Peter West Carey Photography

Tag: cameras

Camera Modes Explained – Photography Basics
Building on yesterdays post regarding Metering Modes, Camera Modes control your whole camera and are very important.

Camera Modes

When I speak of camera modes I speak of those little letters and pictures typically atop a dial on the top of your camera. P, A, S, M, B and then a bunch of pictures.

Or, if you have a Canon, it gets goofy with AV and TV. No, you don’t have TV on your camera (yet). It stands for Time Value (Shutter Speed) and is silly Canon still uses it. Av is for Aperture Value. Those C’s are Custom Modes.

My Canon 7D Mark II also locks those other modes represented by pictures, but a lot of cameras have them.

Standing down from my soapbox, I will list out what the modes do and how they are best used. If you think I’ll be referencing back to previous posts and starting to tie more things together, you’re right.

Oh, and a slight rant; before you get too caught up in which mode to use, it doesn’t matter as long as you are getting the shots you want. Being proficient in modes other than your favorite will give you more latitude to experiment and try new things, though.

Auto Mode

Auto mode is the mode I use when I hand the camera to someone to take my picture. It’s the green box mode. It’s the mode I’m trying to get you out of by doing all these posts.

It handles practically all aspects of photo taking: shutter speed, aperture, ISO, flash use and in some cameras, it makes you coffee each morning. It’s that automatic. It’s handy, but not so useful for learning.

Use This Mode When You
- Hand a camera to someone who has never used your camera
- Are new to photography and don’t know what else to do
- Just don’t care (and also throw your hands in the air and wave them)
- Are too tired to think and your photo instincts are shot
- Don’t want to shoot in RAW
Program Mode

P Mode. Program Mode is like Auto but now you can change things. It is the mode I use second most often and people often gasp in horror when I tell them, at least those who are just getting into photography.

They tend to think Manual is the only way to go to have complete control over everything. I thought that too at one time, especially the time when my camera didn’t have a Program Mode and all I had was Manual.

Yet most modern DSLRs and mirrorless cameras have quality Program Modes which handle most functions but leave many to be adjusted. For instance, the camera will pick a shutter speed, ISO and aperture setting for you. But if you like, you can manually set the ISO.

Likewise, turning a dial will adjust the shutter speed and aperture settings while keeping the overall exposure the same based on your selected metering mode. You can also pick focus points and choose to over or under expose the scene by a set number of stops and change the white balance.

I use at times and typically I will use the front dial on my camera to make a quick change to the chosen settings to adjust to my liking. Such as adding in just a bit of depth of field with an increase in aperture or quickly underexposing by a stop when I know the camera will meter higher than I desire.

Use This Mode When You
- Want to start taking control of your camera
- Have a name that starts with P (that’s my secret reason for using it; ego)
- Are happy with the camera’s metering and know what to expect
A nice thing about Program Mode is it has a safety to typically not allow you to under or over exposure your shot. This can be handy.

Aperture Priority Mode

A Mode (or Av mode on Canon and Pentax because they like to annoy me). As you hopefully guessed, aperture mode allows you to control just the Aperture, not shutter speed. ISO can be set to manual or auto in this mode as well.

It also allows control over the items mentioned in Program Mode. Depending on how your camera is set up, the main dial, or rear dial, will always be used to select the aperture and that aperture will not change unless you want it to. Adjustments are made in 1/2 stop or 1/3 stop increments.

This mode is best used to control what aperture controls, which is? Depth Of Field.

Use This Mode When You
- Are shooting a landscape
- Want to control depth of field, like when shooting a landscape
- Are thinking of shooting a landscape
- Just got out of the car on your way to shoot a landscape
- Dream about shooting a landscape tonight
- Accidentally shoot a portrait or two between landscape shoots
It’s the mode I use the most, not because I shoot landscapes, but because I primarily want control over my Depth of Field. I keep an eye on my shutter speed and use my aperture setting to adjust that as needed (remember the Teeter Totters of Doom?).

Shutter Priority Mode

S Mode (or Tv on, again, Canon and Pentax because they are so advanced, it’s known as Time Value. I’m not sure why they departed from Shutter Speed Priority, but they are whacky.) As with Aperture Mode, Shutter Priority Mode controls the shutter speed.

No matter where you set it, there it is. The range is typically in 1/3 stop increments but can be switched to 1/2 stop. The range extends from 30 seconds to the fastest shutter speed your camera is capable of. Mine is 1/8000th of a second, for instance. It has all the same manual controls as Program Mode.

NOTE: In both Aperture and Shutter Speed Modes, it is possible to over or under expose when selecting your setting, unlike in Program Mode. If the shutter speed is too fast for the aperture, for instance, the aperture setting may blink or list “LO”, indicating the amount of light is too low for a proper exposure

Likewise, if you set the aperture to f/45 and there is still too much light for your highest shutter speed to be used, your camera will still use that highest shutter speed but will blink to tell you things are going to come out all wrong. This can happen with sunset shots.

Use This Mode When You
- Are shooting action shots, like sports
- Want to ensure no camera induced blur with a long lens
- Want to control blur in general
- Are taking night shots with flash and want more control
- Are taking a picture of a yeti
Manual Mode

M Mode. All you’re doing in this mode is combining the Shutter and Aperture modes and now you can adjust both of those values. Party! Your camera will still meter and list, via a scale, if you are under or over exposed, but life is up to you now, big fella.

This mode can be liberating and confusing for some and is best not used in fast moving situations where constant change is needed. It’s all about control.

Getting good at Manual Mode needs repetition and practice, that’s all. Just like anything, it can be made second nature if you work at it and have a desire.

ISO can be set manually or automatically in this mode as well, for true manual control.

