DSLR Users: Understanding Your Camera's Settings, and putting them to use.

If you are a DSLR user, and have never used any different settings other than Manual Mode...You are truly missing out! Once I learned what those settings were for, and how to use them, my photography got a lot better.


So grab your camera and follow along, soon you will be on your way to taking better photos!


Disclaimer: I am using a Canon camera as an example. If you have a different brand, the settings could appear differently.


Lets Get Started...
On top of your camera, you will see a dial that will allow you to select various methods of photography settings. Each setting is fine tuned specifically for certain types of photos. Lets start at the top:

• No Flash: Self explanatory, this will allow you to shoot without your flash

• Night Portrait: Allows your camera to compensate for under exposure. This setting also uses longer exposures, meaning your lens opens longer allowing more light through. What this means for you, is if you are planning on taking night photo's, or anything using this setting, I recommend a tripod as any slight movement will give you a blurred photograph.

• Sports Mode: Settings programed allow camera to take the fastest shots in your current lighting condition. This is a great setting for catching a lot of motion.

• Macro: This setting will allow you to get up close and personal with your subject without affecting your focus. Great for detailed shots such as grass, bugs and flowers

• Landscape Mode: This setting will eliminate your depth of field, meaning no soft, blurred backgrounds. Everything in the photo will be nice and sharp.

• Portrait Mode: This setting allows you to take pictures where your subject is nice and focused, yet the background is soft and blurred. This decreases your depth of field which gives you the blurred background effect. Great for capturing bokeh in your background.

• Full Auto: If you are in a rush, and don't feel like fine tuning your settings...than this is the one for you. It will do all the work for you, but only produces so-so images in my opinion.

• “P” or Program Mode: Same as Full Auto, but allows you to adjust your ISO settings.

• “TV” or Shutter Priority Mode. Will allow you to increase or decrease your shutter speed. When you increase the shutter speed, your allowing less light in, decreasing the speed will allow more light in. 

• “AV” or Aperture Priority Mode: Controls your depth of field. The larger you go, the more in focus both the background and foreground image will be. The shorter you go, the more of a soft, blurred background you will have while still keeping your subject focused.

• “M” or Manual Mode: This setting allows you to customize ALL your settings such as shutter speed, iso, aperture, etc. This is the setting most professional photographers used. I recommend this setting once you have become very accustomed and experienced with all the basics.

• “A-DEP” or Aperture Dependent Mode: This mode is honestly pretty confusing to me. I believe it allows you to customize your settings even more than Manual does. I've never used it, i have found that the other settings are sufficient enough for me. However, I am sure there are some major seasoned pros who use this mode, who knows?

Excercise

 This week, I challenge you to each day shoot at least one object using a different setting every day. Ex, day 1 shoot a portrait of your loved one using portrait mode. Day 2- Shoot the moon using Night Mode, etc.  This will give you a better understanding of each setting. I personally am a visual learner, so this is what I did. Seeing the finished result really turned the lightbulb on for me!


Id love to see your work!