My Christmas Gift...Nikon D90

[d96j97]

Hi Nikon pros...

I have wanted a Nikon DSLR for years and this year my DH finally broke down and got me a Nikon D90 with a telephoto lens and an SB600 speedlight. That is all I'm getting and understandably so. Anyhow, I know NOTHING about DLSRs...I'm a point and shoot kind of gal. I would love to have some great Christmas pictures this year of our tree and my boys, etc. Of course, this is all low lighting and I know that is the hardest pictures to take. Could someone please, please give me any hints/tips on how to capture these pictures? I bought a Nikon D90 book for Dummies, but will not have enough time to read it before I start snapping photos.

Any (and all) tips would be greatly appreciated!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

 

[wenrob]

Unfortunately you will not be able to get it all figured out in less then a week. Don't point the SB600 right at your subjects, point it up towards the ceiling or a nearby wall. As for settings, that's something you learn over time and not something that you can just be told. For now I'd say use one of your program modes. Trust me, Christmas morning isn't the time you want to try something new. Read as much as you can and practice as much as you can now and then do what you feel confident in.

 

[TheGoofster]

First of all congrats on your new camera!

I think the best thing you could probably do, since you won't have much time beforehand to play around and experiment with different settings, would be to simply put it on Automatic mode, and let the camera help you get the best pictures possible. Like Wenrob said, you really don't want to miss these shots.

Later, you can start experimenting and learning about all the different modes, and settings.
However, if you do have a little bit of time to experiment or learn before hand, perhaps shoot most of the shots on auto mode, and then try a few shots with other modes. Try different settings, and see how they come out. If you are shooting on Christmas morning, the lighting will be much more favorable, and you should be able to get some great shots on the different settings.
Shooting in low light is the biggest challenge for us newbies.

Don't be afraid to experiment with the modes and settings (and flash), but just make sure you get all the important pictures you want first of all (again, you might want to let the camera help you get those shots).

Anyway, congrats, and have lots of fun shooting with your new camera.

The best advice I've been given on these boards is simply this - PRACTICE! PRACTICE! and PRACTICE!