Using Automatic and Manual Settings

Automatic & Manual Settings

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You can shoot in automatic mode or manual mode on your camera. It is important to understand both.

First, notice the green rectangle located on the mode dial on top of your camera. If you do not see the rectangle you should see the word “AUTO.”

Select this mode. Your camera will now select all exposure settings for you, simply point and shoot your image. Keep in mind shooting in this mode will apply generic settings but may not compensate for all lighting conditions, like manual mode.

Another automatic mode on the mode dial is portrait mode. This is usually represented by a silhouette icon. In portrait mode the camera selects a large aperture (a small f-stop), which will cause a sharp focus on your selected subject while leaving the background blurred. This type of picture is considered a short depth of field picture, because there are parts of the picture that remain out of focus.

The next automatic mode we’ll look at is the landscape mode. This mode is represented by a mountain icon. In landscape mode the camera automatically selects a large aperture number like F 16 which creates a large depth of field, keeping everything in focus.

The next auto mode is the close-up or macro setting which is usually represented by a flower icon.  This setting keeps the aperture at a low or medium setting, which keeps the up-close image in clear focus and leaves a blurred background.

The next mode is the sports setting, represented by the action figure.  In this setting the camera’s shutter will be set at a higher “faster” number, in order to help capture fast moving objects with minimum motion blur.

The first is the Night Scene mode on your camera control’s the flash. It sets a slow shutter speed with a flash to illuminate the foreground and background. 

The last automatic setting we’ll look at is the flash off option; this allows you to disable any internal or external flash when you want to take a picture with a slow shutter speed or super fast shutter speed. 

Remember that when you use the cameras automatic modes you are putting some limitations on your camera’s ability. Complete the assignments below to understand your camera’s automatic settings. After you feel comfortable with these we will then move on to learning about the manual settings.

Assignments

• Search around your neighborhood for ideal landscape photography. Picture the image in your head with everything in focus. Unless you are lucky enough you may have to travel to a particular location. Mountains and lakes look great with everything in focus. Use your imagination and shoot in landscape mode.

• In portrait mode, take a picture of a subject. Portraits do not have to be people; your dog can be a subject for example. Review your pictures after each shot and notice how your subject is in sharp focus and the background is blurred. Experiment with different backgrounds and see how it changes your image.

• Find a subject in low light and record how the night scene mode affects the lighting of the foreground and background.

• Take shots with the remaining automatic settings. Pay close attention to how the images differ between each setting.

Manual

The manual settings of your camera are represented with letters also on the mode dial. 

The first manual setting is the Program Auto Exposure mode, which is marked with the letter P on the mode dial.  This mode is similar to the auto mode, but program auto mode lets you access some of the manual controls on the camera like setting the ISO, or selecting a particular aperture and shutter speed combination. 

The next manual mode setting is represented by an S or Tv.  This is the cameras shutter priority setting.  In shutter priority the camera will calculate the aperture based off the shutter speed value you select.  It also takes into account your set metering method and ISO setting. 

The next manual mode is aperture priority mode and is represented an A or Av. In this mode you will select the aperture or f-stop and the camera will calculate the correct shutter speed for the exposure (this mode also takes into account your metered value and ISO setting). 

Another creative shooting mode on the mode dial is the M mode or manual mode.  This mode gives the user complete control over the camera.  In this mode you will set your own aperture value, shutter speed, ISO and metering setting.  This mode enables you to adapt whatever scheme you want to capture your picture. The more you practice shooting pictures in the manual modes, the more you will see improvement in your pictures.

Complete the assignments below to gain a better grasp of manual mode shooting.

Assignments

• Shoot images both with shutter priority and aperture priority. This time don’t pay as much attention to the quality of your images. Look for the differences in each mode and how it is differing between your situations. Shoot moving subjects such as animals or cars in each mode and record the differences. Experiment with different lighting situations to notice the changes.

• After using these manual modes to control your ISO, aperture, and shutter speed turn to full manual mode. Practice is your best friend at this point. Instead of shooting particular situations in this mode keep your camera by your side and shoot anything that may strike your eye; this is the best form of practice. Keep shooting in manual mode and see your images improve.