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I'm just going to throw this out there: If you want to become a better photographer you do it through practice and repetition, not theory. I know it's the count

I'm just going to throw this out there: If you want to become a better photographer you do it through practice and repetition, not theory. I know it's the counterpoint to this thread, but don't let your camera collect dust, use it every day. Critique and then delete your own work. Get muscle memory to be your friend so you never miss that split second where you have the perfect shot. Obviously there is always more to learn (and you should), and clearly i'm NOT advocating that you upload all of your photos to instagram/facebook. But I am suggesting you will learn more by doing then you ever will reading theory. That being said, I bought Understanding Exposure http://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Exposure-3rd-Edition-Photographs/dp/0817439390 http://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Exposure-3rd-Edition-Pho... based on some HN recommendations (i think), and it covered the basics of everything I needed to know from a technical perspective. I recommend it if you are starting out.

fluxquanta 11y ago
Just finished that book last night, actually. And perhaps I was being a little over dramatic with the "collecting dust" bit. I've used the camera everyday since I've gotten it, if not just to drill the features and how to access them into my head. And also, part of the reason why I've been reading more than shooting for the past week has been that spring still hasn't come yet up here, and I haven't wanted to stand outside in the below freezing cold during the ~2ish hours of daylight after I get home from work.
- asteadman 11y ago
  Appears that you're upstate New York from your previous comments. I'm in Edmonton, Canada. For half of the year it is literally dark when I go to work in the morning and dark when I drive home. I'm envious of your 2 hours. (Of course the flip side is that the other half of the year it's never dark).
  - fluxquanta 11y ago
    Ah, okay. I'm about an hour south of Ottawa, actually. Not quite as bad as up in Edmonton, I'm sure, but I can relate to the winter darkness. Between November and March I'm lucky if I get a cold 15 minutes of sunshine on my drive in to work in the morning.

fluxquanta 11y ago

Just finished that book last night, actually. And perhaps I was being a little over dramatic with the "collecting dust" bit. I've used the camera everyday since I've gotten it, if not just to drill the features and how to access them into my head. And also, part of the reason why I've been reading more than shooting for the past week has been that spring still hasn't come yet up here, and I haven't wanted to stand outside in the below freezing cold during the ~2ish hours of daylight after I get home from work.

asteadman 11y ago
Appears that you're upstate New York from your previous comments. I'm in Edmonton, Canada. For half of the year it is literally dark when I go to work in the morning and dark when I drive home. I'm envious of your 2 hours. (Of course the flip side is that the other half of the year it's never dark).
- fluxquanta 11y ago
  Ah, okay. I'm about an hour south of Ottawa, actually. Not quite as bad as up in Edmonton, I'm sure, but I can relate to the winter darkness. Between November and March I'm lucky if I get a cold 15 minutes of sunshine on my drive in to work in the morning.