Reddit mentions of Bryan Peterson's Understanding Photography Field Guide: How to Shoot Great Photographs with Any Camera

A lens isn't going to make you any happier with the pictures you're taking. Do you have any prime lenses around at all? My challenge to you would be to a grab a 35mm or a 50mm at best, and take pictures that aren't average. Are you afraid of getting close to people? Try taking pictures of abandoned buildings, railroad tracks, gutters, water reflections, pets, beaches, lakes...the list goes on.

Do that until you are happy with the pictures you're taking and don't stop until you've reached that point. Then, and ONLY then, can you start even thinking about a new lens, especially a macro which takes forever to focus and is only really good for portraits and..well, macro-shots.

Do another thing. Share your pictures, either in itap or photocritiques. Tell us what you like and what you don't like about them. This is important because it gets you to articulate what specifically you're unhappy with in your pictures. Then what you do is go out and and take more pictures, remembering all the little details that pissed you off, so you can do better. Was the horizon lopsided? Spend a few seconds framing it better. Was the composition off? Move your shot to the left. Was the subject boring? Move five feet closer to it.

Oh, and buy a few photo books. I have this and it's great for inspiration: http://www.amazon.com/PHOTO-BOX-Roberto-Koch/dp/0810984350

This is also good: http://www.amazon.com/Bryan-Petersons-Understanding-Photography-Field/dp/0817432256/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1343178697&sr=1-1&keywords=photography+field+guide

The second in particular gives you little excercies that seem dumb but are actually fundamental. Something like go out and take pictures of one number or one letter. Anywhere you see it, find ways of making that into an interesting photo.

Check them out..and hope that helps. Once you've got all that down, buy a macro lens. Hell, buy mine. It was fun to take pictures of little things with but I never use it. My two primes? Always nearby.

• Read the manual. Figure out how to change the settings and what the settings do. The manual won't tell you much about what to use in what situation though.
  
  
• Read a book or two to understand the basics of photography. Bryan Peterson's Understanding Photography Field Guide was my favorite out of all the books I've read. Alternatively, you can check out the photoclass subreddit to learn. I do find the photo examples in the book extremely helpful (in addition to being beautiful/inspirational) so you might also check to see if your library has the book if you don't want to pay for it.
  
  Beyond those 2 things, you already have everything you need to have photography as a hobby. Photography is about taking pictures that appeal to you. Just go out and shoot. Only you can figure out what kind of photography you like. Experiment. Get a large memory card and don't be afraid of wasting shots -- that's the beauty of the digital age.

I really like your original image with the red sand foreground leading the eye up to the mountain.

This is what Bryan Peterson calls the "intro part" of the image: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0817432256/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

and something I'm trying to learn to do better.

http://www.ppsop.com/courses.aspx

I haven't taken any of the classes but I read this book by him which is really good. He talks about his classes in the book occasionally and mentions that he looks at every student photos.

http://www.amazon.com/Bryan-Petersons-Understanding-Photography-Field/dp/0817432256

http://www.amazon.com/Bryan-Petersons-Understanding-Photography-Field/dp/0817432256

I found this quite useful

Buy any cheap entry level DSLR. Nikon, Canon, Pentax — doesn't matter, it all comes down to personal opinion. Try out the cameras in the store and see how they feel in the hand.

Learning the technicalities of exposure is extremely easy. Learning light and composition takes a lifetime. This book is a good first read: http://www.amazon.com/Bryan-Petersons-Understanding-Photography-Field/dp/0817432256