1. First of all, the digital camera you use should be an slr (single lens reflex) camera that lets you set it to fully manual, and allows for lens changes.

2. Take one basic photography class if possible. It doesn’t have to be an expensive college class or a professional class. It can be a class at your local community center. The most important thing is to have a professional photographer around that you can learn from. It also helps to have others around who are also learning, that way you can learn from them.

3. If you can’t take a photography class (and even if you can) find a photography book that covers the basics of using an slr camera. Read through each chapter once and then go out and shoot. Take it with you when you go out shooting.

4. Download some photography projects from the web that tell you step by step how to shoot various subjects to get different effects.

5. Don’t wait until you have an event to go to learn digital slr photography. They say practice makes perfect, so take your camera, your book or project sheet and go somewhere. It should be a place that you enjoy so it will inspire your creative side.

6. Try shooting different things and in different places. Shoot outdoors scenes, and then shoot indoor closeups of still lifes, like flowers.

7. Play around with the different aperture setting and keep a record of what the setting were on each image. This will help you understand what the different aperture setting do to the image. Once you understand what the aperture does to images, then work on the shutter speed settings. After that work on both of them in combination. If you really want to learn digital slr photography these two are the key to understanding photography and becoming a good photographer.

8. Join a local photography club. These places usually have a mix of beginner to more experienced photographers who are willing to share information.

9. Buy the Nikon D3000 DSLR digital camera. This beginner’s camera from Nikon comes with an in-camera guide that will teach you the basics of photography. It’s like carrying around a book or class inside of the camera. It is an entry level camera for those wanting to learn more about photography, take more professional cameras, and graduate up from the "point and shoot" camera. The Guide mode simplifies things for those just learning about apertures, shutter speeds, infinity and all that other camera lingo. The camera comes with the automatic system as well as the full manual control so after this smart camera teaches you photography, you can go it on your own.

it will be good if u plan to take a tutor, also u can take a way to take online lessons from Lynda.com or the internet bloggers on youtube. the also provide good and informative stuff!

as an amature photographer, i will recommend you to start with just Basic photography and dont go in much technicalities in the start like as u mentioned about Lighting and lenses.. this is a bit advance topic considered in photography

once u knows all the basics then move towards the lighting and taking pictures with different lenses. this will not confuse you when u learning the basics.

for camera angles you can follow this link:

http://www.mediacollege.com/video/camera/angles/

but u dont need since u have a film making background..

thats it.. hope i have provided all info related what u have asked!

check my photostream and see u at Flickr then! within a month

www.flickr.com/photos/waleedahmed

What you are talking about is called the Sabattier effect.

http://pworkshop.tripod.com/sabattier.htm

I have a Canon 450D & I love Photography. I’m trying to improve my skills somehow.
I’m trying to figure out what are the best settings on my cam to take outdoor pictures during the day in a way that the pictures come out alive & decent.

I also would like to know some of the editing techniques that are used in certain pictures like these

http://www.fashiondistraction.com/2010/11/fastlove.html

Yes I do know most of them use Photoshop but I’d like a bit more details in how to achieve the looks.
And also what is the best way to increase the contrast and exposure without making the picture seem as if it were fake or has been edited on a lot.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150459459571662&set=pu.168699921661&type=1

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=270200343041640&set=o.168699921661&type=1&ref=nf

Few examples of Photos That I’m talking about

If there are a few websites or YouTube channels the you recommend that would be great as well

Your advice techniques & help is greatly appreciated.
Thank you

None of these are that good, none would have been accepted by any editor I worked for, may be standards have dropped. No control over the lighting has been used on any of them.

When taking shots of models for fashion, cosmetic and magazines the photographer will, almost every time, use soft-boxes or reflective umbrellas and flash, or at least a few reflectors, they rarely (if ever) accept the light as it is. Lighting is so important, PS can’t make a silk purse from a pigs ear, you need good start images, a lot less PS and more camera was always the rule. (Was as I’m retired now).

Check out this site

http://www.lastoliteschoolofphotography.com/?__utma=1.1134379909.1325422586.1325422586.1325422586.1&__utmb=1.3.10.1325422586&__utmc=1&__utmx=-&__utmz=1.1325422586.1.1.utmcsr=google|utmccn=%28organic%29|utmcmd=organic|utmctr=lastolight&__utmv=-&__utmk=43210917

I got a lot of my gear from them over the years.

In this video miss out the beginning part and move onto the shoot, you’ll see the difference that flash can make.

http://www.lastoliteschoolofphotography.com/using-the-hotrod-octa-softbox

PS is not the secret, good lighting is. The trick is to get all your contrast and control the shadows in the camera. I can’t emphasise too strongly how important this is.

Usually all I ever did in PS was colour balance, sharpening (usually selective sharpening around the eyes), skin smoothing (usually using Surface Blur) and removing the blemishes that even the best model has from time to time. That’s all that was usually required.

Chris

Principally, the difference is between continuous lighting and flash lighting. When shooting stills, it is of course possible to use continuous lighting, but then there is no opportunity to play with flash/ambient lighting mixes – with continuous it’s all ambient light.

Flash is more powerful in a short burst of time, to get that sort of power from continuous lights they need to be a high wattage, soooo they get hot. They need cooling, they are a fire risk and the model gets hot, sticky & sweaty, which is a pain for the make up artist to have to keep sorting out. All those difficulties are removed with flash.

There is also the difference that stills shoots tend to be relatively static, whilst video is often more dynamic, needing the use of lighting dollies.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zone_System

Not a good way to ask people for anything and certainly not a question that I am inclined to help you on.

Follow photography awards and try to understand why this particular photographer wins and how he did the work.

Practice, practice, practice.

Oh I think I forgot just follow your instinct and be original.