newcomer needs your help

As it turns out an SLR camera is not enough to take good pictures, you also need the knowledge. My problem is I don’t have the second part but hopefully sticking around here reading your posts and asking (dumb for now) questions eventually will get me somewhere. Just from searching /reading through the forums in the past few weeks I added a 24-70mm f/2.8 lens and a portrait perfect bracket from RRS to my gear list.

I am going to a kids birthday party which is gonna take place indoors after the sunset.
I would love to shoot in AV or M but not quite sure what settings I should try. I don’t expect someone to say set your aperture to this, exposure to that, and your pictures would look great, because they won’t. What I am hoping to see is someone post what settings I should try/play with while shooting. Not sure if I can set up a tripod, since there is gonna be a lot of kids running around. I will take my 40D with an older 420EX flash and a 24-70 glass.

Thanks in advance.

if you set your camera to P you can see both the aperture value as well as the shutter speed and change either or both. Your 420 ex flash should interrogate well with the camera appropriate flash power and aperture and shutter speed settings.

There are several books that I could recommend or shortening the learning curve. My first suggestion would be Scott Kelby's the Digital Photography Books. http://www.kelbytraini​ng.com …raphy-library-bundle.html

Wayne

WMS wrote in post #8866158
if you set your camera to P you can see both the aperture value as well as the shutter speed and change either or both. Your 420 ex flash should interrogate well with the camera appropriate flash power and aperture and shutter speed settings.

There are several books that I could recommend or shortening the learning curve. My first suggestion would be Scott Kelby's the Digital Photography Books.
Wayne

I would agree with Wayne, but I would offer some advice that I have given out numerous times. The single best way to absorb knowledge and experience (IMO) is to team up with a mentor. Find someone who is willing to take you under their wing for a while, and coach you under different circumstances. Doing a birthday party (especially for hire) would be cumbersome to bring along a coach, but a practice session under similar conditions with a good coach would be invaluable . . .

Yes a mentor would be far better than the best of books, however books are more available.

Wayne

WMS wrote in post #8866307
Yes a mentor would be far better than the best of books, however books are more available.

Wayne

Think local photography club, or take a look around the more social areas of this forum for others in your area. You may find someone who would spend even a few hours with you, which would be very beneficial (and a big confidence boost as well).

WMS wrote in post #8866158
There are several books that I could recommend or shortening the learning curve. My first suggestion would be Scott Kelby's the Digital Photography Books. http://www.kelbytraini​ng.com …raphy-library-bundle.html

Wayne

Got 1st & 2nd Scott Kelby's books and some of his CBT dvds, and can admit that I did learn a lot after finishing the 1st book, have not read the 2nd edition yet. Also reading the camera manual was helpful.

net_tech wrote in post #8866506
Also reading the camera manual was helpful.

Sorry . . . that one deserves a:

golfecho wrote in post #8866808
Sorry . . . that one deserves a:

Yes Reading the manual is always a good idea......

I should try it sometime

Wayne

golfecho wrote in post #8866321
Think local photography club, or take a look around the more social areas of this forum for others in your area. You may find someone who would spend even a few hours with you, which would be very beneficial (and a big confidence boost as well).

Does anybody know if there is a local photo club in Newtown/Doylestown PA areas?

Thank you all for your suggestions. How did I do for the 1st time in M ?

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Great results, looks like you're getting the hang of it!

Wow, good for the first time in M!

Grimes wrote in post #8943792
Wow, good for the first time in M!

Well, I wouln't have done it without YOUR help.