Best tip ever
 

Hello,
I've had my camera for a few months but now want to move on from taking just standard family and holiday snaps. I would like to take photography a bit more seriously but am not sure how.

What is the one, most valuable piece of advice that you would pass on to an enthusiastic beginner so that they can improve? Or, was there one thing that you learnt that made a tremendous difference?

The best advice I was ever given was to keep things as simple as possible. When out and about I keep my camera in the fail safe P mode so I am ready to grab a shot if the opportunity arises. Once I have bagged some shots I will then start to take more control and set the camera how I wanted it for the given shot. As I shoot wildlife being able to grab a shot without worrying about camera settings means that I am more likely to get the shot and also more likely to get the composite right. Some people wouldn't agree with my approach but it works for me so that's what I do.

I'd definitely recommend finding your way rather than thinking that you have to shoot how the 'experts' do. I know plenty of wildlife photographers who use back button focusing and always use manual exposure, but it's just not for me. Does it make me less of a photographer? To be honest I don't care if it does so long as I can get results that I am happy with.

The other thing that I would suggest is always having a camera with you. I am a bit obsessive with this (sometimes to the annoyance of my wife and kids) as I do not leave the house without a camera. It can become a slight hassle but when you bag a good photo that you might have missed it seems worth it.

I shoot mostly landscape, so unlike Peter, quick reactions are less critical for me. My routine is to return the camera to my prefered settings before I switch it off, even in the middle of a shoot, so I dont get caught out if I forget to check before I make an exposure. On the whole it isnt a major problem if I get it wrong and have to reshoot, but even with landscapes, sometimes there are unrepeatable shots, so knowing where you are starting from helps.
Other than that - the most useful advice I was given was to take a spare battery and memory card, and not to rush. Above all though, have fun with it!

Study composition.

Look at other peoples photos and try to analyse what you do or do not like about them. Do the same with your own shots.
Also having composed the shot take time to look round the whole frame so you spot distractions and other mistakes before pressing the shutter button. It is all to easy for our eyes to only see the subject when looking through the viewfinder and not notice things that are wrong until later. When you view the shots on the computer later these mistakes are all too obvious. We have all done things like the classic lamppost or tree growing out of someone's head.

I am too a beginner.I appreciate you guys for ur valuable advice becuse if you become creative photographer you'll have to think like a photographer each and every moment.it will help you for ur skills improvement

Best advice I can give is have a go and try the different settings and see what happens with the image ,if you want to have more control over your camera .
Also Youtube is a great way to learn also .

If you don't already know then I would recommend reading and understanding the role of aperture, shutter speed and iso and how the 3 interact with each other. Once you have got these it opens up a world of freedom to start experimenting for yourself.

THere are 3 very good "Stickies" at the top the General Photography Technique forum which are a great place to start.

Practice, practice, practice and then practice more!

Experiment. Take risks. Develop a personal style and vision: it's what will set you apart as a photographer.