http://www.amazon.com/Learning-See-C...6507043&sr=8-1

http://www.amazon.com/Understanding-...6507043&sr=8-2

i know its not a replacement for practice and real training, but those two books helped me A GREAT deal.

and a DVD specific to what camera you buy also compliments those books.

:edit: i have a canon rebel xt.

finding a friend/relative that has an elaborate setup is both good and bad.

good because you can see everything first hand.

bad because you can see everything first hand.

haha because you'll realize that having nicer lenses/equipment makes it a LOT easier to have nicer pictures which means you'll be spending more money. BUT nice equipment only goes so far. theres still a lot to do with understanding of lighting, composition, etc etc. i'm by no means an expert like some of the other HAN members here, but i've learned a lot since i've owned my camera.

at first i was really discouraged because it was really difficult to get some good exposures, but after shooting with friends, talking with pros, and doing a lot of reading, its definitely a hobby that i want to get into further.