i just recently bought a camera, its a canon rebel T2, its nothing special or anything, i didnt want to spend all my money on a camera, so i thought this was suitable enough for a beginner, ive always liked cameras and taking pictures but i havent had a job till now, i am 17 now and i have my first job, and the first thing i got was the camera. hhhmmmm, so thats my life story!! but the reason for me posting this is that i want tips on using the camera, and just things that will help me, thanks. oh, and the reason why i bought a 35mm SLR in this age of digitalization(????) is because im not really into digital cameras and for some reason i just prefer SLR's and the use of good old film. dont get me wrong, i still appreciate something that has been enhanced in any way, but i just prefer the original shot. but anyway, please reply. thanks

The biggest thing that im going to suggest is to take lots of pictures and post some here (if you have a scanner) to try and get some feeback. When people comment on pictures listen to them. Some comments wont be what you agree with but its someones oppinion so something can proabbly be learned from it. And ya, just take lots, and figure out what works and what doesn't.

thanks for your comment, i dont have a scanner, but ive been planning on getting one. as for now, ill take your advice and just take pictures.
thanks.

if you dont have a scanner and would like to post them you can go to some special developing stores and they will put youre photos on a cd for you. I personally would rather do that because I can choose whatever ones I like and print them at home and its easier to get them on the website.

Riley

Kodak has some good tips for beginning photographers:

http://www.kodak.com/eknec/PageQuerier.jhtml?pq-path=2/3/38&pq-locale=en_US

But you can't really on just reading it. You have to takes pictures, evaluate them your self and have others evaluate them.

The biggest tip I have is to turn off all of your automatic settings. This is the best way to learn about how photography works. With full manual control you will be able to learn about and master depth of field, interesting use of shutter speeds and, most importantly, proper metering.

Oh, and taking lots of pictures helps too. You can't learn if you don't experiment.

www.photo.net will tell you every thing you need to know.

I have a "Ti" as a back-up. Nice camera for what it is.

some great tutorials here on this site
well worth a read

a big tip ... bracketing

bracket your exposures a bit brighter a bit darker
bracket your depth of field a bit shallower a bit deeper (fstop dependent)
bracket your compositions a bit to the left a bit to the right, up and down etc
bracket your zoom
change position
dont always stand to take your photos, kneel even lie down for some unexpected perspectives on ordinary items

in otherwords ... take lots of pics of a subject that are subtly or even grossly different from each other
youll soon learn the artistic effects you want to employ and how to achieve them

photography even with an slr isnt always quite wysiwyg (what you see is what you get) and its the differences between your eye and the camera (system - body lens film/sensor + exposure) you will get a feel for as you gain more experience and use to your advantage

and then theres photoshop! ;)

I would have to agree with SageIdiot . . . Learn in manual to build a better understanding of mechanics. If you don't feel comfortable with full manual, try aperture priority or shutter priority. These will allow you to have some manual control and let the camera meter the light for the picture. I would also suggest a tripod - Not only for steadying the camera, but also to allow you to change settings on the camera without having to reframe the shot (great for getting used to a new camera). I hope this helps. . . Looking forward to your work and Good Luck!

I am a beginner but have always found photograhpy intresting, could someone please give me tips on what's a sutible camera for me and where to get started on taking good photos? Thanks... ps. still st school, just quit part time work, small amount of cash for camera... lol

Small amount of cash means no digital . . . I would advise either saving money for a long time and getting a good digital camera (good meaning good optical zoom) or if you want a camera today, get a low-end film SLR camera and get the cd when you develope your film. As for where to get started, start where you are comfortable. Your first pictures should be testing the camera -- see what it can do and more importantly, what it can't do. After you know what your camera can do, move to subjects that interest you and try to find something artistic about the subject. As mentioned above . . . Practice Practice Practice