by Mark Burch

Created on: January 28, 2009

Click, Click, Click, it's an amazing and addicting sound. After all these years, taking a photo is still a magical experience for me. The process of looking through a viewfinder and actually capturing a moment frozen in time forever is just amazing. Most people today have a general interest in photography due to all the technology that allows us to take photos with our cell phones and then share them on websites with all of our friends and family.

So how do you really get started? Well, you probably are already started in some degree. Anyone can take a photo, but there are many levels to be explored, and that is where the true passion will take you on a wonderful ride. The first step is to find someone who has the photography skills that you want to learn. They could be a college kid on the newspaper, or a grandmother who takes awesome pictures with her camera. Decide what kind of photography you want to do, and find someone who can teach you those skills.

I always wanted to be a fashion photographer, so I paid attention to the equipment they were using, and purchased the same items. Once I had the equipment, I would clip out photos in magazines that I liked, and tried to replicate them with my friends and girls that I knew at the time. I can't say enough about practicing your passion, and looking at subjects in unusual ways to capture a unique shot. Photography is an art form and you can create art with a 10 dollar 35mm camera, or a 5000 dollar digital SLR. I have seen great shots taken with a polaroid camera that have emotion and warmth that you couldn't get with a digital camera. There are many specialties in Photography, some of the more common are landscape, wildlife, portrait, sports, commercial, and so on.

Where do we go from here, honestly, that is up to you at this point. For the majority I would recommend purchasing an 8 to 10 mega-pixel Digital SLR like Nikon, or Canon. Make sure you get an 18-70mm lens for the camera, most are sold as kits. Read the manual and take photos using all the different settings so that you truly understand how the camera works. Purchase an inexpensive tripod, and a UV filter to protect the lens from scratches. Research cameras on websites, join a camera club in your town, and search for images online that represent what you want to shoot, most have meta data that tell you which camera was used, lens, shutter speed, etc.

If you truly think you have an exceptional eye for this craft, and you just can't put your camera down, now is the time to make some money. email and call any non-profit foundations, local newspapers, local magazine editors and ask for an assignment. Most of the smaller companies have monthly newsletters that require a few photos, and even your local YMCA needs photos taken. Maybe they pay you, maybe not. At this point you just want to build your portfolio, so that you can get paid down the road. As you gain experience and confidence you can truly enjoy your photography skills and actually get paid for it.

Below are some very good websites to get you started.
www.dpreview.com is a professional website with camera reviews and forums for asking questions.www.pbase.com, some of the best photographers post pictures here.http://digital-photography-school.com, a basic step by step tutorial on different ways to use your camera.

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