02-CAMERA MODES

Skills to turn good pictures into Great Photos!

Beginning Photography

Modes & Adjustments

Camera Modes

Becoming Standardized.

Each Mfg. has algorithms to calculate focus, exposure, saturation, etc in camera depending on setting.

- Slight differences in color, saturation, noise, sharpness, etc. but overall similar results

Camera Modes

Sets ISO, Aperture, and Shutter speed

Activates Flash if necessary

Also selects focal points, white balance, metering mode, etc.

AUTO

Camera only calculates the exposure.

User selects all other features including ISO (unless ISO=Auto)

Program

ISO already selected (unless in Auto)

User Selects desired Shutter Speed (1/125)

Camera adjusts with corresponding aperture to make a good exposure.

*Blinking Aperture*

too much or too little light for good exposure

Shutter Priority

Aperture PriorityISO already selected (unless in Auto)

User Selects desired Aperture (f/8)

Camera adjusts with corresponding Shutter Speed to make a good exposure.

*Blinking Shutter Speed*

camera shake, too little or too much light

ManualISO already selected (unless in Auto)

User Selects BOTH Shutter Speed (1/125) and Aperture (f/4.5)

*Blinking Aperture or Shutter Speed value*

too much or too little light for good exposure

• User tells the camera what focal points are required

• Camera calculates the best aperture to match the shutter speed

• Not available on all cameras

• Primarily for Close photography, patterns, and creative uses.

Automatic Depth of Field

Portrait Pre-set• Head and

Shoulders portrait

• not suited for full-length portraits or group shots

• Tells camera to default:• Slow Film Speed

• Large Aperture

• result is very low noise, & blurred background.

• Cautions: • small DOF leads to

blurred image.

• can trigger the on-board flash.

Landscape Pre-set• Used in settings

(landscape or not) that need a large depth of field

• Camera defaults to:• smallest aperture.

• CAUTIONS: • Small aperture

means slow shutter speed

• Some cameras also adjust ISO

Close-up Pre-set• Tells camera the

subject is very close (fill frame)

• Chooses a shallow depth of field to focus on the subject.

• Useful to take a photograph of an image smaller than your hand.

• CAUTIONS:• Macro mode will NOT

give you super close up images. Macro lens is needed.

• Works best in bright conditions

• May need a tripod because DOF is narrow

Action Pre-set• Designed to stop

the action/motion

• Tells camera to default:• Fastest Shutter

Speed available

• Fastest Film Speed needed

• CAUTIONS:• decreases the

amount of light

• Can result in very noisy image

Night Pre-set• Seeks slow shutter

speed to allow enough light

• flash fires at some point during exposure • results is foreground

& background are properly exposed.

• useful in taking low-light images where you do not want the background to be pure black.

• CAUTIONS:• Setting varies per

camera

• Setting will often require a tripod

NO Flash• Necessary for

places that do not allow flash photography (e.g. museums)

• Useful for low-light creative photos such as candlelight, campfire, fireworks, etc.

Q & A

Photography Posture Lesson