Getting started in photography?

Alright now I don't plan to do this full time just as a hobby. I have a decent camera (Nikon D3100) I just don't know what to take a picture of that may sound stupid but that's where I'm at. What i really wanted the camera for is for taking pics of lightning and severe weather but we don't always have a storm. Really my question is what do i take pictures of in between storms?

I'm a Photographer. I take pictures of family's, weather, weddings, birthdays, and more. When i first got my camera, I took pictures of nature like trees, bugs, insects, water, and more. I love taking pictures of severe weather, too. I have taken amazing shots.
You could take pictures of nature, vehicles, products, and more.
Hope you enjoy Photography!

What are you interested in? People? Architecture? Wildlife? Landscapes?

My favourite genre is people photography, so I go out & do street photography, but it's no good me suggesting that for you if that's not your interest.

You need to think more about what you want out of photography, then look at other people's work of that genre (GOOD work, that is) and get the inspiration to go out & shoot like they have.

Browse Flickr for inspiration. Create an account and favourite photos you like and try to find similar scenes/scenarios to capture for yourself.

What interests you besides storms? Landscapes? People? Architecture? Birds? Wildlife? Cars? Trains? Are there any old buildings around with faded advertising painted on them? Have you ever noticed the shadows cast by early morning or late evening light coming through a window? Any fairs or festivals scheduled in your area?

These may help you:

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/columns/aesthetics-1.shtml There's actually something known as Seeing Photographically.

http://digital-photography-school.com/digital-photography-tips-for-beginners It never hurts to review tips on photography.

http://www.usanpn.org Find an interesting tree or bush and take a picture of it at the same time and from the same location every week for a year.

My favorite time to be out with a camera is the first couple of hours after sunrise. A foggy morning also provides great photo opportunities. Mid-afternoon in the Fall can also provide good photo opportunities.

First taking photographs of Lightning is a lot of fun - it's almost like fishing! If you need help with that I'll put a link below to an article I wrote about how to master lightning photography.

As far as answering your question for in between storms you really could take photographs of just about anything. I'm assume that seeing as you've just become a new DSLR owner you probably only have the D3100 (my first camera BTW) and the kit lens 18-55mm.

Here's what I did when I first started out with that camera was to simply go walk around some of the area parks and photograph landscapes and nature. Find insects like dragonflies or ladybugs, find frogs, birds, anything that will sit still long enough for you to take a shot.

Another fun subject if you live in an area with mountains or even large hills is to try and locate some local waterfalls. They make great subjects for photography - use a slow shutter speed (1/25th of a second) you'll need a tripod and you can blur the water to that creamy white awesome goodness.

Once you start taking photographs you'll start to just see subjects throughout your daily life.

HI do some research