PHOTOGRAPHY

 Camera modes - which camera mode to use and when?

  A good understanding of camera modes is essential, to control the basic elements of exposure in an image, specifically shutter speed, aperture, and ISO.

  These modes can be confusing when you are a beginner in this field, you don't know what all those letters, numbers, and symbols mean, but trust me, learning them will greatly improve your photography skills and creativity, and you will be able to easily control your camera. All you have to do is do your research and practice.

  Let's first walk you through what each camera mode does, and when it can be used.

Camera modes

   Mode Dial

  One of the most important parts of your camera is the mode dial, which allows you to access shooting modes.

  Most cameras include a mode dial. This disc is located on the top of the camera. (Keep in mind that not every camera will have a mode dial, and not every dial will have all the options discussed in the next paragraphs.)

  In short, this tweak is the main entry point for all the basic settings of the camera, it is very important to understand it.

  The mode dial is divided into two halves: the first half allows you to choose between different automatic modes, if you choose one of these modes, the camera will automatically adjust the shooting settings, you will not have any control over the camera.

  The other half lets you select a variety of manual modes, where you adjust the settings manually. Also called creative modes.

   Auto camera modes

  When I talk about shooting modes, I always get the same question: “Why do I need to know how to set the camera settings manually, when the camera has built-in automatic modes for sports, portrait, landscape, etc.? (Conditions in red in the image below).

  I will first explain the function of each of these automatic modes, and then I will show you why these modes sometimes fail.

   Auto mode

  In most cameras, the automatic mode is denoted by the symbol in the image above, but you may find it in other cameras in the form of a green rectangle, or a square with the letter A in the middle and other symbols, in this mode the camera adjusts all the settings automatically, what you do is press On the shooting button only.

  Photography is all about capturing the perfect opportunity. Many photographers call this opportunity the “defining moment.”

  For example, if I wanted to shoot a quick scene, and I had to adjust the aperture, shutter speed, etc. Adjusting these settings can take a few seconds or an entire minute, and may not be enough to set everything up. Instead, you can just use the automatic mode and take the photo, go home and edit it as you like.

  When a lot of things are around you, you may be tempted to lose focus and make mistakes. If you find yourself in a crowded event, with a lot of people, animals, music, children, or some combination of those, you might get a little confused.

  So, using the automatic mode. The photographer can just pull out the camera, point at the subjects, and take a picture.

  Macro Mode

  Denoted by the icon in the image above, Macro mode is used for shooting close-up shots. Allows the camera to focus properly on a close-up image, and adjusts the flash intensity to allow proper exposure.

  This mode is useful when photographing insects and flowers (Macro photography).

  Nature or Landscape mode

  For landscape enthusiasts, most cameras have a dedicated mode to bring out the best in a scene.

  This option will make the camera automatically focus on as much of the scene as possible, using a wide depth of field where all the elements of the image are visible from foreground to background, meaning you'll choose a small aperture.

  We know that to get a wide depth of field we need to set the lens to a small aperture, this is what the camera does in this mode, the camera may also use a slower shutter speed in some cases to compensate for the small aperture.

  It is always useful to use a tripod to avoid a camera shake.

  In the image below, the depth of field used is wide, with every component of the image visible.

 

  Night mode

  It's also called party mode, and they both mean the same thing - it's suitable for working in low light.

  Night mode forces the camera to use slower shutter speeds. Since there is not much ambient (natural) light available. The flash will fire automatically to aid exposure.

  This mode is not good for daytime use, as slow shutter speed can cause overexposure.

  Sports Shooting Mode

  Perfect for fast-action photography. Sports mode will invert the night mode and push the shutter speed to a higher rate. This will ensure that any motion is frozen and motion blur does not occur. The camera will widen the aperture if necessary to compensate for the shutter speed.

For more information about shutter speed and its relationship to freezing, here is this article (click here)

  Portrait Mode

  Portrait mode is one of the most popular features of the camera dial. Suitable for humans and animals (but animated subjects may be better in sports mode).

  The aperture will be greatly enlarged to reduce the depth of field. Meaning-making the background is blurry while your subject is, the obvious feature in the photo.

  Why can't you always use these modes?

  Excessive dependence on these automatic modes leads to some unsatisfactory results. The camera above all does not have the logic, but only the complex algorithms that make it do what it does.

