Photography Beginner, Learning the Art of Manipulation

I don’t really have much experience with photography. I do have a camera, but it is usually just used to document various events in my life (i.e. family photos, trips, etc). I think I have mastered the art of the selfie though through Snapchat. My approach to all of these photos is hoping for a clear photo that is not blurry and no one is blinking. I have never tried to be particularly artsy with any of my photos, unless you count Instagram filters. I have also never considered a particular meaning or feeling that my photos could possibly evoke. I guess I usually intend for my photos of traveling and camping to evoke a feeling of fun to those who see them.

So after reviewing these sources, I would say my first step would be to actually think about the pictures I take. I think mixing up the lighting of photos and also angles can really change the feel of the photo. I realized this unintentionally when I took my eye selfie last week and it came out looking quite noir, when I was just trying to get a normal picture of my eye. I think it would be interesting to take an object and see how different it can look at all different angles and levels of lighting. I would expect that each angle would evoke a different emotion, and if you combine that with all the different forms of lighting it would create many different combinations, each unique. Currently, my habit when taking photos is make it quick so that I can get it over with, but I think I need to approach my photos this week in a different way and actually determine what I can do to manipulate the photos I take.