To all newbies:
The scene modes are very useful in getting the settings more or less correct when you're unfamiliar with your camera (or photography in general).
However, if you just use them blindly without reviewing and questioning, you hinder your learning process.
For example, if you set to 'portrait' mode, you might notice that the camera tries to default to as small an f-number as possible. If you did notice that and wonder why, you're on your way to technically becoming a better photographer.
I have friends who are 1st-time DSLR owners, and they repeatedly use the scene modes without much thought. It's hard to improve that way, but if they're not seriously trying to learn, then so be it.