I have had a Canon SX530 HS camera for several years. It has a powerful digital zoom lens but no viewfinder. I never really knew how to use it anymore than pointing and shooting. I learned how to mess with a few settings, but my best bird shots were never as sharp as I wanted. For my birthday, I used the gift money I received and bought a Canon Rebel T7 camera. I have spent the last month reading, watching videos, and practicing for hours in the backyard and around the house. I see a difference, but there is still a lot of room for improvement. I didn't expect it to become such an obsession.

The photo above was taken with my old camera in February of 2020. Compare it to the one below taken with my Rebel T7 in December of 2020.

Now, I am trying to improve my indoor photography with the kit lens. It is a lot of fun, but I am not anywhere near what I want, yet.

The hardest thing for me so far is getting a great shot of the Christmas tree. I have watched countless instructional videos. I have looked at other people's shots and tried to emulate their settings. Just haven't gotten there. Right now, my iPhone takes better pictures of the tree.

The pictures below show some of the stages I have gone through with the Christmas tree. They represent about three hours of work. I finally gave up after the one at the very bottom. I am not defeated. I just need a while to lick my wounds, study up some more, and come back to it.

Okay... After another hour of taking shot after shot after shot, I am finally happy with the one below. I wrote the settings down for next year, but unless the ambient lighting is the same, it will just be a start.

I have to give a special shout out to Nancy Cotton, Joshua's future mother in law. She suggested that I, "Try bracketing shots. Set an exposure and go up one and down one...or two...and see what works best." Such a simple, but highly effective, technique!