  If you choose to shoot in the automatic camera mode, you'll get decent photos most of the time. But What if the camera uses a different aperture or shutter speed than you want, or maybe you're shooting in low-light conditions and the flash is activated automatically.

  Therefore, you must learn how to manipulate the exposure of the image to move to manual modes, it may seem difficult, but on the contrary, it only needs some learning and application.

  We suggest that you first learn the basics of the exposure triangle, which you will find in this article:

  The exposure triangle consists of  ISO, aperture, and shutter speed settings. These three factors play a critical role in the exposure of the image.

  This example will help explain why these modes don't work for those who want to become "real" photographers.

  At your birthday party, for example, you invited all your friends and family members to a total of 40 people, now it's time to take a group photo of all the invitees without exception. What mode would you use in this case? You will probably choose Portrait mode.

  There is a problem with that. Portrait mode on the camera automatically makes the aperture large, i.e. lowers the f/stop, because it thinks you want a shallow or narrow depth of field in your image, of course, the camera does not have the brain and eyes to see and conclude that you want a large depth of field to get an image that includes everything Friends and family. A large group of people needs a deep depth of field so that the people in the back are not out of focus. The camera doesn't know your intentions, so half of the group will look blurry.

  For photographers who want to learn to take professional quality photos, I do not recommend always relying on these modes.

   Creative Camera Modes

  The creative modes in your camera are as follows:

• Program Mode

• Aperture priority

• Shutter speed priority

• Manual Mode

  On most cameras, it is marked with “P, A, S, M”

  On a Canon camera, these modes are denoted by P, Av, Tv, M.”

  It may seem a little intimidating to switch to these creative modes on the camera, but don't worry! I'll walk you step-by-step through each of the creative modes, and how to use them.

  1- Program Mode

  It is denoted by the letter P in the mode dial, and its advantage is that it allows you to learn about other aspects of the camera without worrying about getting the perfect exposure, meaning the camera adjusts the aperture and shutter speed automatically while you can adjust the remaining settings manually, it's an important first step in learning How to remove the camera from automatic mode.

  This mode enables you to control the following main elements:

   Flash

  Unlike automatic mode, where the camera decides whether or not a flash is needed, Software mode lets you bypass the camera and choose whether or not to add the flash.

    Exposure Compensation

  Exposure compensation is ideal for taking photos in scenes where there are a lot of black or white areas.

  why? Because the camera does not see black and white as humans see. Instead, you see shades of gray. So when you see a scene with a lot of white (like snow), it's best to raise the exposure compensation. This way, the snow will look white, not gray.

  The same is true when it comes to scenes filled with a lot of lions. But instead of raising exposure compensation in this case, you lower it. As a result, you can be confident that your black will not look gray.

   Exposure Compensation in Low Light

Exposure compensation is also useful in low light, I'll show you how with an example:

The image below was taken using aperture priority mode, which I'll explain how it works in the next paragraphs. The camera counter ended up exposing the photo at the bottom because the scene was rather tricky. It's obviously too dark, how do you fix it?

Canon EOS 80d Lens 85mm Aperture f8 ISO100

  For some photographers, the first idea that will come to their mind is to simply change the f/stop of the aperture from 8 to 2.8. This gives you a large aperture, which naturally lets in more light making the image brighter.

  Unfortunately, the wrong choice! Why?

  Well, the problem with this solution is that when you change the aperture, the camera's little brain thinks that you simply want to have a narrow depth of field, meaning the subject is clear and the background is blurry. So it adjusts the shutter speed appropriately to compensate for the lack of light due to your chosen aperture, giving you the exact same amount of light in your exposure.

  You must inform the camera that you want the image to be brighter, and this is done with Exposure Compensation.

  To fix the photo, just adjust the exposure compensation to +3.0 and take the photo again, you will get a brighter photo because you told the camera, by setting the exposure compensation that you want the photo to be three points brighter.

Canon EOS 80d Lens 85mm Aperture f8 ISO100 EV+3

  The image is now displayed correctly, with the entire scene looking brighter compared to what the camera thought was the correct brightness. Using the camera's exposure compensation feature, I was able to fix the issue within seconds.

   How to use exposure compensation

  Using exposure compensation is very easy. If you get a dark photo, you can use a positive number (+EV), while if the photo is bright, you can use a negative number (-EV).

