I have a really nice Canon SLR digital camera – the 10 megapixel Digital Rebel.  Even though I’ve had film SLR cameras before, I’ve never really understood how to use them beyond the automatic, “point-and-shoot” mode.  I finally came across some articles on the internet that seemed to make some of the concepts understandable.  So I’ve been trying to put some of the information into practice using the manual mode.  A digital camera is awesome for learning because you can see the photo immediately.  Instant Gratification!!  I shoot several pictures of the kids at the divisional swim meet using manual adjustments.  Some came out good, while others did not.  I still have a lot to learn, but I love it when I get a really good shot.  Here are some of the shots that I liked.

I don’t know this little boy, but I though this photo was good. 

Here is a little boy named Matt.  He was getting ready to swim freestyle and looks as though he is pondering his strategy! 

This is Alex.  He used to live across the street from us.  He swims a mean backstroke.

Aren’t these 4 girls just the cutest?!  BTW, I did adjust the lighting on the shot just a bit.  And I cropped it in closer, too.  The others above are not retouched at all.

And this one is my favorite!  Isn’t she pretty?!  I have not retouched this shot.  I’m so happy with the way it turned out.  I was working on setting the f-stop, ISO, and shutter speed on the manual mode.  With the close-ups, I wanted to blur the background and not have to use a flash.  So, I’ll keep trying and learning.