I have been shopping around for a new compact camera that would stand up to outdoor elements. You know, the rain, the cold, getting wet and so on.

The camera I have now is the Pentax Optio WG-2. I purchased it some time ago, –but I have not been happy with the image quality of this camera.

I am a point-and-shoot guy. Getting a shot of that big fish my buddy caught or maybe a deer spied along a riverbank, there is not much time to tinker with settings. It has been a set-and-forget, on automatic, letting the camera figure out what to do.

Photography 101 – Almost Maybe

Now I have a new goal, –to learn how to more effectively use the camera I have, and to learn to take better pictures before I decide to buy something new.

Maybe the problem is not the camera, but the user.

So, step number one was to read through the owner’s manual again and try to understand all of the settings.

Status, completed.

Results, well, there sure are a lot of settings, really adding to the confusion factor.

Step number two was to pick up a book or two for an introductory-level discussion using compact point-and-shoot cameras.

Status, in progress, reviewing book one of two purchased.

Results thus far, I realize I have a lot to learn, not only the technical aspects, but also things like composition, how the camera sees light, and so on. I will do a review of those books I found most helpful.

My next steps are to take the camera outside and experiment with the settings and understand that part better.

My thoughts are that I need to develop a strategy. For example, what setting to understand first, and how much does that setting influence the final image quality?

I will be taking notes along the way and report back my findings.