  You can use exposure compensation in auto modes, program mode, aperture priority mode, and shutter speed priority mode. You cannot use it in manual mode.

  For cameras with an exposure compensation button, you will need to hold the button and rotate a thumb dial, or press it once and use the LCD screen to adjust the exposure value. For cameras with a dial, it's simpler, all you have to do is move it in the right direction.

  This image shows the location of the exposure compensation button on the cameras.

   ISO

  maybe Shooting at a high ISO, especially on cheaper DSLRs, causes a lot of digital noise in photos. As shown in the image below.

  In auto mode, the camera tends to raise the ISO rather than adjusting the aperture or shutter speed, but Program mode lets you manually control this function.

  You can use a lower ISO to suppress the noise and then use exposure compensation to compensate for any lack of light in the image.

   White balance

  The Auto White Balance setting on modern DSLRs is usually fine, but strong artificial lighting can affect camera settings. In Program mode, you can manually adjust the white balance, which allows you to give the camera the most accurate information about the lighting you're using, and also enables you to choose whether you want cool or hot colors in your scene.

  Despite all this, the program’s setting is automatic because it's also used in “pointing and shooting” moments, meaning you can also use it when you need to take pictures quickly.

  This mode is not a good choice for serious photographers because you can't set the shutter speed to freeze movement, and to make sure the image isn't blurry. Also, you cannot adjust the aperture to control the depth of the field.

  But the modes we'll see now give you control over your camera.

  2- Aperture Priority Mode

  Denoted by the letter A or AV on the mode dial. Aperture priority mode is a camera mode in which you set the aperture manually, while the camera automatically determines the shutter speed.

  This mode is used by a lot of amateur and even professional photographers, so what makes aperture priority mode so valuable?

  First, it gives you complete control over the most important setting in all photography – the aperture. (Manual mode is the only other way to fully control the aperture.) Where you can fully control the isolation of the subject to be photographed, and you can also control the depth of field by manually increasing or decreasing the aperture, while the camera will measure the shutter speed appropriate for the aperture you have chosen.

  Second, the aperture priority mode is faster to use compared to the manual mode, which takes longer to correctly set all the settings when the light changes.

  In short, if this mode is used correctly, you will take pictures with the optimal camera settings, just like in manual mode, but much faster.

  But before we learn how to use lens priority mode, let's first give you a brief definition of aperture.

   What is aperture?

  It is simply a hole in the viewfinder that opens to allow light to reach the camera sensor. When you change the aperture setting on your camera, all you really do is change the size of that aperture, make it bigger to let in more light, or make it smaller to let in less light.

  The other important thing to know about Aperture is that it also changes how our photos look, by controlling something called 'depth of field'. Depth of field is simply the amount of scene you will focus on.

  You can read more about aperture and how to control depth of field in this article. (Click here)

   How to optimally use aperture priority mode

  It is not difficult to use this mode as long as you understand the aperture, shutter speed, and ISO.

  The first thing you need to do is move the dial on top of the camera away from the AUTO, choosing A (if you're using a Nikon) or AV (if you're using a Canon).

  Second: Manually select f/stop, which means the size of the lens aperture you want to take the photo with. (eg f/16 or f/8…etc).

   How does mode Aperture Priority work?

  Suppose you want to take a picture of your wife (husband) in the middle of a party, the background is blurry and full of unnecessary things, you will want to isolate your wife and have a blurry background in the picture (shallow depth of field). To achieve this, the aperture must be set to f/2, which is an open aperture that will darken the background.

85mm Aperture f/2 ISO100

  At the same party, you want to take a picture of someone sitting next to the candles, I previously set the aperture to f/2 meaning a large aperture, and since the candles are lit in this case, the shutter speed has to be fast to get the right exposure, that's exactly what the camera will do.

  Because the aperture is wide open, using aperture priority mode, the camera automatically sets the appropriate shutter speed for your chosen aperture.

85mm Aperture f/2 ISO100

  Then next, you want to take a picture of someone in a dark corner of the room. You won't have to reset the aperture at all, because the camera will automatically see that the angle is dark and will choose a slower shutter speed.

85mm Aperture f/2 ISO100

  If I can only learn one thing in the Photography Essentials series, I hope it's Aperture Priority mode, because taking a photo with improper exposure is impossible with this mode.

