Be a part of the photographic community

Almost every town of any size has photographic groups in them. Here in Austin, TX we have a whole bunch at "http://www.meetup.com/". If you haven't discovered this site it may be worth while to check it out. Meetup.com is one of the lesser discussed social networking sites, but I'd argue it's one of the most valuable in terms of bringing people together in the real world around a common theme or interest -- going beyond Facebook and Twitter to facilitate real-life interaction where so much of our communication is digital. You can "meetup" over all kinds of themes from wine tasting to rock climbing. And there a lots of photographic groups. Frequently they have a day or evening gathering about a particular subject. It's fun and you can learn from others. Another place to gain knowledge is at a photographic store. Many of these will offer classes. In Austin the best store is Precision Camera. http://www.precision-camera.com/ This rather amazing store has lots of classes plus you can just go in and wander about. The sales people are very knowledgeable and will answer questions as well. By reaching out you will find out things that you never even knew you didn't know.