Camera Modes

Cameras come with many different options of what to shoot in. This blog will focus on what the settings mean and when to use them.

            1. Auto: This is default for almost all photos. You can change different things

on this setting to make your picture better. Auto is mostly used though for quick shots, which requires the camera to do all the setting changes such as white balance and aperture.

2. Program: On your camera it may be P or Ps. This mode gives you more control over your camera’s settings, but is basically Auto mode. In this mode, Exposure is based on the zoom or length of the lens in use. The camera’s recommended setting can quickly be changed to make it the picture you want.

3. Aperture Priority: On your camera this mode will be indicated by A or Av. This mode is mainly used when you want to control the depth field. It is the most popular mode among amateur photographers. If you have a large f-number, much of the photo seems to be in focus. If you have a small f-number, your subjects will be the only remaining thing in focus.

4. A-Dep: This mode is only available on some Canon cameras. This mode tries to calculate the aperture and point of focus of the nearest and farthest elements in your shot while keeping them still in focus.

5. Shutter Priority: On your camera it may be a S or Tv. You will set the shutter speed to what you want and the camera will adjust the aperture for the right exposure. When using a flash, the maximum shutter speed will be limited to how fast the flash and shutter can work together.

6. Manual: On your camera it will be a M. It’s basically a do-it-yourself mode. You will be able to set all settings manually. The camera will warn you if your modes won’t work together, but will never change what you had without you doing it manually.

I hope this will help you get more familiar with your camera. The modes are something to get to known with when you are shooting different events because it will make you a better photographer. See what works for you and your style of photos and roll with it!

-Katie :)