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Dumb fucker

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HWW
Posts: 3084 - Karma: 3,436
Hi, I would like to get some advice on what possibilities there are in my situation.

About two years ago I bought a Nikon d5000, having been tricked into thinking I actually needed it. The truth is, I had no idea about cameras and I still don't now. Sure, it takes nice pictures, but if you ask me about specifics or tell me to shoot in a certain way, I really have no clue.

I have tried to get into photography, but most people's advice is just to shoot pictures until you work new things out. My pictures usually look the same though; they show whatever the camera is pointing at & they are usually in automatic mode. If I try shooting in manual mode, they always look worse, (or any other mode)no matter what I try, and so I've looked on the internet & various forums, searching for things which I could start my learning with. Most articles only explain complicated processes which require knowledge of other things first.

Are there any places I can go to start photography from a complete beginner level & actually make progress as I shoot more photos? Which easy subjects should I try to take photos of & be able to notice anything good at all about my pictures?
Nov 28 2012 10:01AM
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Mag
Posts: 8155 - Karma: 14,809
When you say they look worse in manual mode, how? Bad exposure, noisy?
Nov 28 2012 10:03AM
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HWW
Posts: 3084 - Karma: 3,436
Lots of things, I guess mainly the wrong exposure. Noise hasn't been too much of an issue, but it's just the fact that my camera can do so many things, and I don't know which ones I should try learning more about, or how to find it out.
Nov 28 2012 12:51PM
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Mag
Posts: 8155 - Karma: 14,809
Does your camera have a histogram feature? Using that will help a lot.
Nov 28 2012 12:54PM
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panojibber.
Posts: 1041 - Karma: 683
Start out learning about ISO, Shutter Speed, and Aperture.
Chances are if your pictures look really bad in manual then its something wrong with one of those 3 elements.
Reading the instructions is also a really good idea.
Nov 28 2012 1:17PM
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JibbaTheHutt
Posts: 2132 - Karma: 1,597
this, play around with all those things untill you are comfortable with what each of them do and what their purpose is.
Nov 28 2012 3:32PM
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skiP.E.I.
Posts: 7816 - Karma: 21,834
As other people said, expirimenting with your shutter speed, aperture and ISO should solve most problems you would be having. Things like just shooting the same subject in similar lighting across your whole ISO range is a big help. If you can't figure out how to access your cameras certain featurest, consult the manual.
Also it takes a while to get really used to how each of those three factors can effect the product in relation to each other, so be patient, don't expect to know it all right away.
In my opinion, striking/interesting composition or narrative is more interesting than having technically perfect photos and I don't think that's only true for me. Don't worry too much about those technical things, because as you shoot more you will develop those skills

Giving yourself little assignments/goals can help too, for example picking out specific compositions (i.e. two vertical, two horizontal and a diagonal element)

Try to use your camera every day as well.

I found learning on a manual 35 mm SLR was helpful because it seemed like a more direct relationship between me hands and the inside of the camera, so it might be worthwhile to try shooting 35 mm. It's pretty easy to find those for under $100 too.
Nov 28 2012 4:41PM
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HWW
Posts: 3084 - Karma: 3,436
Perfect, thanks for all the tips everyone who posted.
Nov 30 2012 5:05PM
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