Ey guys. Brand new to photography (This was my first time getting out and using the camera). I just want some criticism - if they're terrible just say so! Just some boring landscape shots so I could get used to playing around with the setting. Thanks!
It's really impossible to give someone any direction after their first time using something. It takes time to become familiar with whatever you are using and any advice that you are given at this point won't make any difference because you are still simply learning what photography IS. All I would say is start shooting on manual (that is the "M") immediately and learn to use ISO, shutter speed and aperture before you even think about using Auto or Aperture Priority or any other setting. If you don't know what shutter speed and aperture is then you won't gain any functionality from using AV and TV modes and will never advance beyond the stage of shooting on automatic. Sure, it will take longer to get photos and you won't get it on the first try, but you MUST learn this way. Also, read online about histograms. They are crucial. Try to study some photography books as well. Books on photography and photobooks themselves are wonderful tools. Like I said though, it is too early to give any critique because you do not have a developed style at this point and any advice would basically go over your head because you must become familiar with your medium first. The fist year or so of taking photos will be like this. Just expect to take lots of pictures. You can't take a good photo every single time. Don't have the mindset of trying to make good pictures, just make pictures and see what happens and what you like and don't like. and shoot on MANUAL mode, please. EDIT: also, manually focus all of your shots, you need to learn how to focus with your hand and eyes and not let the camera do it for you. Once you have manual focus down you will easily learn to use autofocus. If you only use autofocus now, you will be discourage from using manual in the future. Learn the "hard way" first, because it makes everything else much easier, trust me.
*ColtClassic* said anything I could have much better. His advice is always great. Just take as many shots as you can. The more you shoot, the more you'll understand about photography and the style you want to develop. Also, do forget the manual mode, the more you shoot with it, the faster you'll transform and see a difference in your shots. I speak from experience, when I started I didn't shoot with manual. I shot mostly shutter and aperture priority. Manual was fairly daunting because I couldn't remember my settings or what scene called for what, so I let the camera do most of the work. This meant I didn't have to improve, as long as my camera continued to work for me, I didn't have to learn. It probably set me back a couple years. A couple books you might want to consider: Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson (his other books are good too) The Camera by Ansel Adams (it's about film cameras, but the knowledge he offers makes this a must) The Photographers Eye by Michael Freeman (offers a lot of good advice on composition) However, most importantly, read your camera's manual. There is so much information in that thing, it's amazing. Things you had no idea your camera could do. Just have fun with it right now. That's the most important thing. If you can't enjoy photography, you'll likely ditch it. So don't worry too much about your shots yet. Just keep taking pictures of things you like and keep posting them. Right now, you're your best critic.