I work at a school in Japan. One of the big cultural points about school in Japan is every student joins a club. There are of course sports clubs, but also art, tea ceremony, and calligraphy clubs. I am a beginner photographer meaning I'm interested but know next to nothing. Some students approached me about starting a photography club and I think it's a great idea. I wanted to ask anybody in the MMM community who is a photographer or into photography (cuz I like you guys and your helpful!) how did you learn about photography and get better at it? Are there any simple books beginner books you would recommend that teach you about the basic functions of cameras and what the basic features are?
(I realize this is some what off the normal MMM thread topic but I'll add that I think photography could be a very FI friendly hobby if you take care of your equipment and use it for years and years. Maybe even turn into a side business!)
I took an art course at a local university, both to learn the basics of operating a camera and the artistic theory behind photography. You could easily learn camera basics online, just Google around and you'll find all kinds of help. That, and working with buddies so you can share skills and tips that you learn with each other.
Also, check out Flickr both for inspirations and to join some of the groups on there for advice and ideas. Digital-photography-school.com was super helpful to me. The things you need to learn vary a great deal based on the equipment you have and the type of photography you want to do, so it's hard to recommend a book without knowing that.
I will say that photography is not the most cost-effective hobby in my experience. You can be frugal with it, but you have to pick and choose the advice you accept. You can find a good deal on a slightly older used camera, but there are all these other bits and baubles people say you just have to buy (different lenses, tripods, external flash, etc. etc.). Some of those are extremely helpful and some aren't at all helpful. I would say get the camera and basic lens and learn some basic skills before you decide what add-ons you really need, otherwise you could spend a ton on things you rarely use.