If you’re wondering what all those letters stand for on your camera mode dial, don’t worry, you’re not alone!
In fact when I first started, I was so overwhelmed that I just kept my camera on Auto 99% of the time. Sure, a DSLR in Auto mode still takes great shots. But what it also does is take the creativity away. What I ended up noticing is that more often than not, the feeling I wanted to capture in my photo simply wasn’t there.
So let’s just skip over that painful step and get you to where you can capture the feeling that you remember in that moment.
Understanding camera modes is a big part of this picture so let’s get started with a simple explanation of the basic camera modes. But even more than that, I’m going to share some ideas on when to use each mode!
Ready to be inspired? Good! Let’s begin!
UNDERSTANDING CAMERA MODES
Most DSLR cameras have a range of modes that allow you to control certain aspects of taking a photo. On one end of the spectrum, we have the fully Automatic option and on the other, the fully Manual option with various options for control in-between.
Let’s start with the easiest:
AUTO MODE
This is the safe mode and it’s everyone’s best friend when just starting out with photography! In Auto Mode, the camera controls every aspect of taking the photo. All you have to do is point and shoot! You don’t even have to worry about the flash, it will pop right up if your camera thinks the scene is too dark.
Auto Mode is usually shown as a green “A” or a green camera with the word “AUTO” above it on your camera mode dial like so:
CHOOSE AUTO MODE WHEN:
- You hand your camera to your friend to take a photo
- When photographing fast-moving subjects like sports, kids or pets
Alright, we all know about Auto Mode already right? Let’s move on!
PROGRAM MODE
This is one step up from Auto Mode and is shown as “P” on your camera mode dial. In Program Mode the camera will choose the optimal Shutter Speed and Aperture. All you have to do is set the ISO, unless of course you’ve selected Auto ISO. Then you’re home free!
But what this handy mode also allows you to do is select the white balance, picture style and my very favourite ability in Program Mode, shift your exposure balance as well!
I especially like to shift my exposure balance to -1 (underexpose my photos by 1 Stop) if I’m photographing the sunset. This way, I can capture more details in the sky.
Helpful Hint: When bringing your photos into an editing software, it’s always easier to pull more detail out of the shadows than it is out of the highlights. When in doubt, underexpose your photo by just a tiny bit!
CHOOSE PROGRAM MODE WHEN:
- On vacation where you want more creative control over your composition and let the camera do the thinking
- Wanting to quickly capture the moment like at birthday parties or during a hike when your husband decides to strike a crazy pose
Program Mode is especially handy for capturing moving subjects in the moment because in this mode, the camera will always select the fastest shutter speed possible to avoid camera shake. This will also minimize any motion in your moving subject as long as your scene is not too dark!
Next up Shutter Priority Mode! If you’ve got some speedy kidlets or pets you want to capture, pay close attention to this one!
SHUTTER PRIORITY MODE
Ok, ready for a skill testing question? Shutter Speed is shown as “S” or “TV” on your camera mode dial. What does TV stand for? Drum roll please! It stands for Time Value, which actually makes sense, because what we’re doing here in Shutter Priority Mode is controlling the time of the exposure.
In Shutter Priority Mode, you choose the shutter speed and the camera will choose the optimal Aperture to properly expose the photo.
If you have your ISO set to Auto, the camera will have control over selecting the right ISO as well. If not, you can also control the ISO in Shutter Priority Mode.
Helpful Hint: Here’s how to check if your ISO is set to Auto or not.
On my Canon 70D, I can check what my ISO is set to by pressing the round button labelled “ISO” on the top of my camera near the LCD screen. Then, I can use the scroll wheel on top of my camera to adjust the ISO. I can set it to AUTO and let the camera decide what ISO will give my photo the correct exposure or I can choose something of my own preference.
When I’m shooting outside during the daytime, I like to keep my ISO between 100 and 400. If I’m inside, or if I’m shooting at night, I typically try to keep the ISO at 1600 or less to avoid introducing noise into my photo. Check out this post if you’re curious to learn a little more on ISO!
CHOOSE SHUTTER PRIORITY MODE WHEN:
- You want to freeze a fast-moving subject, like water droplets from an awesome puppy belly flop into the ocean
- You want to blur a fast-moving subject, like tail lights from a vehicle racing down the streets of Rome
Shutter Priority Mode is my go to for taking photos of waterfalls when I want that silky smooth water look. Just remember to bring a tripod if your goal is to capture that silk smooth water look. Getting this shot requires a long shutter speed so a tripod is an absolute must!
APERTURE PRIORITY MODE
If you’re looking to get that beautiful blurred background look, this is the mode you want to be in!
Aperture Priority Mode is shown as “A” or “AV” on the camera mode dial. And guess what AV stands for? Hint, it’s similar to the one above. Yup, it’s Aperture Value. So in Aperture Priority Mode, you’re in control of selecting the Aperture, while your camera selects the Shutter Speed and ISO if you have your ISO set to Auto as noted above.
