Photography Tutorial: Starting Out

When I first started out...

Everything I learned I did so myself. Looking back, I'm surprised I somehow worked myself through the last two years without taking a class or something. But I think learning on my own helped me become more independent as a photographer. Well I am proud of how far I've come,but it was anything but smooth sailing. So I've compiled a list of things that you should know so everything is a little less bumpy-road for you.

Know what you want to do first...

Sounds simple, but is rather complicated. Decide what you want to do. Do you want to shoot weddings? Do you want to do conceptual work? Or do you want to travel around the world and take pictures of the landscapes? No matter what anyone says, it does matter in the end. When I first started out, I was taking pictures of landscapes and snow- then I decided to take conceptual photography, and now it's macro photography. When your goals change, the equipment you use is going to change too. Each change in direction ended up with me either spending more money, or spending a couple of months at a time making mistakes trying to learn what to do.
Believe it or not, it matters. Why? Because there isn't a do-it-all lens or camera. There just isn't. For each goal you have as a photographer there might be a different lens, or new equipment.
Not knowing what you want will cost some money in the end, or in some cases, a lot of money. If you want to do protraits and end up buying a fisheye lens because it's on sale and you have no idea what it does, you're not taking a step toward your goal- you're taking several back.  True, you're learning by making your own mistakes, but I'd rather you not learn the hard way, which brings me to my next point...

Be Realistic-Seriously!
When you start out, or even a couple months in- you have really high hopes. Everyone does, when I first started out I thought I was the best and I had all the hope in the world. But the truth is, I wasn't very good. But no one told me. You realize after a time- don't aim too high. You have to be realistic.
When you aim too high, you might fall short. Falling too short can always be discouraging and then you end up thinking that you're not any good. Not realizing that if you aim to high, you're setting yourself up for disappointment. You can't mount the horse for the first time and assume you're going to be amazing- it just doesn't work that way. There's a first time for everything- and you're not always going to be good at it. So keep your expectations realistic. It'll save you a lot of problems.
When you first start, try shooting shadows or simple things. Try getting non-blurry images with longer than average exposure. Don't try to take a big panorama on your first day without a tripod. Take baby-steps. It may take longer, but it'll involve less backtracking.