8/15    Motd Photo Experts: I ended up buying a used 28-105 for my
        Digital rebel. Thanks for your help. Here are some photos
        I took using that lens (1600x1200, 180dpi, ~ 1mb each):
        link:tinyurl.com/4msb7
        link:tinyurl.com/4a32l
        link:tinyurl.com/46enp
        If anyone has some pointers on what I can do to improve
        my photos I would appreciate it. tia.
        \_ composition
           \- this is not the kind of picture you should ask for help
              with. photographing birds is hard and much of the
              variables are out of your hand ... you have to shoot
              fast, maybe cant get closer, maybe cannt change angle
              etc. you dont want advice like "go buy this $3000
              lens ...". --psb
           \- if you want to photograph birds go to say costa rica. --psb
             \_ The digital rebel is basically my first real
                 camera, so I'm looking for pointers on general
                 photography, not necessarily shooting birds.
                 Stuff like when to try different iso speeds,
                 exposures, &c. will help me. One reason I
                 photograph  birds is that they are colorful,
                 and plentiful (lots of them in my backyard
                 every evening and they mostly stay put even
                 when I get pretty close)
           \_ What exactly does this mean?
              \_ very clear pictures, but I agree, composition:
                 Example URLs:
                 http://www.silverlight.co.uk/tutorials/toc.html
                 Look at the composition section.
                 \- this WEEB site re-enforces my point ... you cant move
                    the bird, you cant ask it to move, and your ability
                    to move is constrained ... it's hard to get level or
                    closer to a bird 20 feet above you in a tree. as for
                    "filling the frame", as i imply above, long fast zooms
                    are expensive. with the 105 you may still be able to
                    handhold but at some point you will need stabilization.
                    i go agree some photogrtaphers make the mistake of
                    i do agree some photogrtaphers make the mistake of
                    trying to put too much in the frame ... "here is a
                    picture of my wife on the pont alexander iii ... let me
                    try to get the whole bridge in the picture ... and the
                    eiffel tower in the back, and the boat on the river".
                    eiffel tower in the back, and the split on the river".
                    some shots simply dont work at all, sometimes you are
                    contstrained by the lenses you have. --psb
                    \_ But the OP can try to follow the Rule of Thirds as
                       described in the above website, which should be easy
                       even with the constraints in this case.  Just point the
                       lens at a slightly different angle.  To the OP: if you
                       don't have a reason to put the subject at the dead
                       center of a particular frame, don't, and go for the Rule
                       of Thirds instead.  AF-lock is your friend.  I don't
                       know Canons, but you might need to use AE-lock too.  As
                       for filling the frame, you can always crop it in
                       Photoshop afterwards if your lens is not "long" enough.
                       Some purists consider post-processing cheating, though.
                       --- yuen
                       \- yes, it is possible to take even worse pictures.