  When you want a deep depth of field, choose f/stop as high as f/16 (small aperture). When you want a  shallow depth of field, choose f/stop as low as 1.8/f (large aperture). Your photos will improve dramatically when you learn to control the depth of field.

   Hand photography

  Aperture priority mode is useful and easy to set for tripod-based photography, but when you're shooting with your hand and your subject is moving things are a bit different.

  As mentioned earlier, in aperture priority mode the shutter speed is automatically selected by the camera depending on the aperture you have chosen, and the lighting available in the scene. If you choose a small aperture in a dark scene, the camera will try to balance the exposure in order not to get a dark image, by slowing the shutter speed, for example, two seconds (2s), in this case, you will not be able to get sharp images by holding the camera in your hand!

  Because as mentioned In our article about shutter speed, the slower this speed is, the more difficult it is to shoot with the camera in the hand. But don't worry, there is a solution and that is simply to increase the ISO value.

  While selecting a higher ISO (ISO400, ISO800, ISO1600, etc.), the camera will use a faster shutter speed to compensate, so things will be back in control.

  3- Shutter Priority Mode

  Denoted by S or TV, this mode works similarly to Aperture Priority mode, but in this case, you can set the shutter speed manually, while the camera adjusts the aperture automatically.

  First, we need to quickly review the shutter speed.

   What is the shutter speed?

  There is a physical curtain in front of the camera sensor that blocks the path of the light, when you take a picture the curtain opens to allow the light to reach the camera sensor. The amount of time that this curtain stays open to take a picture is what is called the shutter speed. It is also responsible for the appearance of movement in the image.

  Shutter speed is measured in seconds – or in most cases, fractions of seconds. The higher the denominator, the faster the speed (1/1000 is much faster than 1/30).

  Shutter speed has two main effects:

• Exposure: The slower the shutter speed, the more the sensor is exposed to a large amount of light, and therefore the image will be bright, and vice versa, a fast shutter speed will give us a dark image.

• The emergence of the movement in the image: The second effect of the shutter speed is the freezing or motion blur in the image. A slow shutter speed leads to motion blur, while a fast shutter speed leads to freezing of movement in the image.

  If you are more curious about shutter speed, feel free to visit our detailed article on shutter speed and its effects on the photo with examples. (Click Here)

  Now let's go back to shutter priority mode

   When is shutter priority mode used?

  The shutter priority setting seems very useful, but in fact, I've never found a professional photographer I know to use it, it's a little hard to explain why.

  When thinking about sports, it seems convenient to have a mode where you can choose the shutter speed and ISO and let the camera choose the aperture for you. For example, when photographing school basketball, shutter priority mode may be appropriate because you can set the shutter speed fast enough for a fast-moving sports situation.

  However, most professional sports photographers shoot in aperture priority mode.

   Why is aperture priority mode used instead of shutter speed priority?

  Because the depth of field is key. Depth of field in our sports photos has to be very controlled, and we only monitor the shutter speed, to make sure the camera doesn't take pictures at a low speed that will lead to motion blur. And if that happens, we simply raise the ISO value and the camera will automatically choose a faster shutter speed.

  With the shutter speed priority mode, you completely lose control of the depth of field, and you can't isolate the subject you want to photograph.

  Personally, I do not use this mode at all and do not think of using it in the future.

  For example, you were shooting in a dark or dim environment, and you accelerated the shutter greatly (1/4000 for example) to freeze action, the exposure of the image, in this case, will depend only on the aperture of the lens.

  If your lens has a maximum aperture of only f/4, the camera will not be able to use an aperture lower than f/4 to increase the aperture magnification, and allow more light to pass through to compensate for the fast shutter speed you chose, which will give you an underexposed image.

  And if your lens has a minimum aperture of f/16 and you use a very slow shutter speed in a bright environment, you will get an overexposed photo. Because the camera cannot reduce the aperture of the lens below f/16.

  Therefore, I do not advise you to use this mode in all cases, especially when you want to photograph an event that will not be repeated such as a wedding, or the football match of your favorite team, etc.

  4- Manual Mode

  Manual mode, as its name suggests, is where you manually adjust exposure settings (aperture, shutter speed, and ISO), the question you may have is, why use manual mode when other modes are less complex and can balance exposure?

  Well, here are three reasons why you should learn it:

   • Creativity Control

  Shooting using manual mode paves the way for you to create creative effects in your photos, by taking full control of the three elements of exposure.

