Now that you’re familiar with the basics of photography and the exposure triangle. Let’s dive into the shooting modes your camera offers; M - Manual Mode, P - Program Auto, S - Shutter Priority Mode, A - Aperture Priority Mode. You’ll typically see two camps here; full manual (M) or semi-automatic (P, A, S). I don’t think either are wrong, it’s just a matter of how you shoot and what you shoot. So let’s get into the nitty gritty of camera modes!
M - Manual Mode
Manual mode is exactly what it sounds like, all adjustments are made by you. Think of this like a manual/standard transmission car. Here you have full control over the exposure triangle. Shooting this way is significantly slower than any of the program modes because you’re adjusting Shutter Speed, Aperture, and ISO to expose the image correctly. It’s a great way to learn photography and understand the principles of the Exposure Triangle, but ultimately leads to slower ready to shoot times, and missed opportunities in the field.
What it’s good for:
- Landscape Photography
- Architectural + Interior Photography
- Studio Portrait Photography
What it’s not good for:
- High Speed Action Sports/Autosports
- High Pressure Photography situations like Weddings (Yeah, yeah, I know before Priority modes wedding photographers shot in full manual, but look guys, we make things to help improve our trade and having more shots available to us allows us to deliver more usable shots to our customers)
- Run + gun photography
P - Program Auto
Program Auto makes all the adjustments to the Exposure Triangle for you. Just point the camera and the camera will determine what the best settings are for the shot. It’s as easy as pointing and shooting the camera. While this is fine for candid photos or snaps that don’t need much else besides capturing the scene, you won’t be able to directly affect the boken of the photo. Of all the modes, this offers the least amount of control but offers the fasting ready to shoot times and least missed opportunities in the field.
What it’s good for:
- Everyday shooting
What it’s not good for:
- Anything where you want control of the photo.
S - Shutter Priority
Shutter Priority prioritizes Shutter Speed and adjusts ISO and Aperture to maintain the selected Shutter Speed. Set the Shutter Speed and the camera determines the correct ISO and Aperture for proper exposure. This is good when you need to freeze action or if you want to add some motion trails. Shutter priority won’t allow you to manipulate the bokeh or background separation as well as Manual mode doesn, but it allows you to capture shots where movement needs to be crisp.
What it’s good for:
- Sports Photography
- Automotive Racing Photography
- Photography in low light situations where you need to capture motion
What it’s not good for:
- Low Light Photography in general (You want to use Aperture Priority or Manual Mode to make the most of the available light)
A - Aperture Priority
Aperture Priority prioritizes Aperture and adjusts ISO and Shutter Speed to maintain the selected Aperture. Set the Aperture and the camera determines the correct ISO and Shutter Speed for proper exposure. This is the mode I usually live in because it allows me to directly affect the bokeh and background separation. It allows you to maintain your preferred depth of field while shooting. It’s a happy medium between Manual and Program Auto.
What it’s good for:
- Portrait Photography
- Street Photography
- Landscape Photography
- Wedding Photography
What it’s not good for:
- Architectural + Interior Photography (Typically you want a constant aperture to have the same depth of field throughout the set of photographs)
Photography is a fun hobby and a sometimes stressful profession, but at the end of the day taking photos helps us remember moments that we want to. Understanding how your camera works is the first step to taking better photos and capturing the story you want too. The basics are easy and now you know them. In later write ups, we’ll look into framing, depth of field (bokeh), flash and more!