1. Where can I go to learn the ins and outs of my dSLR? I never took any real photography classes so I dont know the first thing about fstop and AS and all those settings. There is so much potential in my camera that I am not taking advantage of. But the digital photog classes I see locally are like..how to upload pictures and have them printed....

2. What is the best time of day to take outside pics? I did an attempt with my kids this week (see sig) but it was high noon when we got to the park and as you can see, the sun is shining straight down on them. I could barely get dd to look up at me. So would it be better to try late morning, afternoon, early evening or what for our next effort?

Thanks!

1. i have heard good stuff about the cherokee arts council classes Cherokee County Arts Council - Art Classes in Cherokee County, Georgia (http://www.cherokeearts.org/classes.htm)

but usually i just play around with the camera until i figure stuff out (very professional eh? lol)

2. http://www.outdooralabama.com/outdoor-alabama/BestShot.pdf

The least favorable time to take photos is during the middle of
the day,which is generally true because the shadows that are cast by direct sunlight are often harsh.Early morning and late afternoon sunlight is the best for most photos; it provides more pleasing shadows and softer light.

I prefer the hour before sunset. The hour at sunrise is also good, but it is hard for me to be up and moving at that time.

oh forgot the cherokee county photography club (i am not in it - yet. i have an issue with organizations of any kind lol but my FIL has a good friend in it)

Home (http://www.cherokeephotographyclub.com/)

i cant remember if you live in cherokee or not..

jenn...

i love the book "UNDERSTANDING EXPOSURE" by bryan peterson. it explains the fstops, shutter speeds and how they work together and why you'd choose certain combinations in certain situations...there are several ways to get a correct exposure in any situation but there are reasons we choose certain combinations...for example to blur the background or alternatively to keep as much of it in focus as possible.

i'd start there.

then, "DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY" by scott kelby is a great read.

as for time of day, not the middle of the day. in our area this time of year, i'd say before 10a and after 3:30p...on the far end of those ranges would be best.

during the middle of the day you can try to find "open shade" like under a covered porch, for example...where the light is great but not harsh. or, sometimes under a large tree...but that dapples the light IME so not always so easy to find a good spot.

hth...

i'd also suggest taking notes on your exposure number, fstop, sspeed and lighting so you can learn from your mistakes...i learned that way on film when i was 16. it's a much faster learning curve on digital...