Still new to DSLR - a few nature shots

[barefootpoetry]

I got my Rebel XS in May (tax return, woohoo!) I'm still learning how it works. Prior to this I only had point-and-shoots, which turned out some good pics too (might share those another time) but I was frustrated by how limited I was. Now I am frustrated at not knowing how my dang camera works. :P It's been fun so far though, and my success rate with good shots is about the same as it was in my pre-DSLR life....one or two good pics per 100 tries. LOL. Anyway, here's some stuff I like.

This is one of the first pics I took with the Rebel. I had no idea what I was doing but I think it turned out neat. Would have been nice to have the focus more on the mushrooms instead of the grass, but eh.


Another one of my first DSLR shots. My mother-in-laws cat. He's kind of a jerk and you can see some of that personality in this pic, I think - the vaguely annoyed expression!


I'd had the camera for a few weeks when I took this one. I love how the bee's wings are reflecting the light.


We went camping when I'd had the Rebel for about two months, and everywhere there was mud, there were butterflies going nuts sucking nutrients out of it. I could get right up close to them without bothering them at all, so I took lots of pictures.


I am still very new to this forum and I'm a little nervous about sharing my stuff, but I'm glad there is no critiquing allowed in this section! *blush*

[Desert Rose]

Welcome to DPS. You are off to a great start! Nice shots, especially the bee on the flowers.

[pamella60]

I think we are all a little afraid to put ourselves out there, but you have nothing to worry about. You are off to a great start. Love the kitty and the butterflies. Everyone here is so kind and encouraging that pretty soon you won't think twice about posting anything. Its really fun to see everyones pictures, and you can learn so much from them.

[shellie20]

Hi BareFoot - welcome to DPS. I have been with this site for oh, about 8-10 months. I still get a bit nervous launching my pics for all to see, but hey. Everyone is friendly and is a great way to learn how to improve ones photography skills.

I love your pics, and yes, you can see the "attitude" in the cats eyes. Crack up. You caught that well !!

Hope you continue to have fun with your camera... sometimes one look at the manual is enough to nearly put the camera back in the box

[barefootpoetry]

Oh, I don't even bother with my manual. It's no use to me at all! Might as well be written in Latin. I've gotten much farther just browsing the internet for the most dumbed-down DSLR tutorials. Also the "Canon Rebel XS for Dummies" helped a little too (not as much as I wanted it to though, which makes me wonder how much of a dummy I must be! Haha!)

[Fred flyfisher]

These are all very cool, I really like the butterflies.