Hi Denise,


I am quite a newbie too, but my advice is:





1. Take as many photographs as you can. Practice a lot.


2. Look at as many good AND bad images as possible. critique them. this will help you a ton.


3. Bring your best SLR and an all-purpose lens (100 macro or 55-250) everywhere you go. Take interesting photos of what you see.


4. Mess with light. fun stuff!


5. Buy Photoshop and before using it, learn its inner workings. This will take a while.


6. DO NOT take boring images. Make them as eye-catching as possible.


7. Use fill-flash.


8. Buy a good general-purpose lens you can take around wherever you go (100 macro??).


9. Be active in a photo forum, such as this one. Ask questions and post openly.


10. Use a tripod.


Photography, in my opinion, is one fourth photographer, one fourth equipment, one fourth situation, and one fourth dumb luck. Without one of these components the result will be lacking.





Practice DOES make perfect, but I recommend a class with other, living people at your local camera shop. (mine offers classes, where do you live?)





hope this helps, and good luck!


brendan[H]