Your Controls: Automatic and Shutter Priority

The word photography comes from two Greek works – photos meaning light and the suffix graphy meaning to write. Yes, you are writing with light. Doesn’t that make it sound a whole lot more impressive now that you know the word’s origins?

This writing with light is accomplished  through a combination of how long your digital sensor is exposed to the light, how much light is let in and what your camera’s brain does with the image. To accomplish this, your camera has settings. Let’s look at some of the controls you will want to understand and master before you miss those beautiful shots. Two of the more common ones are:

Automatic Mode on a Canon

Automatic. Even the most expensive DSLR camera has this mode on it, and, for many of your photos, there is absolutely nothing wrong with shooting in automatic.

Seriously.

Your camera’s sensors look at the lighting, adjust for the type of light, how far your subject is from the camera and produces awesome shots that are clear and beautifully exposed. If you are going to Paris, you want to shoot at least a few of your shots of the Eiffel Tower on this mode. That way, you can prove you were there!

 

Check out that sunset!

On many cameras, automatic mode is made even more flexible with a menu of  presets which
enhance certain types of photos. Say you are staring at a gorgeous sunset, and you really want your camera to bring out the oranges in the sun’s dying rays. There’s a setting for that. Fancy a snap of your gourmet dinner? You betcha. A portrait of your son who is graduating high school? For sure. The camera will adjust its settings to emphasize certain features to enhance what you are shooting. Just read your camera’s manual and discover what presets your model has.

I once attended a PhotoShop conference hosted by Scott Kelby, a seasoned professional. He confessed that he takes many of his shots in automatic mode. If it’s a choice between capturing a fleeting moment of time or fiddling with the controls on your camera, err on the side of getting that shot.

There is nothing wrong with shooting in automatic mode! 

Shutter Priority on a Canon

Shutter Priority:  This is when you start to take control of your camera. In the shutter priority mode, you have your say of how long the shutter stays open. On modern cameras, the sensors will see what you are trying to do, and they will compensate by opening or closing the aperture – the opening in the lens that regulates how much light comes in (I will go into this more in the next post) – so your photo won’t be over or under exposed.

Why would you do this?  Think of it this way: faster shutter speeds freeze movement, while slower speeds allow light to hit the sensor for a longer time. 

Freeze the action

So, if you want to freeze the action of – say – your daughter chasing a soccer ball down the field. To capture the look of determination in her face, you can shorten the amount of time the shutter stays open down to something like 1/2000 of a second. Time stops. There is no blurring. Everything is crystal clear. Your camera makes the necessary adjustments to ensure that enough light falls on the sensor, and you have a great shot.

Take it to the other extreme – shooting fireworks on Independence Day. Did you ever wonder just how photographers get those beautiful, sparkling streamers? They slow their shutter down to three or four seconds per shot!

During that time, the fireworks bloom and their brilliant light traces patterns across the sensor, giving them that signature look.  Since the camera’s shutter is open for so long, it’s crucial that the camera be mounted on a tripod so there will be no shaking. Yes, if your hands jitter – even a little – you will not be happy with the results.

What about aperture priority or – gasp – manual mode?  We’ll look at those in the next post.