Use "A" (aperure priority) and set it to around F/8 F/11. If your shutter speed is to slow increase your ISO.

Thanks KK, I've just set the camera up, and I'm going over there this afternoon to have another go and see what happens, but I may just write this all down and take it with me practise makes perfect, or not as the case may be

As KK said you would use A which is Aperture priority.

The others are (correct me if I am wrong - I have Canon ).

P - Program Mode - the camera establishes most of the setting but will allow you to override some (you will need to check your manual to see which it will let you overrde as it is not the same on all models and I am unfamiliar with Nikons)
S - Shutter Priority - you set the shutter speed and the camera determines the other variables (eg Aperture)
M - Manual mode - you set both the Aperture and the shutter speed.

Yeah thats right GH

No probs.. maybe these will help a little more

Aperture
http://www.yophotographer.com/page.php?t=27

Depth of Field
http://www.yophotographer.com/page.php?t=107

Thank you, I kind of remember reading these before I got my dslr,

The wider your aperture (smaller F-number) the more the background will be out of focus - great for portraits but not so for landscapes, Here you will need a narrow aperture (larger F-Number) to get your surroundings in focus.


You'd think for idiots like me who's brain hurts from trying to take in all the information that for a wider aperture it would be larger f-numbers and for narrow aperture it would be smaller f-numbers, the other way round just confuses me more

Not to worry its something i get confused on all the time - im consistanly rechecking myself!

might be worth adding............

If you increase the f-stop and therefore have to slow the shutter speed you may get some blur due to the slower speed.

Remember you can then change the ISO setting. This will mean you won't have to slow the shutter speed quite so much.

Nice to see you moving on to more advanced stuff C!

I think a good next step is to use the P mode. As posted above the camera still works out most of the stuff but gives you a little more control.

When in P mode, you can adjust the aperture by using the thumb dial (but it will work out the shutter speed and other stuff for you ).

The A mode gives you even more control on Aperture

I would also take the manual to the loo! And read it whenever you get the chance

That's where my manual used to live

Thanks guys I'm going to take it one step at a time, but I quite pleased with how things turned out this afternoon, apart from my son who came with me and moaned constantly that he wanted to get home and watch the Rugby


I was hoping to get away without reading the manual