I hope you found the suggestions here helpful, (and that I didn't monopolize things too much). Questions like this come up quite frequently in this forum. It is always a good idea to Read The Fine Manual, however the real neat thing about the digital cameras is you can make a lot of exposures, using different variations, and see the results rather quickly. [Don't always trust the little LCD viewer though!] The point is not to avoid unusual and challenging lighting, the point is to know how to deal with it. [Someday I HAVE to try making a landscape with the sun behind my left shoulder, like it suggests on the film box. An entirely new point of view!] Wow! That is a nice result, azy, with the split filter. Star -> You made nice images with that old Mavica! You just keep hurting its feelings!