  Aperture

  By manually controlling the size of the aperture, you will be able to control the depth of field in your photo, as a large aperture will help you get a shallow depth of field, which will distinguish the subject you want to photograph from the background, as well as create some amazing bokeh.

22.0mm ƒ/4.0 1/40s ISO 3200 Bokeh

  On the other hand, choosing a small aperture of the lens gives a sharp field, it is often used in landscape photography, where both the foreground and background are in focus.

  shutter speed

  Controlling shutter speed means controlling motion capture in more creative ways.

  Select a slow shutter speed, which enables you to create some motion blur. Think of nighttime scenes of cars or waterfalls with flowing water, slow shutter speeds are what allow you to capture these scenes.

200mm ƒ/4.0 1/80s ISO 100

  Whereas when you want to freeze action, such as photographing an exploding water-filled balloon, a fast shutter speed is a solution.

100.0mm ƒ/4.0 1/4000s ISO 100

  In summary, the manual mode helps you produce the exposure you want, just like buying an empty new home, you will be in charge of the furniture, decorations, dyeing…etc, the same for the manual mode.

  Take the silhouettes below, for example. This requires your subject to be standing against a bright background and then exposing your subject so that it appears dark or silhouetted.

180.0mm ƒ/7.1 1/500s ISO800

  Another example, shooting stars usually requires the use of a large aperture, a slow shutter speed (10-the 30s), and a high ISO.

20.0mm ƒ/1.4 30.0s ISO 1000

  These two different perspectives require a different approach from the other, and all this is to reach the result you want to get.

  Silhouettes and star photography aren't the only unique cases that can be produced using manual mode, there are many, many artistic creations that you can create using this mode, being able to choose the right exposure for your image is a big part of getting your message across.

  • Dealing with difficult lighting situations

  Sometimes using the automatic mode, the camera may find it difficult to detect the correct exposure, especially in a scene with a backlight, if the light behind your subject is brighter than the subject itself, the camera will try to adjust the settings to capture the brightest light, which will lead to a lack of exposure of the subject It will be difficult to see.

  If the subject is bright and the background is dark, the camera in this case will try to highlight the background, which will result in a poorly overexposed image.

  Fortunately, there is a solution, manual mode, yes! Adjusting the settings manually will ensure the correct exposure of your subject.

   Another common problem is shooting in low light. Everyone knows that the automatic modes of most cameras are designed to activate the camera flash in the dark. The problem here is that using the flash gives unbeautiful pictures, so if you are shooting using manual mode, you only need to increase the ISO value in the dark (increase the sensitivity of the sensor). As mentioned earlier, high ISOs tend to produce digital noise in photos, but I personally prefer this noise, which I can often adjust later, over a degraded camera flash.

   • Get consistent exposures

  The camera has a light meter inside, which takes measurements of the light coming through the lens.

  In automatic mode, the camera takes this measurement and tries to select suitable settings for this light. Any aperture, shutter speed, and ISO, to get a good and appropriate exposure when taking the picture.

  The problem is that this is like rolling a dice every time you hit the shoot button. Because when you move the camera, for example, or your subject moves or the lighting changes, the exposure may change as well. This means that two shots that are taken in the same scene, one after the other, may have completely different exposures, that is, an inconsistent set of images.

  But if you're shooting using manual mode, the aperture, shutter speed, and ISO won't change as the frame changes, unless you change them, which gives a consistent set of photos.

  Getting consistent photos is especially important in professional photography, for example, when taking pictures of wedding parties, it would be horrible for the sequence of photos in the album to be inconsistent in terms of exposure, of course, these errors can be corrected in editing programs, but this is a waste of time, as You could have avoided these errors from the beginning easily, by adjusting a few settings in the camera only.

   conclusion

  Are you now wondering, “What mode to use?”

  Well, that is entirely up to you. Some tutorials may give you specific instructions about when and how to use these camera modes. But in the end, the final decision is up to you, you can choose when to use these modes.

  We hope that this article will help you decide which mode to choose. Also, in my opinion, there is no shame in using the automatic modes while taking pictures.

  Many "pros" avoid using automatic modes, but if you and your camera come together to get the photos you love, keep shooting with whatever mode works for you. Don't be afraid to change poses while shooting to see if one suits you better than the other. This is a great thing to try. One mode per photograph won't work, so don't be afraid to change modes when you need to.