happy2bretired. If you haven't yet, I would highly suggest that you read up on the various exposure modes of your G6. In addition to being a fully automatic point-n-shoot, you can set it in program mode (just like p&s but with control over exposure compensation and ISO), aperture priority, shutter priority, and fully manual. I'd suggest playing around with those just to get a feel for how you can subtly change the look of your photos by tweaking things here and there (you can always reset to factory default settings or throw it back on fully automatic if you get it too screwed up).
When it comes down to it, a camera is a lightproof box with a focal plane and a light-capturing surface. So, when you think about it, you've got everything you need now to record some great art... just get to a point where you're a master at understanding your tools. Practice and play!
I do have Photoshop. I love it but it's been a long road of learning to get to the marginal spot that I am. I would also highly recommend the Digital Imaging Suite by Microsoft or Adobe's more approachable tool, Photoshop Elements. Both of those are fantastic for someone that doesn't have the time or inclination to swear at Photoshop all day.
Ha, The fly was captured with: Canon EOS 30D Digital Camera (Camera Body) Canon Zoom W/A-Telephoto EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Image Stabilizer USM AF Lens Canon 72mm 500D Close-up Lens
It was so sunny out that I was able to narrow my aperture a bit (I can post more on aperture if anyone needs more info) and crank my shutter speed really high (fast shutter speed helps with freezing motion, important with a flighty subject or windy conditions)
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Linear Mode
