Originally posted by Clary The only modes I have tried for shooting are the auto and scene modes.
That would be part of the problem.
Originally posted by Clary P.S. Since I'm new to the DSLR game, there could be other things not functioning correctly that I don't even know about at this time.
Most new DSLR users go through a rough period because of the learning curve. A DSLR is NOT the same as a point & shoot or cell phone camera. It takes a moderate amount of skill and knowledge to get a good picture. When I bought my first DSLR I very nearly sent it back because all the pictures I took were horrible.
So a suggestion. First read the manual. I know, you don't want to do that. A better suggestion is to read the manual twice. Seriously.
To get you started: Put the camera in Av mode. DO NOT use auto or the scene modes, in those modes you have no idea what the camera is doing so no one can help because we have no idea what the camera settings are. Set the the aperture to f/8 to which is in the middle. Go outside on a nice sunny day and find something that is a good target and not moving. Start with very simple subjects and work your way up one step at a time. Change only one setting at a time so you learn what that setting does.
Take a picture and post it here with the EXIF intact, that way we can see what settings you used and the results.