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Hi Justin,
Welcome!
You've got a decent telescope, great for beginners.
First of all, never look at the sun, never point your telescope towards the sun. You would be blinded in an instant if looking at the sun through your telescope.
To get started, you could start by grabbing yourself a map of the sky. There are platic adjustable ones you can buy online, or simply go get a copy of your local astronomy magasine at the news agent - each monthly issue has a map highlighting the best objects to look at this month: it's a great starting point.
You can then have a go a looking for the constellations and finding planets. The time you can observe them will vary according to the season. A red light torch (ebay) could be a useful accessory for reading your map in the dark without loosing night vision (this is when your eyes are used to the darkness).
The first objects you should be looking at are the moon and the planets. They will provide the more immediate wow factor.
Leave the photo for much later, unless you have a webcam in which case it is quite easy to hook up on your telescope for photos of the moon.
There are several settings than can be adjusted on your telescope, the main one being the alignment of the mirrors: this is called collimation. A good collimation is critical in getting the best images out of your telescope.
But for now, try and learn more about the night sky and get familiar with how to operate your mount (check the manual). Then look at the moon, and enjoy!
You can come back to us then and we can guide you further.
Clear skies!
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