Check out Topaz Labs' plugin named Remask.

Topazlabs.com

There are several tutorials and webinars available on line and you can download a free trial copy which comes with the "instruction manual".

I use it all the time.

However, I'm not sure of compatibility with all older versions of PSE.

I use the Canon EF-S 60mm f2.8 macro lens. I really like this lens and in fact it stays on my camera almost constantly as it is a superb general purpose lens. The crop factor makes this 96mm which seems to suit my style very well.

I also have a Canon 500D close up lens which mounts on the front of another lens like a filter would. My advice? Don't waste your money on any add-on lens.. Shooting macro with this setup is not even fun!

Consider what will be your primary subjects. Focal length is of prime consideration here. 100mm or 180mm will allow greater distance between you and your subject. Important for shooting butterflies and insects etc. But you may need a tripod more often. 35mm and 50mm lenses will require you to be physically much closer to your subject and this may often cause partial light blockage.

Canon makes extension tubes (which of course are expensive). But they will allow aperture and focus functions to continue between the lens and camera. These allow you to get much closer to your subject. There are cheaper extension tubes available but you will lose aperture or focus control or both. If you never intend to capture eyelashes on a fruit fly then these tubes are of little concern. But if you do; then make sure your intended lens is compatible with these Canon extension tubes.

Good luck!! I know you will have great fun.

Thanks for sharing your pics. I have lived near Amish communities in western PA and eastern Ohio. So many photo possibilities.

I altered one of your pics. Just adjusted the contrast and brightness and then applied a little sharpening. Very simple and quick and easy. Just to give you ideas. Picasa is a free photo editor and can do these basic adjustments. If you want to eliminate things like power lines you might like something more powerful.

A while back I came across videos on You Tube dealing with this subject. There were some great ideas with help on construction. There are also some very unique devices manufactured that are not expensive.
I don't remember my path to get there and I have not tried to get back.

However, just do a search for "video stabilizer" or similar phrase on You Tube and see what happens.

For me the main point of interest would have been the purple flowered bush.

If that was the thinking of the photographer that took this shot, then this is what I see as the main issues.

1. Way too much foreground. Eliminate most of the grassy area.

2. This of course is not the original exposure but still I see nothing
in sharp focus; especially the purple bush. Focus problem or slight camera shake?

Love the shots. Thanks for sharing. They bring back memories for me as well.

When I reach to top of the mountain (forgot the name) it was still clear ans sunny. The view of San Juan was breathtaking.
I also thought I was seeing all the way to Ponce! Is that possible?

I was alone there in amongst the communication buildings, way above the big rock that sticks out from the trail, not sure if I was trespassing. Very quickly the clouds moved in and I wasted no time heading back down; rained the whole way.

Man, would I love to do it again!!!

These photos are really nice in many ways. However,...

I think the sunset is simply over saturated. I would back it off some.

The foliage shots look dull to me. I would guess it was an overcast day. I don't see any bright sunlight or shadows. They need more saturation and contrast. All I did on the 2nd shot was give the brightness and contrast a big boost.

Even many point-n-shoot cameras will allow you to change some settings for better results. So if you want to use your photos straight out of the camera learn how to make a few creative adjustments.

If your camera doesn't provide for exposure bracketing you can still do it yourself manually. Just find out how to increase and decrease the exposure, put the camera on a tripod or similar, and vary the exposure between successive shots.

Look for a place in your menus where you can change the camera's processing to things like neutral, black & white, and vivid etc. Select something that increases the contrast and makes the colors pop, like "vivid".

If you want to learn how to use "post processing" software shots 1&2 will make great exercises.

All the above suggestions are worth checking out.
Keep in mind however, that if you can place the light source slightly above and off to the left or right of the camera you will probably have better photos than with direct frontal lighting.

If you already have the camera then another option is an optical slave flash unit.
I have two Sunpak flash units that work with my Canon point-n-shoot cameras (A630 and SD780). Canon even makes such a unit, but as you can imagine it is expensive. There are other manufactures as well.
These units require the "on camera" flash to fire as a trigger. They have switches to vary light output and sync with many different camera models. You can hand hold or devise a tripod mount. Will shoot at any angle and distance from the subject so long as they can see the light from the cameras flash.

The adapter I use to go from the 50mm MD mount lens to the Canon Rebel XSI is made by Fotodiox. Just do a search with that name on Amazon and you will find other brand names as well.
With this setup there is NO contact between the lens and the camera body. The MD/MC lenses were never focus or aperture controlled by the camera; all manual.
This is not a good combination for general shooting. If you shoot with the lens wide open things are o.k. But if you stop down to f8 or f16 there is no longer sufficient light for focusing or composition. If you are shooting stationary objects(landscapes or still life) it is o.k. If you need to recompose and refocus constantly this is a real pain. Open up to focus and compose and then stop down to shoot. This imposes severe limitations upon you.
Most modern lenses/cameras open the aperture automatically for you after an exposure so you can compose and focus. It is really inconvenient when you loose this function.

I also have a G12. It is a very good camera.
However, I'm a little concerned about system expansion.
If you are thinking of doing serious macro and maybe sport action shots of grand kids I would lean more toward something like a Sony Nex C3 or Olympus EPL-3. These will offer the capabilities of interchangeable lenses and faster frame rates for the kids.
Both of these bodies are similar in size to the G12; However with a lens attached (except for the pancake style) they will be larger and heavier.

I would leave the film camera at home.
Instead I would pack a flash unit, a heavier tripod, some filters, another lens, and above all a laptop or tablet.
The immediate feedback you get from examining your shots nightly will impact what and how you want to shoot the following day.

Corel's Paint Shop Pro will do all you want but it is Windows only software. Retail price is under $100.

I used it some over the years, but after version X2 (it is now at X4) the user interface changed in many ways and I no longer like using it.

Just do some research online and you will find a lot of info.

I have an old Minolta 50mm f1.7 MD mount working on my Canon DSLR. Why? It was a leftover I had from the old days. I use it infrequently. The adapter was $20 on Amazon.
With these older lenses you have focus and aperture control only on the lens; not in your DSLR body. Going manual with these two factors is not bad if you are studying photography.

My advice? Buy a $200-300 point-n-shoot and some version of PS Elements. Your learning will "skyrocket" compared to shooting film and studying prints. You will even have a better idea of what features you want in a DSLR when the time comes.

I'm wondering about camera/subject movement. Do you have image stabilization in this lens or camera body?

Up the ISO slightly, increase the shutter speed, and open the aperture a little; you don't need extreme depth of field for these two shots. Try a mono-pod; fast an easy to use.

Very nice work. You should be excited!!