Jennifer, I got this same camera for Christmas last year and was in the same boat. I had NO idea what to do with it. My best advice for right now is just set it in automatic mode and it will focus and everything for you. It took me months to learn all the things there are to know. I also got a different lens. I wanted more of a telephoto one. If you want to know more, just ask but I never use the one that came with the camera anymore. Also, I know you have little ones around and if I were you I'd get a protective lens to put over the "real" one. They just screw on overtop and mine has saved me a lot of scratches since I also have little ones underfoot when my camera is out since my grandchildren really are the cutest!
One more thing, use that "hood" thingy when it's really bright or really dark (it helps prevent glare and shadows). I didn't even know what that was at first. I can tell you more if you'd like to know of where I got this stuff if your interested.

Good luck and happy snapping. It really is a NICE camera and I love mine. EXPERIMENT...that's how you will learn the most. I'll email you if want more information. A good site that you can submit your photo's to for critiquing is photo.net

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The best advice I got was to just take pictures. In the digital age, if you take bad ones, you just delete. You'll learn more from doing than from any book.

I take a lot of pictures of my kids. The zoom lens is your best friend with kids. Get close, so that their whole face fills the shot. It's amazing. Take candids. Use natural light. The flash is your enemy. Mess with your camera until you figure out how to let enough light in. Also, I use the shutter priority mode on my camera a lot. Kids move fast!

Have fun!

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Have a look at www.dpchallenge.com

I joined there when I got my first digital SLR and I haven't looked back!

There is one challenge for a normal member per week, two challenges for paid up members. You get a topic, have one week to take a photograph it, upload to the site then your image is critiqued for a week.

I've never had a bad comment on the site, it's always constructive and many of them will either say (in a good way) what's wrong and they will also tell you how you can improve.

There's a good forum to ask questions (no matter how silly) and there's also some good learning pages too.

Worth joining as a basic member to see how you find the site, then it's only $20 to get the extra challenges, space to store your images etc.

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I agree with Melissa. Take TONS of pictures, just snap snap snap snap, as fast as the camera will allow. Then delete the ones you don't like or didn't come out.

Also, even though you have the view screen, put the camera up to your face to take pictures. Looking at the viewscreen at arm's length when taking a picture increases the likelihood that the image will be blurred.

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Jenn, the Rebel XTi doesn't have the view screen which I find takes much better pics. You can look at pics you've taken from that screen but when taking a pic, that screen doesn't show it. You have to use the viewfinder to take them. I found myself on my old camera, moving to much that my pics were sometimes blurred.

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I find the forums on http://photography-on-the.net/ to be a great resource. They are very Canon-centric and it has a wealth of information. I have to agree w/ the other comment that you should take as many pictures and experiment. But rather than deleting them, review them first to see how a particular shot have been better.

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Hubby works for a pro camera store and I posed this ?? to him. He recommends finding a camera store near you that does classes. Barring that, maybe a local comm. college or rec center? His store offers classes for all levels from familiarizing with your new camera to super advanced stuff I don't understand. Trying to find a class in your area would probably be a good place to start.

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