Get Better Images More Easily With Your Digital Camera’s
Pre-Programmed Settings
By Wes Pitts
Who needs all these
modes?
You might ask yourself this question when you pick up a digital
camera loaded with custom exposure settings.
Program, Aperture priority and Shutter priority modes have been
around for a long time on film cameras, but many new modes have
been added on the latest digital models, each finely tuned for
specific shooting situations. Some cameras have more than a
dozen of these specialized scene modes.
The point of these
automated modes is not to dumb down the camera. Like Aperture
and Shutter priority settings, the goal is to create quick shortcuts
to correct exposures.
These modes help make photography more enjoyable and successful,
bypassing the guesswork, particularly when you need to act quickly
in order to catch the shot. They also make your camera more
family-friendly so that anyone in the clan can get better results.
One important thing to note about these modes is that while
they practically guarantee a good exposure, you’re usually
restricted in your ability to override certain aspects of exposure,
such as white balance, flash, ISO and the like. Manual and semi-manual
modes, like Aperture priority and Shutter priority, will allow
these sorts of changes, but the modes dedicated to specific
conditions generally will not. If you’re wondering why
you can’t change your white-balance setting, check your
mode.
We won’t cover every special mode you may have on your
camera, as they vary from model to model. Here are several of
the most common modes and what they do for your photography.
Manual. The shooting mode
that started it all. You set the shutter speed and aperture,
with options to change white balance, ISO, flash and even focus
on some cameras. Choose this mode if you’re sure of your
exposure or want maximum latitude for experimentation.
Aperture Priority. In this
mode, you select the aperture, thereby determining your depth
of field, and the camera automatically sets the best shutter
speed to match the conditions. This is a terrific mode to use
with a stationary subject when you want to control your depth
of field and aren’t concerned about shutter speed. It’s
also a good choice when you want the camera to automatically
select the fastest possible shutter speed (just set the camera
to its widest aperture).
Many professionals choose Aperture priority as their default
setting. With the traditional SLR, this allowed them to quickly
change the exposure without taking their eye off the subject
or their finger off the shutter, by spinning the aperture ring
with their left (lens-holding) hand.
Shutter Priority. This mode
helps you control motion, both as it relates to the subject
and the camera. You select the shutter speed and the camera
chooses the best aperture. The obvious example for stopping
action is sports photography, where you’ll need a high
shutter speed.
Photographing a walking person might require a shutter speed
of 1/125 sec., and a golf swing might take 1/500 sec. Conversely,
there will be times when you want a slow shutter speed, such
as for blurring moving water in a stream—try a speed between
1/15 and 1/60 sec.
For controlling camera movement and to improve your handheld
exposures, use a shutter speed that’s the reciprocal of
your lens focal length (i.e., 1/300 sec. for a 300mm telephoto
lens).
Program. This all-purpose,
mostly automatic exposure mode can be used for general photography.
In this mode, the camera selects a median shutter speed and
aperture based on the meter reading. Usually some fine-tuning
of features like flash and white balance is possible. You can
manually shift your aperture or shutter-speed setting in this
mode after locking exposure (or while holding down the shutter
release halfway on some models).
Most Program modes try to give some blend of shutter speed and
aperture setting that will allow for handholding and be fast
enough to freeze action, and still provide satisfactory depth
of field. However, not all manufacturers design their Program
modes in the same way. Learn how you camera’s Program mode
responds. As you become more experienced, you’ll be better
at guessing the combination of shutter speed and aperture that
will produce the results you want. You then can set the Program
mode more accurately using the program shift feature to favor
a faster shutter speed or slower aperture as you may prefer.
Auto. Of all the modes on
your digital camera, this one probably requires no introduction.
If you just want to point and shoot, or hand the camera off
to someone else and need a foolproof setting, this is it. When
set to Auto, the camera does everything and locks out any adjustments
to the exposure. Features like exposure compensation, white
balance selection and ISO usually will be disabled. Note that
if you find you’re unable to make these adjustments when
photographing, make sure your camera is not set to Auto.
Landscape. In Landscape
mode, your camera will select the smallest aperture possible
under the conditions to maximize depth of field in the image.
Some cameras also will apply effects such as sharpening and
color saturation when set to this mode.
While Landscape mode will attempt to deliver sharpness from
the foreground to the background, this isn’t always possible,
and depends on the light and the capabilities of your lens and
camera. For this reason, it’s best to set focus on the
most important areas that need to be sharp.
Portrait. Flattering portraits
emphasize the subject by de-emphasizing the background. When
you choose Portrait mode, the camera will select a wide aperture
setting, minimizing your depth of field for a soft background
effect, and also may adjust your zoom. The flash will usually
switch to red-eye reduction when shooting in Portrait mode.
More advanced cameras might even alter the in-camera processing
of the image to accentuate skin tones.
Here, accurate focus is important because with less depth of
field, your margin for error is reduced. Make sure that the
eyes of your subject are in sharp focus. Also, if you’re
shooting a group of people, Portrait mode may not be the best
choice if the subjects are standing at varying distances from
the camera. In this situation, you’ll need more depth of
field to ensure that everyone is sharp. Choose Aperture priority
mode instead to select the smallest aperture possible for the
exposure conditions.
