[E85BMW]

I'm about to purchase a Canon T3i from a friend of mine. I admit I am an amateur when it comes to photography, but I do admire it, and it will be a step up from shooting with my phone. Plus, I want to take night shots as well.

TLDR, any tips for a beginner?

[BMW F22]

I guess the only tip I have is to go out and shoot/practice. Also, you should pick up a copy of "Understanding Exposure" by Bryan Peterson.

I'm not an expert so I'll let other, more qualified members on here chime in (dcstep, m_six, druu, seminole, etc.).

[ddk632]

If you want to take night shots, get a decent, sturdy tripod with a ball head. I like Manfrotto and their prices are reasonable, with good quality.

Read Understanding Exposure by Brian Peterson.

Then, understand exposure
(Seriously!)

And yes, go out and shoot with it often.

[E85BMW]

Thanks

[M_Six]

3rd vote for Understanding Exposure. Single best photography book there is.

[Twix]

4th vote for Understanding Exposure. I came to this page last year after buying my first camera (T3i) and they recommended that book. After reading it my photos have become exponentially better and better.

[druu]

Once you've done a little reading try to just go out and shoot, shoot until you've reached the limits of your gear before you even think about any kind of gear upgrading too. A camera, kit lens, tripod and any entry level flash unit is pretty much all anyone needs for a very long time.

[E85BMW]

Thanks again, everyone. I will definitely give this book a read and once I've gotten somewhat proficient with the camera, I'll post some pics and hope they come out alright.

[khaye1]

What they said...when I first started, someone in here actually sent me a digital copy of Understanding Exposure. For some odd reason I can't seem to find it now...I looked before posting this. It is a good read.

Fort Walton beach! I was stationed at Elgin for a bit. I love that place and if there's any place you go out and shoot landscape/beaches, that would be it.

Post some of those emerald waters and spring breakers would you!

[E85BMW]

Nice. I'm from California!

[dcstep]

Welcome.

What kind of night shots are you going for? Some require tripods (streaking tail lights of cars, some night architecture), but others, like street photography merely requires raising the ISO up around ISO 1600 and holding the camera real steady.

The T3i has pretty good high-ISO performance, but starts adding a lot of noise past ISO 1600. If you need to push for higher ISO, then you'll need to start shooting in Raw and invest in some noise reduction software. Canon's Digital Photo Professional came with your camera and is a great way to start playing in the Raw world without any incremental investment.

While you're learning exposure and getting used to your camera by shooting a lot, JPEG shooting is an okay way to start. Ultimately, you'll need to go to Raw, if you want to get the most out of your images.

Dave