Photo Tip :: What Mode To Shoot In

So taking the next step from my last post which was all about photography terms and some camera basics, let's talk about that spinny little wheel with all the letters and pictures on it.

It's called the mode dial. And we really don't care about most of them. Ignore the ones with legit pictures (except video...but that doesn't really count) because they are the 'basic' and 'image' modes and you will never consistently get the look of those photos you love. Sure, you'll find exceptions to the rule, but if you want to always create images you love, using more control is necessary. You want to get all creative - in the 'creative' zone. Here are the 4 main modes explained and in the order in which I propose you use them.

M = Manual aka 'Getting Up Close & Personal with Your Camera'

If you really want to learn about your camera, learn to shoot in manual. Manual is how our amazingly talented photo teacher (this guy here) taught us to shoot and swore by it. Here you set the shutter speed and f stop (defined in this post). You control it all! When you look through your camera you will notice a meter usually towards the bottom of the viewfinder OR it also appears on the LCD camera menu (see here). You usually want to hit the '0' in the center by adjusting the aperture and shutter speeds. This setting is great because you can move it to where it works. I pick the f-stop I want to shoot at (usually still 1.4 or 2.8 or whatever is lowest) then adjust the shutter speed to meet the 0 in the center. When I photograph all black dogs, like my foster dog from last year Scout, I will ensure that it is slightly over exposed (closer to the +1) as setting a black object at 0 will usually not photograph all the detail of the dog/object/whatever. You have a lot of control in this setting, but it's not the easiest thing to pick up right off the bat. It's a great way to really get to know your camera though. It is also a bit more difficult if you aren't behind the lens (like outfit photos for me), but do-able.

Av (Canon) or A (Nikon/Sony) = Aperture Priority aka 'Bokeh Is Pretty'
I typically shoot in this mode for outfit photos, dog photos, and anything quick that I don't want to have the accidental mistake of forgetting to set the camera in manual or not having enough time to adjust it. This is a quick and easy way to get what I want. I set my camera to the lowest f stop on my lens by scrolling the dial the controls it - this changes by each camera model and brand. Usually, it is done by the dial in front of the shutter (take the picture) button. For me, this is number usually 1.4 or 2.8, but if you have a camera with a standard kit lens, it will be 3.5 to 5.6. On a kit lens, the further zoomed out you are, the lower you can set the f-stop. Remember, the lower the f-stop, the more you blur out your background. For outfit shots, this is almost always what I want. This also makes taking pictures without flash indoors a breeze. This is an auto mode still, so you don't need to set your camera every time. If you are a beginner,  this is a good creative mode to start experimenting with.
PS. Bokeh are the little balls of blurry goodness.

P = Program Auto Exposure, aka, 'The Slightly Better Than No Flash or Auto'
It's basically an all auto mode, it automatically sets your shutter speed and your depth of field  It takes in the amount of light and evaluates it and voila! The difference between this and full auto is that you can still change some things, like the drive mode and ISO. You get a teensy tiny bit of control. I do not suggest using this because it can and will set your depth of field very high in certain situations and you get photos that turn out like this where you REALLY wish the background wasn't as in focus, like my friend there double fisting his drinks at my wedding.

Tv (Canon) or S (Nikon/Sony) = Shutter Priority aka 'I Rarely, Rarely Use This'
Shutter priority is the cousin to aperture priority. Instead of setting a fixed aperture, you set a fixed shutter speed and it adjusts the aperture accordingly. This is really good if you are taking pictures of yourself doing cartwheels and you want to freeze motion and need to set it to a really high shutter speed. OR freezing motion of water. All in all, for the type of photography I do, I never really use this. It can definitely be really useful, but chances are if you are reading this to find out how I take my photos and want to do similar ones, you aren't shooting sports photography or fountains. The only case that I use this in is when I am taking photos of recipes and want to capture something spinning (like a mixer) or need the highest shutter speed to freeze motion as best as possible and prevent blur.

Also - don't forget - in all of these settings you need to adjust your ISO! In sunlight, always use the lowest ISO available. Really, at any time, try to shoot in an ISO below 1000. My camera can go up to 6400 but you do start seeing some pretty noticable grain. Some cameras have an automatic ISO setting, but I do not suggest using it as it can really throw some things off (especially if you are shooting in manual.) Most camera have an ISO button to press or you can change the ISO in the menu settings. You'll have to refer to the camera manual on that one because it varies so differently.

Just a note, in the images above I have noted what the camera was set to (first number is the shutter speed and the second number is the f stop) and what lens was used for your reference. These are taken from EXIF data which I show on all of my photos in Flickr, more info here.

What kind of photo or design info do you want next? Focusing your camera correctly or taking photos outfit photos of yourself alone? I think the latter requires a video. Or a series of crazed gifs. Or something else completely? Leave me ideas or any questions in the comments!

Click here to see more photography tips and info on my camera equipment!