Sports. Sports and action
photography demand a fast shutter speed to freeze the motion
of your subject. Switch to Sports mode, and your camera will
automatically choose the fastest shutter speed possible so you
can concentrate on the action.
Depending on the capabilities of your camera, this mode also
will activate continuous shooting (as opposed to single frame)
to help you capture the decisive moment in a series of shots.
If your camera has an advanced evaluative metering mode, this
likely will be employed rather than center-weighted or spot
metering. Flash is usually disabled.
Macro. Close-ups usually
make for interesting images, provided that they’re sharp.
The Macro or Close-Up mode in digital cameras allows you to
focus on objects at amazingly small distances—sometimes
just a few centimeters from the lens. Use the Macro mode when
the little details really count. Depending on your camera, your
zoom range may be restricted, and you also may be required to
manually set your focus. The flash will likely be disabled as
well.
To get the best results, a tripod is recommended. Macro photography
also is one of those applications where a flip-out, swiveling
LCD is a huge benefit, as you can adjust the angle of the LCD
to give you a clear view of the image even in tight quarters.
Night. Night scene photography
turns out best when you make the most of your ambient or existing
light, which requires a slow shutter speed for a long exposure
without flash. A tripod is absolutely necessary for best results.
A long exposure of several seconds or more is often required
for night shots. This raises quality issues of which you should
be aware. Digital camera sensors are particularly susceptible
to noise problems during long exposures. The sensor must remain
active for the duration of the exposure, which generates heat.
This heat, in turn, can cause pixel errors that show up as grain-like
irregularities in the image. Some of the more advanced cameras
have technologies that help reduce noise in long exposures,
but no camera is yet immune to this problem. So, if possible,
try to include a lot of ambient light in your night photography,
or choose to compose your shot with objects in the foreground
that can be illuminated by flash to add light to the exposure.
Night Portrait. Some cameras
offer a Night Portrait mode in addition to the standard Night
mode. Night Portrait uses a long exposure to capture the ambient
background light and a reduced-intensity, slow-sync flash with
red-eye reduction to softly illuminate the subject in the foreground.
This gives a pleasing balance between the flash and existing
light. A tripod is important in this mode, as you want the ambient
light to be as sharp as the subject illuminated by your flash.
Beach & Snow. The often
bright, reflective and contrasty environment at the beach or
in snowy landscapes provides an exposure challenge for even
the most sophisticated metering system. It’s easy for the
meter to be fooled into “thinking” that the scene
is much brighter than it really is, which in turn causes the
camera to underexpose the image. This mode will compensate for
the abundant ambient and reflected light by slightly overexposing
based on the meter reading.
Aperture
Priority. This is a terrific mode to use with
a stationary subject when you want to control your depth
of field and aren’t concerned about shutter speed.
In this mode, you choose the aperture setting and the
camera automatically sets the best shutter speed to match
the conditions.
Shutter
Priority. You’ll usually want to choose
shutter priority when you need to capture a moving subject.
In this mode, you select the shutter speed and the camera
chooses the best aperture for a proper exposure.
Program.
This all-purpose automatic exposure mode can be used for
general photography. In this mode, the camera selects
a median shutter speed and aperture based on the meter
reading.
Landscape.
In Landscape mode, your camera will select the smallest
aperture to maximize depth of field in the image. Your
image will be as sharp as possible under the conditions
in both the foreground and background. Some cameras also
will apply enhanced color saturation to the image.
Portrait.
This mode emphasizes the subject by de-emphasizing the
background. The camera selects the widest possible aperture
setting to minimize depth of field for a softened background.
The flash usually will switch to its red-eye reduction
setting when shooting in this mode. Remember to focus
on your subject’s eyes.
Sports.
Speed is the name of the game in Sports mode. Your camera
will automatically choose the fastest shutter speed possible,
and also will enable continuous high-speed shooting if
available. Evaluative metering is usually the default
for this mode, helping to ensure a decent exposure even
in contrasty light.
Macro.
Macro shots can be an interesting window into a smaller
world that we don’t usually notice. One of our favorite
features of compact digital cameras is the ability to
shoot close-ups without a special lens. Macro mode allows
you to focus on objects extremely close up, though your
zoom range may be restricted.
Night.
Successful night photography requires a slow shutter speed
for a long exposure without flash. The exposure may last
several seconds, so use a tripod when shooting in this
mode or place your camera on a solid platform. Also, be
aware that most digital sensors generate image noise during
exposures of more than a few seconds.
Night
Portrait. For flattering portraits in dark
conditions, you want a combination of flash with a long
exposure to pick up ambient background lights. In this
mode, the flash fires to freeze the action of your subject
amid the lengthened exposure. Whenever possible, use a
tripod with this mode for best results.
Beach
& Snow. The bright reflections and high
contrast of sand and snow often will trick your camera’s
meter into underexposing the scene. This mode will ensure
a proper exposure by slightly overexposing based on the
meter reading.
