Coral Pic's (learning to use manual focus)

[ScubaSteve]

Those look good, the pink is a little richer. You might be able to knock down the exposure a little bit more. It looks as though you may have found the aperture setting. Getting better, keep experimenting! (though I dig that first candy cane pic up top... snazzy!)

What camera are you using? I might be able to tell you where your aperture adjustment is. Check out this site: http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tut...h-of-field.htm
It has a pretty good explaination of DOF and aperture (albeit relatively technical). This will tell you how to get those ridiculously good-lookin' pictures that sphelps does.