5. Advanced Techniques for Your Canon EOS Rebel XSi

The typical new user of a sophisticated camera like the Canon EOS Rebel XSi passes through three stages on the road to proficiency. When the camera first came out of the box, you probably spent a lot of time learning its basic features, and setting it up to take decent pictures automatically, with little input from you. It probably felt great to gain the confidence to snap off picture after picture, knowing that a large percentage of them were going to be well-exposed, in sharp focus, and rich with color.

After you were comfortable with your camera, you began looking for ways to add your own creativity to your shots. You explored ways of tweaking the exposure, using selective focus, and, perhaps, experimenting with the different looks that various lens zoom settings (focal lengths) could offer.