined to sell on-line training, and learn the knowledge amassed over the first 140 years of photography, and not just the last decade.

I am also a newbie in photography and the question asked by oneloveonetime in this thread also in my mind too. My question is where i can get John Hedgcoe books online?
Thanks

 

[Ankit]

A great place to learn the basics is Cambridge in Colour - Photography Tutorials & Learning Community

Once you know how to work your camera, its all about going out and shooting. This forum is an immensely helpful place to inquire about any doubts, new techniques, etc.

Happy shooting

 

[wickie44]

When I first started I tried to understand ISO aperture and shutter speed and then I made pictures and I'm still learning

 

[IzzieK]

I want to start photography as a hobby or for friends/family. I have a Nikon D3100. Where should I begin?

You may not realized it yet but you had already started with two reasons being:
One -- you got a camera and
Two -- knowing what you want to photograph.

Welcome to this forum. Hopefully, you will enjoy your stay here. And while you are here, post your shot with a short description and what attracts you to take that photo. Ask for critique and comments for your (and others) learning experience. Go click some post and look at their pictures, their shots for the day/week/months/year...comment on them. If you see a phrase or terminology that seems to confuse you, look it up...google is your friend here...one terminology can lead you to another to those AHA! moments. One thing that helped me here is that looking at the work of others and the comments a post received is that I too became critical of my work and my compositions....my set ups and of course post processing my shots...

In between learning, knowledge and reading and commenting on posts here, take some pictures...more learning. Interact with people here. It is fun. And if your post did not receive any comments despite 40 or 60 views, don't take it personally...even though it is annoying to say the least. Be persistent with your learning. It is worth it.

And that Robbins guy who loves gorillas...don't ignore him contrary to others' comments in this thread -- he is really a sweetie.

And oh, not to forget, we have a mentoring program here ... just remember that people who volunteer their time as mentors, as well moderators here are volunteers, they do not need to be harrassed. They have lives too...being here and enjoying this forum, this site and interaction with members here is a privilege, not a right.

START RIGHT HERE.

 

[Dikkie2]

The main thing for my own experience is I have two ways of shooting.

1st: I always have an image in mind that I want to capture.

For a building for example... I know what building I want to capture, I streetview to see how the surroundings are. I go to the location to see where the shot is best done, what composition, in what season. Do I want this overday or at night, or blue hour?
I really like to plan a photo before I actually make the photograph. And I know beforehand how it needs to look like.


2nd: I can go to a location without knowing what I'm going to shoot and improvise at the moment when I'm there, and surprise myself with the photos I took. I then have to be a lot more creative at the moment, for instant composition etc...


I like doing both ways of shooting.
Sometimes I end up doing the first way, and be surprised I end up with a total different picture I had in mind.

 

[StefanK]

Decide what do you want to photo more - portraits, animals, landscapes or will it be macro photos. As a rule, what you like most - you do it the best. It's impossible to photo everything in the best way. Be attentive to critique - don't take offence and don't be upset. Correctly perceive criticism and learn from it and you will grow as a professional.

 

[robbins.photo]

I want to start photography as a hobby or for friends/family. I have a Nikon D3100. Where should I begin?

Ok, I'm going way out on a limb here I know, but I think the best place to start would be.. and I know, this is going to sound completely whacky, but maybe the best place to start would be by taking pictures.

But seriously, all kidding aside, there really isn't a better teacher than experience. So really your best bet is to take the camera and start using it, in all sorts of lighting conditions. Take the stuff that you think looks good, and look at the settings used - and figure out why it looks good. Then take the stuff that looks bad, and figure out why it looks bad - where did you go wrong? How do you change what you did so that next time when you are in the same situation you'll come away with a good picture, rather than a bad one.

There are tons of books, reference materials, etc available - websites, blogs, all abound. But when your first starting out I think your best bet is to research the basics of exposure first - figure out how Aperture, ISO and Shutter speed work together and what effects they have on the final image. After that, some research on composition is always a huge plus - it will help you present your final images in a much more appealling way and make for a much stronger image.

But most of all I think the real key is to get out and use the camera as much as you can. Get familiar with the controls and settings, experiment with them, figure out what they do and how they affect the final image.

Good luck, and of course if you have any questions feel free to ask.

 

[AceCo55]

Can I just say what a wonderful collection of advice from each of you. You took a very broad request - that could have turned into an attack on "What are your thinking?" - and provided the most important information needed at the start of the OP's journey. Well done.

What I find slightly aggravating is that, after 3 days and 13 responses, the OP hasn't returned to acknowledge the gems of advice provided.
Perhaps I come from a different world but I just can't imagine NOT saying thank-you to people who give their time and expertise to benefit me.

Again ... well done folks. I'm sure plenty of others will come across this thread in the future and will be mighty glad they did.