Quote Originally Posted by Mad Aussie View Post
It's all a learning curve for sure ... and you can't expect too much brilliance for 2 months of experience.

What I think you are missing here is the ability to see when a dynamic range is too much for the camera to handle. IF it's too much then you need to move your subject perhaps.

I did mean don't shoot with a slower shutter speed than 1/60 as a rule of thumb. It actually depends on other factors but that's a good rule to begin with for sure.
Tiger - MA has wonderful advice and a ton of experience. 1/60th is a great rule for most. However, if you are shaky and old like I am, you may want to double it. :-/ But you aren't -- MA mentioned watching the light and looking around to see what else may land in the photo... as you go about your day, start training your mind and eye to see what he is suggesting. Light can make or break a photo and can be a toughie to manage, but once you learn to see the light, your photos will begin to stand out. Also - the back ground is so important. With your girls, you are going to be wanting to capture images that will remind them of their child hood. There are times when you want to show what was in their environment. But, if you are wanting to focus on more of a "portrait" look, what is in the photo can make it or break it. Photography is both intuition and trained. Follow both. Learn what you want to capture - then train accordingly. :-) You will learn so much here, especially from MA and Marko. So glad that you submit and want to learn. Plus- we learn from one another's images too.