There are so many different cameras out there, so many different genres, so many different photographers! What even are these settings?! How do I get started?!? Like any new skill it looks easy from the outside. You get your foot in the door and start getting overwhelmed fast! Photography is no different right? So how can you get on the path to becoming a photographer? Let me show you...
First things first, don't worry too much about your first camera choice. People always say "hmm Nikon, Canon or Sony which is best?" They're all pretty similar to be honest. People stick with their brand mainly because when you start buying all the lenses and accessories its a pain to swap everything over to another brand. And like I just said they're all pretty similar.
What is going to make the biggest difference is you, the photographer. You've seen the famous "shot on iphone 8 (or whatever number)" adverts. You don't see Shelia from down the road take anything similar to that, even though she's got the same iphone camera.
Just get something sensible to start with- expensive cameras and lenses are nice but its all about how you use them. If you have a massive budget it isn't worth going all out and getting everything money can buy. You will just be completely overwhelmed. It would be like if you wanted to get into driving and got an F1 car. Just get a nice little camera with a kit lens. Something like this.
When you are looking at which genre you would like to go into, ask yourself what do you actually like? I love nature so I specialise in landscape photography. You like people? Get into portraiture. You like cities? Photograph cityscapes. And you get the gist from there. If you really don't know what to do just go out and start photographing anything.
The more you practice and photograph the more you will naturally start to gravitate towards something. I know when I first started out I was shooting street, cityscapes, landscapes, portraits, food, fashion, interiors and pretty much anything else I could get my hands on. My camera and mind was all over the place! If you want to get really good at photography I suggest you master one.
The best way to get started and come to grips with settings and all of the more technical aspects is to go out and practice. Its like playing the guitar- reading and studying does help (I'm not saying don't do that). But actually going out and practicing, daily if possible is the quickest way to get better. I have a quick run through of all the settings and how to use them HERE.