Reply To: Can I have some CC please.

[cameraclicker]

You need to start exploring more of your camera capabilities – and yours for that matter otherwise we are just giving critique to your camera and for the moment it does not seem to be doing a great job.

Well, in the Features section of the page for the A1400 it says “A Smarter Camera Means Better Photos”  That camera has a lot of scene modes but if it has manual controls they are probably a pain to use.  I think Nesgran is correct and an upgrade of some sort, either to a better point & shoot, mirrorless or dSLR would help.  Canon’s G series is small but offers more control, though the sensor is still small and even the G16 can not compete with a Rebel for image quality when ISO is increased.  It does have manual controls and a hot shoe so it can control Speedlites and strobes.   If you can get one, a 30D, 40D or 50D used, would get you into a dSLR at a reasonable cost.   That said, a Rebel T3i is not as rugged but in terms of picture quality it is probably better than a 40D due to a newer sensor and better processor and software.   The biggest pain with a Rebel is not having dual dials.  In manual mode the dial by the shutter release changes shutter speed and you have to press  a button on the back then use the same dial to control aperture.  All my other bodies have dual dials so you rotate shutter speed with your index finger and aperture with your thumb.  If you are shooting action in low light it can make a difference.  For posed portraits, almost any dSLR should be more than adequate.