It's this metering thing.

O.K., I take lots of shots of the sea, islands, sun and clouds. I love taking photos into the light. And, sometimes the results are not bad.

However....... on holiday, I asked Jim about the dark foregrounds in these shots, and he explained to me about light metering. I have since tried to use the different settings on my new Canon 400D (Rebel XTi) camera, and none of them seem to make any difference.

It doesn't help that I have lost the manual.

On my way home tonight, I stopped to take a shot of the light against the Isle of Skye, with the Youth Hostel and its trees on the right hand side. (Trees are a rare commodity around here. See yesterday's blip! ) The trouble is that the youth hostel and trees look like a silhouette.
The same thing happened with the shots I took this morning while walking Dimairt. The sky is bright, but the rest is black.

I shall persevere! However, if anyone can steer me towards some manual or tutorial........

All offers of advice gratefully received!!

...... and, am I right to spell it "metering"?