Last edited Wed Dec 19, 2012, 03:40 AM - Edit history (1)
I've had SLR cameras in the distant past (I'm 57 now and also retired) but I spent the last couple of decades taking snapshots with several Canon point-and-shoots of their PowerShot line. I did most stuff on the various auto settings, and maybe played around a bit with different exposure times, a little f/stop experimentation, and post-processing. Those little point-and-shoots can actually do quite a bit; here are a couple of my favorites, taken with a Canon SX200 IS:
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Soooooo...what I'm getting to (in my own tortured, roundabout way) is that I've generally relied a great deal on post-processing to correct for exposure, saturation, cropping, etc. There are several excellent photographers in this group who really understand the in's-and-out's of their equipment. I'm just not one of them. 
This last May my wife and I took a 14-day road trip through Virginia, North and South Carolina, and corners of eastern Tennessee and Georgia (one week down Skyline Drive, Blue Ridge Parkway, and across to Savannah; then one week back up the coast of the Carolina's, to Virginia). Before we left, my wife bought me a Nikon D5100 (Costco had a kit on sale for a great price). So, I've been trying to learn to use this camera on something other than the onboard pre-sets.
I'm finding it slow going, and I still rely on Lightroom a great deal. For instance: this shot was taken with a Nikkor 18-55mm lens, set at 20mm, 13 second exposure at f/3.8, ISO 100. I adjusted for exposure and saturation in Lightroom4, then used the graduated filter to isolate the breakwater, desaturate it, and soften the clarity a bit. I've gotten better results with my point-and-shoots but the fault certainly lies in my knowledge base, not the camera's capabilities.
As far as I know it is perfectly OK to ask people how they achieve certain effects, etc. I know a couple of top rate photographers in this group have benefited greatly over the years from advice and critiques given by other excellent photographers. BTW, Blue-in-AK is a serious photographer (and seriously good at it) and she is a big fan of Canon DSLR's, so she would be a good one to ask about techniques you are curious about.
Good Luck! I think you have shared some excellent work with the group. Those shots you took of that industrial facility were first-rate! I look forward to seeing more from you. If you have questions but don't want to post on the board just PM folks. People in this group are very generous. It is the best place in DU, imho. 
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