Photography is not just about learning how to use a camera, you can be a great photographer even by using a phone. To me, there are some rules about photography (please notice I have studies in photography, but to me it has been just a hobby, I earned some prices but i don't work as a professional photographer):
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Composition laws. A good photograph is always a good story (at least to me) so, in order to be able to achieve this great story, you need to study composition. It is about how are you going to "organize" your picture. For instance: you want to make a photo of a child playing. Then you can choose a general map of them just playing and it will be the story. But, if you want to introduce a poetic image, then you can choose just a hand of a little boy playing, but the action of the hand must suggest the whole playground (I don't know If I made myself understandable, it is difficult to me to explain such abstract concepts in English, sorry).
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Light. Photography is based on light. There is a different kind of using the light in order to achieve one or other sensation. For instance, you want to make a portrait of an old person? I would suggest always a soft light coming from a side, not frontal, so the wrinkles in his/her face become more profounds.
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Color. Of course, color is important. We all have grown under a color perception, and the color is related to the feelings an image can suggest. For instance, greys with red are always profound. So, coming back to the old person portrait, I will choose brown (an old chair), grey to the back and something in red to represent life. About this matter, you can read Erns Gombrich, an Art Historian dedicated to the psychology of art. (You can read him here
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00043249.1961.10794062?journalCode=rcaj20)
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Focus. It is related on where are you going to put your attention. I love to play with the focus in order to build my own story.
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Thematic. This is not the same to be dedicated to natural photography rather than social or personal one. This is really different. I would try as much as I can, but, for instance, I love details, so in nature, I always take pictures of small things as leaves, water drops... To be honest the most I love is portraits...
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To find an identity. I think this is the most difficult part. To achieve your own personal identity, the invisible signature implied in your photographs. It can take years, but, step by step, you will discover your own favorite settings, colors... and a personal way to express yourself. This can change as well as you will change with the years to come, but, from my point of view, having a special identity captured on your work is what is going to make you extraordinary.
Always read and observe the work of others. Be humble and patient.
Regarding cameras: - I love Nikon because of the light, but, of course, it is always personal. You will find all kind of discussion between Nikon and Canon... but, at the end, you must choose a camera suitable for you. My camera is old but great: Nikon d-90.
- Technical is important. You will need to learn about the tools you are going to use, but it takes time.
- There are some programs to use. I always choose Darktable (linux open source program similar to Lightroom, but free). It is for processing photographs as if you were in a red room. Of course, son post-processed is necessary sometimes, despite some people are against it. This is normal, this has been made since the very beginning of photography, so learning how to use a process program is important too.
Remember to know your camera, your lents and your software. To choose well your tools.I hope it helps to you to get into this amazing and beautiful world.