Aperture controls your Depth of Field and I go into a bit more detail on that in this post if you’re curious! For a brief summary though, if you want both the foreground and the background in focus, you’ll want a small Aperture, something like f/16 is great for landscapes for example. If you want that beautiful blurred background look, try setting your Aperture to f/1.4 or as large an Aperture as your lens can go, like f/2.8 or f/4. If you’d like to learn more about these numbers, check out this post on Stops.
Helpful Hint: When I say f/16, this will show up as “16” in camera. Similarly, when I say f/1.4, this will show up as “1.4” in camera.
CHOOSE APERTURE PRIORITY MODE WHEN:
- You want to ensure the entire scene is in focus, like a beautiful view of the landscape in the Swiss Alps (I’m noticing I have quite the bucket list here)
- You want that beautiful blurred background look, like when taking a portrait photo of your sweet little kiddo with some blurred autumn leaves in the background
When I discovered Aperture Priority Mode, that’s all I used for quite some time. If you’ve been reading some of my other posts, you’ll see that I love calling attention to a subject using this technique.
MANUAL MODE
This is my go-to for Astrophotography! If you want to take some spectacular photos of the Milky Way, this is the setting to use.
Manual Mode is shown as “M” on the camera mode dial and in this mode you have free range! You can control all three exposure settings of Shutter Speed, ISO and Aperture as well as white balance and picture style. Your camera will still measure the light levels to show you if it thinks your scene is properly exposed or not, but sometimes you want a bit more creative control than just properly exposing your photo!
In fact, it’s necessary to completely underexpose your photo when capturing photos of the Moon or our Milky Way. The reason for this is because in these dark scenes, the camera doesn’t know how to properly expose them!
CHOOSE MANUAL MODE WHEN:
- You’re capturing an incredibly detailed telephoto shot of the Moon
- You want to capture the light that took 30,000 years to reach us coming from the stars near the center of our Milky Way Galaxy
- You want to create silhouettes of two people walking at golden hour on the beach
BULB MODE
This mode allows for some amazing creative control!
Bulb mode is like Manual Mode’s big brother. Here you still have control over the same aspects you do in Manual Mode but with the added feature of being able to choose exactly how long to hold the shutter open for. You see, in Manual Mode, the longest most DSLRs will hold the shutter open for is 30 seconds. In Bulb mode you can take a photo as long as your shutter button is depressed!
This is where an Intervalometer Remote comes in handy. With one of these puppies, you can set the exact amount of time you want to hold the shutter open for without having to press down on the button the entire time. This way, you don’t have to hold that button for say 3 minutes straight. Plus, you won’t have any camera shake because you’re not touching the camera! It’s a win-win!
In case you’re curious, I use the Neewer EZa-C1 Digital Timer Remote and I do like it… except when I forget to put batteries in it before I leave the house. {hand slap to forehead}
CHOOSE BULB MODE WHEN:
- Capturing star or Moon trails (yes I said Moon trail and it looks amazing)
- You want that stunning Icelandic waterfall to look like fog falling over the mountain so you throw on your Variable ND Filter at blue hour and take a 2 minute exposure
FLASH OFF MODE
I saved the easiest one for last because holy smokes that was a lot to cover! If you’re still reading here’s a virtual high-five for you!
Use this mode when you want to give the camera full control but want to make sure the flash doesn’t pop up. Typically, this shows up as a flash with a strike through it. Yes, we did it, we’ve covered them all!
CHOOSE FLASH OFF MODE WHEN:
- In a concert that you weren’t supposed to bring a camera to
- At a wedding… especially in a church!
There we have it, the basic camera modes covered! If you’re looking for additional DSLR Photography Tips, make sure to sign up for our FREE 8 Essential DSLR Photography Tips for Beginners.
These are the tips that gave me creative control over my photos. Now, I actually understand how to use my DSLR to get the feeling I want and capture the moment each and every time!
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Thanks so much for stopping by guys! I so much appreciate you joining me on this photography adventure. Have a wonderful rest of your day!
Bobby
The best information i can read and apply to my digital photography lesson. Wow 👍
Claire
Thanks so much for your kind words Bobby! Glad you found this helpful!
Thank you for an informative article. Although most of them were familiar it was an excellent means of refreshing the memory.
Once the weather makes up it’s mind what it is going to do, hopefully I will be able to go out and do some bird photography at my favourite wetland.
It’s my pleasure! That’s wonderful to hear. I like to pop back for a little refresher as well. I hope you’ve had the chance to get some wildlife photos at your favourite wetland! We have lots of bald eagles taking to the skies this time of year and they are just spectacular to watch. I’d love to catch a new photo of one soaring while panning my camera one of these days.