Evening Tom!
Don't worry about camera models for now just take pictures, what you have is great to learn on.
I had a look at your pics. You have to get it off auto Tom and use manual as they are under exposed
So you need to read up on how the light meter works in the camera. Basically it it measures reflected light, so will be affected by different tones and colours as they are calibrated to 'see' everything as 18% grey.
So use the spot meter function, the icon looks a bit like this (.) The back of your hand nr the thumb will give you a reading very close to 18% grey as does grass. If your going for fine resolution then iso 400 250/1 f11 with a 30mm lens, which is what your camera set the exposure at, isn't going to get that. Try a iso 100 60/1 f5.6, which is the same exposure but moving the whole thing -2 stops.
As for composition, try 'The Rule Of Thirds'. So the view finder has four imaginary lines two vertical and two horizontal that produce boxs up and across ( a bit like a grid reference) Compacts have this grid option on the screens. Then you can put one feature in one third and balance it with something else in another.
Dept of field as Jonathon pointed out is a good thing to read up on. As are shutter speeds and lens perspective.
Hope this helps Tom.
