Lesson 1: Learning my camera

The camera I currently own is the Canon PowerShot ELPH 300 HS. I bought this compact digital camera a little over a year ago. My other canon got lost a few years back and I actually did not have any camera for a few years. I knew I wanted a good camera before my baby was born and was debating between this and a DSLR. I went to B&H camera store and after speaking to a representative for some time I bought the compact camera. It is perfect for indoor and outdoor use and I take it with me everywhere so I don't miss any shots of my little boy. the camera holds a rechargeable battery pack so I just take my charger with me and recharge my battery when it dies. It holds a SD memory card, I have one that is 4 GB so I can take as many pictures as I like and look through them later.To be honest, I never really explored any of the settings until tonight after reading a few chapters in the photography book for this course and reading lesson one. Although there are not nearly as many features in my camera as a DSLR one, there were quite a few I learned about. This camera has a 12.1 Megapixel sensor, which means that if I took a beautiful picture it would look nice after it was enlarged and it wouldn't be grainy. The zoom lens is 5xIS so I can photograph from a distance however when I zoom too much, it usually comes out blurry. One thing I read that I may try is to look through the lens to keep the camera more still.
To take a picture, the shutter release button needs to be pressed down half way, when the little box comes on, it is focused and then I press the rest of the way. I usually keep the camera on automatic and it flashes when needed, however there is also a flash and no flash button.
There is an automatic timer on the camera. There is a great video camera on it, which has a good zoom too.
On the menu there is a setting to change the ISO, depending on the sensitivity to light. I have changed it by mistake a few times, other than that I never knew what it was.The camera has a built in lens of 4.3-21.5mm.
On the menu, I can also control the shutter speed  (exposure) It was interesting to note that the higher the speed, the less exposure you get.  I sometimes put it really high thinking i'll get lots of nice shots in a row, but they always blurred. I keep it somewhere in middle but when I am not photographing a fast moving baby, I would like to try it on a low speed. I did not see how to control the Aperture on my compact so it might be automatic.
The camera has some interesting features which I have always had off because I never knew they were there: There is a blink detector, there is a red eye correction which is useful because I never had the patience to edit the pictures once they were on the computer.
Some other buttons on the camera: on/off button, a playback button to see the pictures or videos taken. a menu button, a video recording button, a sliding button to put the camera on auto or not auto. a flash and no flash button, a display button to show the characteristics and date of the photograph, a function button and a set button where I can zoom or edit the picture and set it like that.
I'm sure I will discover many more features throughout but that's all for now.

                                               Some Photos I snapped of my beautiful son!

                                                                A trip with Grandma!

                                                                         Playdate!

Hi everyone,
I am not a professional photographer or even someone who knows much
about photography. I enjoy taking photos of beautiful scenery and of people I love.
I don't have an DSLR camera, I have a regular compact canon digital camera which takes some
nice photos.
I am hoping to gain some new skills and knowledge and then perhaps after this course
I will buy myself a present of a professional camera:)
Well, let the work begin...