Can’t take photographs

[Diane74]

Hello all!

Allow me to begin by saying that I don’t have a clue about what I’m doing, so please be gentle!

I bought a lovely 77d a couple of years ago. The guy in the shop kindly set everything to auto and I’ve had no trouble since. I got the camera with the kit lens and I bought an additional 70-300mm lens which I use more often. 

Yesterday, I was at a horse show, happily taking shots and then I took it back out of the bag and it just wouldn’t work. 

I changed the memory card, took the battery out and then back in and removed and reattached the lens, but all to no avail. 

If you could give me some guidance I would be very grateful. Thank you! 

[wq9nsc]

Diane,

I second the suggestion to spend some time with one or two good photography books because once you understand the entire process you will also understand the various choices and options provided by your camera and lens combination and this will enable you to achieve the results that your camera equipment was designed to provide.

There are a lot of Youtube videos and internet sites offering information but all of these offer ONLY bits and pieces of "the whole" that you need to know while a well edited book will present relatively complete information in a logical and organized fashion which is what you need most now.  Once you have that down, then using the web to address specific questions and issues will work well for you but right now those sites which WILL be very useful to you later will now just create more questions than answers since they will all assume knowledge and experience not yet acquired.

I just relearned this recently because although I have spent decades in photography I have never gotten heavily into lighting. That changed a short time ago when I bought a set of three Hensel D-500 studio strobes and associated equipment and after spending a couple of days using the internet I realized what I really need to do is find a couple of really good books on studio lighting to provide the basics and fill in the blanks. Like I told my university students for years when covering the cultural knowledge area of international marketing, when they are abruptly exposed to a radically different culture they won't initially know enough about this new culture to even know what questions they should be asking. The same is true for all of us when we hit a new knowledge area.

I have some free time coming up this weekend and that is how I will be spending my reading time.  Unfortunately the web has killed off many of the great old book stores and crippled others but since I am near a university town I expect a used book store will have what I need.

Rodger

[Diane74]

Thanks Rodger,
Yes, I think a good book would be a great starting point in my education and essential for reference!

[HPL]

Joining a club is a good idea, and hanging out with folks that shoot the same brand will certainly help.  When folks ask me what camera to buy, I always suggest that they see what brand their friends are using and at least consider that brand as it may help when questions come up (also may allow you to use each others' lenses).

[Diane74]

Thanks HPL, I have contacted two local clubs. Unfortunately they are both about to wind down for the summer and resume in the Autumn. But I plan to educate myself through reading in the interim and hopefully join them then as less of an idiot lol!

[HPL]

First, is your camre functioning now?  Perhaps you could find a member of one of the clubs who would let you spend some time with them.   

[Diane74]

Hi HPL, yes, it’s working now. Thing is, I have no idea why it stopped working yet. It fixed itself! As others above have mentioned I guess it was a focusing thing, maybe I bumped off a button!
That’s a good idea, I will ask the question!