>>3358963>go outside and "practice"this
You need to know your camera inside out and develop the muscle memory to change settings without thinking about it. Practice around the house, in the yard, whatever. The best book to read from cover to cover is the manual for your camera.
>that looks cool>I'll just... oh wait... erm...>*fumbles with buttons and menus*>subject moves, the light changes>take the shot anyway but the fumbling has blown all your highlights and missed focusInstructional books and videos are great but you can waste a lot of time going over the same topics again and again. Look at photos you like and try to understand what you like about them. Look at books/videos those photographers have made.
I've placed a lot of emphasis on knowing your camera and the technicalities of photography. Many aspiring artists have the vision and drive to produce "art". Most fall at the first hurdle: How to actually draw or paint. They bash out poorly executed visualisations full of angst and blame the establishment for their failure. Hard work, dedication and patience are "boring".
tl;dr Use your camera to take photos you like (objectively). Use books for inspiration and videos for tips and tricks.
