Definitely no offense taken, Britannicus.

It seems that my next step is to work on the lighting issues. I will do some reasearch on the brands you all use and recommend and see what I can do. I think mastering one light at a time is definitely the way to go!

I will keep everyone posted, and I also appreciate continuing advice. I am going to photograph a kitten this weekend - maybe try for some holiday themed photos. She's a tortie, so Halloween pics would be fun with her.

In the meantime, I'll investigate strobes and other lighting options.. Is anyone here from the Tulsa, Edmond or OKC area? I was hoping to maybe rent some glass (85mm and so on) to see if prime lenses made a big difference in my portraits. However, I am having difficulty finding a photography shop that rents equipment in my area.

One more question:

With limited funds, and a lens that is working for me already, should I be saving for an extra camera body and flash before extra lenses? It's a lot of money, but I don't ever want to have to cancel a shoot because my camera broke..... do all of you go to a shoot with more than one camera? Ever had a Murphy's Law day?