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Exposure Modes

Lesson 14 from: Mastering Your Digital Camera

Chris Weston

Exposure Modes

Lesson 14 from: Mastering Your Digital Camera

Chris Weston

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Lesson Info

14. Exposure Modes

To get access to the aperture and shutter speed controls, you need to get off auto and into a semi-manual or manual mode. Decipher the different modes on your camera in this lesson -- and bust the myth that serious photographers "must" use manual mode.

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Exposure Modes

your camera has four main exposure modes. Now the two are recommend using most of the time of the two semi manual modes after priority and shutter priority. Full auto in program mode used. Ignore because these really are just for happy snaps. And then there's a scary one. The Big M manual mode. Now you've almost certainly read or have been told, probably quite forcefully. But if you want to be a proper photographer, you should only ever shoot in manual mode. Now how do I put this nicely? Bunkum. Most of the time, shooting a manual exposure mode is, quite simply, a waste of time because, unlike the two semi manual mode, you have to set both lens aperture on shutter speed. The camera is doing nothing differently. The meter is still telling you what it thinks is a correct exposure, but now you have to make all the adjustments. You end up in exactly the same place. It just takes much longer to get there, and in that time there's a very good chance you've missed the shot. So that leaves us ...

with aperture priority and shutter priority modes. In Alberta priority. You set lens aperture manually and the camera will automatically set on appropriate shutter speed based on the meter reading and any exposure compensation you've applied. You would use this mode when accurate depth of field is critical to the composition. Now, when the cameras set the shutter priority, you set the shutter speed manually, and the camera automatically sets lens aperture. This modes used when a specific shutter speed is needed to freeze or blur the appearance of time. Whether a sufficient light, these two exposure variables work in harmony. But what do you do when there's too little or too much light?

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Ratings and Reviews

mark jacobson
 

What a marvelous course! What a marvelous teacher! When I went to college, my father would always ask me about my professors, more than the courses themselves. He was passionate about learning and although too busy with earning an income to go beyond an undergrad degree, continued to read 50 books a year. I still remember how he'd get almost visibly excited when I'd tell him about some special professor who taught with such enthusiasm and, more than just passion, evident delight and joy in the subject. 'Ah they're the best, son. How wonderful you have such a teacher." Well, he passed away decades ago but if he were still around I'd get a kick out of telling him about Chris Weston, the 'Prof' of this course. He's one of the very special ones: a teacher who's loved and lived his vocation--his avocation--since he was a boy--and still is as excited about it now as he was then. The result: a course that seems to be more a labor of love--of pouring far more energy and thought into the details then one typically finds in these courses--than anything else. Bravo Chris! I'm already on to your next one.

user-6402bf
 

Chris is an amazing instructor who dissects theory giving amazing analogies that bring concepts to life. I have rarely been able to sit through most video course for more than a half-hour but watched this one from beginning to end. A good refresher course if you've been away from the camera for awhile or there are some concepts that still illude you. I highly recommend this course and look forward to watching his others. Thank you for the clarity and great explanations.

Sky Bergman
 

This was an amazing class. I have looked at a number of basic photography classes. This one was by far the best I have seen. Chris is an exceptional teacher. He breaks things down into digestible information and then inspires you to be creative. Thank you!

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