I recently bought a Nikon D5300 as my first DSLR and I've been very happy with it. A lot of the advice you have received here really resonates with me. In addition, here are some of the things I've done to improve my use of the D5300: I've bought an ebook about the D5300. I take pictures every day to practice. I've taken a photography beginners' course. I use the Internet actively to increase both my technical, compositional and processing skills. And I'm constantly experimenting with processing my images in Lightroom.
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Back from Alaska. Thoughts and Questions on First DSLR.
- Thread starter Dick Whitman
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The above can't be emphasized enough. jojoba may be doing so and didn't mention it, but set specific "assignments" for yourself. Even better, adopt assignments others are doing at the same time so you can not only gain constructive critique but you also can expand you horizons seeing other people's interpretation of the same assignment.
While this is a great Mac oriented forum I recommend a more photography oriented place such a http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/ I also like dpreview.com but realize it tends to be a little more gear/tech oriented.
If you shoot raw and don't mind the less-than-the-best images it can be. Understanding Exposure is often recommended as a beginner's book- snow, sand, bright sun, large swaths of sky and heavy shade are all challenging shooting environments where the camera's meter isn't always going to get it right, and knowing how to compensate for that is very important.
No amount of practice outside those conditions is going to help if you don't understand what your camera is metering and how to adjust it or at least use the histogram.
Paul