Photography - First Steps

I would like to try to take photos again. I am not a very good photographer, but I would like to learn, though! I hope somehow, that I can bring in my own personal taste and eye into the pictures I take.

So far, I think I have all the required equipment. I have had a Nikon D80 for the past 2 years and 3 nice lenses (nikon 24-120 mm, nikon 50 mm 1.4F, and a nikon 18-35 mm). My favorite, so far, is the nikon 24-120 mm. That's the one I use all the time.

I also bought a tripod from Radioshack. It's a Targus 66" silver tripod, on sale for only $19.99. Another thing to be happy about is the point and shoot camera I bought, a Canon SD880 IS, which I picked up from Amazon for $240.99. It's not that cheap. I think it was on sale at dell.com last December for about $199+. I really need a camera I can take around with me all the time, though. I love my D80, but it's so big that I might break my back carrying it!

I am out of practice, though. I had not been very good to begin with, but a huge camera and heavy tomes are not valid excuses for continuing to practice! Thus, I finally gave in and got that point and shoot.

I would like to take some classes, but with the ongoing recession and my inability to get a job, I think I should try to make do with what I have. As part of my self-study, the following books are in my reading list:

Starting Photography 5th ed., by Langford & Andrews
The Art of Digital Photography - by John Hedgecoe

Perhaps, as part of my personal course, I will try to post a picture at least once a week.

It is a windy day here in DC. I wonder if the wind will carry a good shot with it?