Great Mike:thumbup:
A couple beginner things...
A basic rule of thumb for shutter speed is as follows:
28mm lens = Minimum of 1/30 Shutter Speed
50mm lens = Minimum of 1/50 Shutter Speed
200mm lens = Minimum of 1/200 Shutter Speed and so on...
For VR you basically use this same rule of thumb but deduct however many stops the VR system is rated to reduce the chance of motion blur by.
A quick way to understand Aperture is to put your camera in liveview if it has it and look into the lens while changing the aperture, you will see the lens diaphragm blades moving to create a larger or smaller opening.
If you do not have liveview you should atleast have a Depth Of Field Preview button.
You will learn when you want a shallow DOF and when you do not. With better lenses come better bokeh (out of focus blur). It has a lot to do with how many diagram blades the lens has and the shape of them...flat or curved.
Going back to motion blur your camera should have an auto ISO function that will allow you to set the minimum and maximum ISO and it will automatically set dependent on the lowest shutter speed you have set. AWESOME for a prime but not so great for a zoom.
You would probably want to set it to 200-3200 ISO Low Shutter of 1/60.
You can also set your picture control and I would recommend a basic neutral setting and set the sharpening to 0.
I would also set your camera to record both RAW and JPEG Fine at the same time. You will love RAW.
Learn to set your White Balance right. It is very easy to do and it makes a huge difference.
For the absolute best pics I would suggest 100 ISO on a tripod and use the Mirror Up mode if it has it. This will raise the mirror, which produces the most motion blur in your camera system. Then after about 30 seconds it will release the shutter and allow the light onto your sensor.
This is the best way to avoid motion blur.
Full Manual is the best for any pictures but is not always practical. You can set up a DSLR, at least mine, to almost think like you think. It is pretty amazing.
Also, learn what type of light metering your camera uses and experiment with what works best. On my D300 the center weighted worked the best for general photography. On the D3s the matrix metering is great.
Finally, learn what types of autofocus system your camera has and take advantage of that. Mine will automatically focus on a persons closest eye automatically, perfectly, every time. That is awesome. It will also track subjects like magic, perfectly.
These are just a few of the things that came to my mind when I thought of how to help you with a new DSLR.
Edited to add the Shutter Speed rule is based on FX sensor or 35mm Film. DX Sensors Crop your lens and you will need to use the rule accordingly.
