I love to take pictures

I have loved taking pictures since I got my first camera for Christmas when I was 12 or 13 years old. It was a Kodak 110 and it used disposable flash cubes that could be used 4 times as it twirled around with each shot.

That camera went everywhere with me. I have owned several cameras over the years but when I got my DSLR last year, I knew I had found my true love. Some of you may already know that I am currently taking a photography class at the local university. I have learned about apertures and depth of field. I have learned about shutter speed and metering and white balance. I have learned to take night shots and to do time lapse photography. This week, I took my very first sunset photos. I don’t think I’ll ever use the auto function on my camera again. I’m hooked.

However, before I found the class I am taking now, I scoured the internet looking for tutorials and tips on how to take better pictures. I have found some really great advice and I have found some really great photo ideas. Here are just a few resources I have found.

Pioneer Woman photography
These women are not only brilliant and talented photographers, they are also hilarious. You will learn photography techniques and photo editing, too

Shutter Sisters
This is a wonderfule place to get inspiration and ideas and to share your stuff, too.

Flickr
This is another place to share your photos and to see photos from people all over the world. There are lots of different sub groups, too.

I like this group which all about creative depth of field. It is called Extreme Bokeh.

Digital Photography School.
I get a daily email from this site with ideas and tips. Just search the site and you can find the answers to just about any questions you might have. They also have challenges each week.

Do you have any sites you go to for photography ideas and tips? Share them with us in this thread.

One of the things I have learned over the past year is that the only way to get any better at this hobby is to practice. I participated in project 365 last year but by the end of the year, it became a burden. This year, I have just concentrated on taking better photos when I do take them. The beauty of digital is that you can take dozens and dozens of shots of the same subject and just delete the ones you don’t want.