Camera Modes

In this article I will go over 4 different camera modes, Manual mode, Aperture priority, Shutter priority, and Bulb mode.

Manual mode is where you have full control of everything, the pros are that you can control everything to get the exact photo you want, the cons is that it’s more technical and it takes much more time to set up for a shot. I usually use manual mode, especially when I’m using a tripod. This is a photo that would good for manual mode because I used a tripod to set up a shot of non-moving objects and didn’t have to worry about time.

In aperture priority you control the aperture and the camera adjusts everything else for you, the pros are that you can get the depth of field you want in a short amount of time, the cons are that you don’t have total control of the shutter speed, so if you need a fast shutter speed you might not get it. I use aperture priority if I don’t have time to do my settings. This photo was good for aperture priority because I was on a shoot where I didn’t want to waste any time, but I still wanted a shallow depth of field.

Shutter speed priority is useful when you need a fast shutter speed, and are more relaxed with aperture and ISO, the pros of using this mode is that you can get a fast shutter speed, the cons is that you don’t have control over the depth of field. This photo was good for Shutter speed priority because I wanted a fast shutter speed, and didn’t have time to get my aperture and ISO perfect.

Finally we have bulb mode, this is the most technical option for photographers, and is used when you want long exposures, in bulb mode you can keep the shutter open for as long as you want. The pros is that you can get a long exposure for exactly as long as you want. The cons are that you don’t really know what your exposure will be like. This photo was good for bulb mode because I needed a very long exposure.

A useful tip for bulb mode photography is that a photo taken with a 1 second exposure at ISO 6400 will be the same as a photo taken with a 1 minute exposure at ISO 100.