Has anyone run into problems with copyright protection trying to copy an old VHS movie to DVD?
The photos are great! Welcome!
Maybe just start with the basics of how digital cameras work and what they are capable of? Tell them not to be afraid of being creative or different. Adults can sometimes be worried about not understanding technology, or not taking as good a picture as the guy next to him/her.
From there...composition, basic problems of lighting, what are ISO, aperature and shutter settings.
Tell them the object of the class is to have fun!
Canon 15-85mm suits me very well for a walk around.
I think the bracketing and a polarizer would have helped you out like Aderondack Hiker mentioned. This would have been a hard shot for me also..don't feel bad!
It can happen with any lens brand regardless of price. You would think dust control would be high priority. I have also seen dust on sensors of brand new Canon SLR bodies which did show up on photos and required cleaning.
Check out the Canon 15-85mm lens. I have been very happy with its image quality and build. A little on the high end price wise, but the performance is worth it.
Very unigue and creative. Great job!