So here's a basic question addressing the time it takes to learn to set up and properly administer a server using something like a version of BSD (recent reading) or any alternative you can suggest; How long will it take (subjectively, obviously) to learn to get something up and working in say a testing mode? It's not that I am in a hurry, or that I'm not smart enough to learn to do it, but the more I read the more I think I should read before I download something, and especially concerning learning Unix commands in general if my choices are in that arena. My need is simply to serve up private web pages and photo's for a group of photographer acquaintances and no email server is needed. Now I've used my OS 10 Mac as a server for myself, and it makes it pretty simple to do with some clicks here and there and stuff the folder, but I want to go beyond this and approach it as a business. Again, I am in no hurry, I just need to know what I am up against and need a hint as to read this/start here, advise. Thanks.

I didn't so much learn from books but hands-on. Get VirtualBox (or something similar), install your favorite flavor of BSD and try to set it up just the way you want the server to run. When you run into problems: read up on them.
Basic reading that I'd recommend: IP networking basics, Shell commands & scripting, sed/awk/perl (just enough for some simple tasks at first)
OTOH, I'm learning by that method for about 10 years now, and still learn new stuff almost daily. System administration simply is too broad a subject to truly master.