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First let me say I am an avid DSLR user, but many of your "needs" can be found with your cell phone. The app 645pro will allow you to excersize potentially more control over you cell phone photos. In addition in addition to the normal adjustments you can even select which type of photographic film you want to emulate. There are makers of clip on lenses to provide lens choices. These devices do a great job, but I will continue to use my DSLR I love to use the camera.

I find my cell phone to be invaluable for allowing me to record model and serial numbers. Especially in selfie mode when I am laying down trying to the name plate info on something that can't be easily accessed.

You will need to export the image in Lightroom. This will create a JPG or TIFF file as required by the printing company. When I used Aluminize they wanted a JPG file at 300 dpi. You should first crop your image using the appropriate aspect ratio, for 24x36 use the 2x3 ratio. Arrange the crop to maximize your image and then export to a 24x36 inch size at 300 dpi. The printed image will not be as bright as on your monitor. You should try to get the printer ICC profile and use the soft proof feature of LR to compensate. You might consider contacting HOG member gene51 for additional help. He offers one-on-one LR and PS training.

Since you have a Mac and don't yet want to do involved post processing you might want to look at the "Photos'App" that comes with the Mac operating system. It works well and has a filing system. It is not as comprehensive at the LR system though. As the family photographer I use LR/PS and export my better images to Photos to allow my wife to see them on her Mac Book and IPad. I prefer to use LR for me but for the price (free) Photos is a good alternative.

I have the same issue with both of my Pentax's. I have resorted to pushing the card down and sliding my finger sideways to let the eject mechanism operate unencumbered. This will often totally eject the card allowing me to play Catch the Card If You Can. 😃

My first thought is to access the printer utilities and run the nozzle cleaning routine and then check the nozzle alignment.

It appears you can. My IMac allows me to view my raw DNC files. If I export an edited image as a DNC file it creates a new file with the changes with a new imbedded jpg file that reflects the changes.

This should resolve the issue. The K100 and K110 used the older SD cards in lieu of the current high capacity SDHC cards.

Other than the sun the rest of the photo looks like sunrise or sunset. If this is the case it has been photo shopped. In my lifetime I have experienced a couple of solar eclipses and don't remember a glowing horizon, but I may have also forgotten too.

I have no experience with either the XP860 or the XP960. But we have had a XP850 6 years now. It has survived two transatlantic flights, and a month sitting in the back seat while we were on vacation and trying to sell a house. It works great and provides beautiful prints up to 8-12x14 in. Looking at the specs of the subject printers, the 860 is the successor to our 850 and includes the ability to send and receive Fax. The 960 IMAX print size is 11x17 and does not include the ability to Fax. It has a larger footprint than the 860. Since it uses the same ink I suspect the print engines to be the same.

I would recommend either Epson, my XP850 has lasted longer than either of its much more expensive all-in-one Canon predecessors.

If you are considering a Gimbal head you might check Cameracottage.com.

Have you tried to clean the card contacts? Use the HOG search "Clean card contacts". There is a very goood posting from 2015.

I agree here. LR/PS gives you great post processing. The contract is $120/year that can be paid at $9.99/month. Laura Shoe at Laura.shoe.com provides an excellent LR teaching video package for less than $100 but will require a time investment to learn. IMHO you do not want attempt to use either LR or PS without some training and LR is by far the easiest to master.

If you need a replacement lens for your 18-55, there have been good reports on the HOG for the 18-300mm zooms. My personal lens of choice is an 18-135 zoom.

Since yor are in RN school you are short on time and money, just keep practicing and learning about the equipment you have. Your daughter would have been better exposed it you had either selected spot metering or had first gotten close and locked the exposure setting. These will come with practice. Post processing of raw files will yield wonderful results but will require a financial and time investment to learn. When I started on my digital photography journey several years ago, I too thought better glass would yield great results, wrong. I often go back to my kit lenses and experiment. I get much better results now ,but I have a very long way to still go. In my humble opinion (IMHO) you should select the highest quality jpg files your camera will provide. Like the blind hog finding an acorn you will capture a real great shot and will want the best image available. In the future when you have the funds use raw files and learn post processing. You will find a lot of help here.

Good shooting.