The first few months I had my camera I took hundreds of pictures. I took pictures of buildings, plants, people and crowds, lakes, activity and anything else that caught my eye. And that is really the secret to photography, using your eyes. I would just walk-or ride my bike-somewhere (anywhere) and just see what there was to see. I would experiment and test my equipment. I would frequently stop and look at the most seemingly uninteresting scenes and find something worth noting about it, if not something worth photographing.
Recently I purchased a new camera, a very decent DLSR. This camera is a huge step up from the little Sony I had been using up until this point, and is a bit intimidating. Using a point-and-shoot camera is easy. Point, zoom, focus, shoot-and that's it. My new Canon EOS Rebel T1i is a bit more advanced and required a bit of studying up to get a decent shot. I've written about it here before and I don't think I'll go into it any farther this time. I will say that with all the practice I've been getting I am getting better at using it and taking better pictures. At least I think I am.
I don't claim to be great at photography, but the reason I keep going and trying is due to what photography has taught me. I have learned to look, really look, at everything around me. I see the color, the splendor, the majesty of life around me. I have to really see, because if I don't I may miss a once-in-a-lifetime vision. Another thing: Every once in a while, turn around, look at the path you have taken, and look at everything from a different angle. I guarantee you will see things in a whole new manner.