Use This Mode When You
- Want to brag about using it
- Lust after total control
- Are feeling creative and want to play
- Shoot in a studio and know your lighting setup
- Shoot at night and know your camera’s metering is inaccurate
Creative Camera Modes

Not all cameras have these modes and some have many, many more. But I want to list some of the useful ones. They can be used like a crutch while learning, but don’t rely on them.

Portrait Mode

Portrait Mode will bring your aperture to a lower number (wider opening, less depth of field) to help isolate the model. It will also, if shooting in JPEG mode, add in a bit of warmth to skin tones and choose a decent ISO. It may also change in-camera sharpening, tone and contrast.

Action/Sports Mode

This is great for sports in a no-thinking way. Shutter speed and ISO are jacked up to stop motion, aperture be damned. Frame rate is also increased to its highest, typically. Usually defaults to JPEG mode as well. It can be great for getting shots of fast-moving kids when you don’t want to think about it.

Landscape Mode

Aperture be praised in this mode. Saturation might also get a bump, especially in the greens and blues. Some cameras will also pick a slightly ‘off’ focus point in order to maximize depth of field. Great mode for when you want as much in focus as your camera can handle.

Night Shot Mode

Night Shot Mode is a fun one. Your camera will meter for the entire scene and expose as such, but also fire the flash to light up foreground objects. And by objects I mean people. This mode is best used with a tripod as the metering for the scene, at night, means a longer shutter speed to expose faint city lights. Handholding is ok, but will leave some streak or blur in the overall scene, even though the object will be stopped with the flash.

Other

Some other modes of note:
- Child Mode – Not what you think. Does not deliver children, nor make them eat healthy snacks. But helps with taking pictures of the fast moving buggers.
- CA – This mode mystifies me. It uses sliders on the back of the camera to control things like Contrast while shooting. Might be useful to some, but kinda clunky in practice.
- B – Bulb Mode. In this mode the shutter will stay open for as long as you hold the shutter release. Great for long star exposures when using a remote trigger which has a lock for the shutter release, leaving both hands free for beer.
- C1, C2, C3 – Custom settings. Handy for certain set of situations, like maybe heading underwater or one set for studio use, etc… Records and uses any number of settings, like metering mode, white balance, etc…
- Close Up/Macro – Usually a faster shutter speed and wider aperture for flower pictures as well as small things you want to sell on Etsy.
- Pentax cameras also have some Hype modes and a Sensitivity mode. Plus a TAv which allows for more creative use.
- Snow, Sunset, Fireworks Pets….the list goes on and on and is ever-growing.
Do the modes make sense? I hope so. If not, please ask questions in the comments section below. We’ll be discussing camera modes further as we get into different shooting situations.

Up Next: White Balance

Questions? Pop ’em like Pez in the comments section below. or email me at peter@peterwestcarey.com.

Photography Basics – A 43 Day Adventure, and its companion 40 Photography Experiments, are series written by professional photographer Peter West Carey. The series are designed to unravel the mysteries of photography, helping you can take better pictures. Subscribe here to receive all the updates and bonus material. Your comments are always welcome.

If you enjoy the series, consider learning photography first-hand on a professionally led international photo tour in Nepal or Bhutan. More information can be found at Far Horizon Photo Tours.
October 12, 2018
How Your Camera Works – Photography Basics
Yesterday’s topic was: The Exposure Triangle

Before we dive too deep into other subjects, I thought it best to explaining how your camera works. While not all the mechanics are the same for DSLR, smartphones, mirrorless, drones, etc… the principles are the same.

We’ll use this DSLR image for reference:

How Your Camera Works

First, there is light. Let’s say it is coming from the sun and it hits our demonstration bunny here. Next, the light bounces off that bunny (she’s a tough bunny) and scatters in every direction.

Next, some of that scattering light comes in through our lens. The lens will have a number of elements, some made of glass and sometimes some made of acrylic or other materials. All these elements (think of them as type of lenses, like a contact lens) help to focus the light. A focus ring on a lens, as well as the auto-focus capabilities of the camera, will move one or more elements front to back ever so slightly in order to achieve focus. Think here of using a magnifying glass to get something into focus.

As light comes into the camera it is flipped vertically because of the convex shape used to concentrate the light into the sensor area (think of looking at your reflection on the inside part of a spoon). You’re now taking a foot tall bunny and shrinking it down to the size of the sensor. Poor bunny.

Detour For DSLRs

Before the light passes out of the lens and into the camera body, it goes through the Aperture (explained next week) which, as you read yesterday, reduces the amount of light passing through to increase Depth Of Field. It then hits the reflex mirror (DSLR stands for Digital Single Lens Reflex, meaning it only has one lens and a reflex mirror that pops out of the way) and bounces up.

Next, it passes through the focus screen. To put it mildly, different cameras are different. On average, the focus screen is a transparent screen often with an overlay showing actual focus points and other stuff overlayed in your viewfinder. This screen is the same distance away from the mirror as the sensor and this is the main reason the SLR became so useful. There was not a need to keep film out of the way, focus, put film in, expose, remove film as in the days of large format cameras (those ones with the big bellows and Ansel Adams come to mind).

Let Me See The Light

After passing through the focus screen, the light will bounce around the pentaprism (crudely drawn in this diagram; here’s a better version on Wikipedia) which will flip the image the correct way for presentation at the eyepiece. Tada! Some cameras will have a light meter above the eyepiece, reflected with a transparent mirror. Other cameras will have the light meter behind the main mirror, which is also semi-transparent. Don’t get too hung up on where yours is.

Now For Some Action

When you press the shutter release (or ‘button’ as a lot of people call it) your camera locks in the focus and light metering settings before flipping up the mirror. As later explained in the Shutter Speed post, it then activates the shutter (and closes down the Aperture to the appropriate size) to let light hit the sensor, which has had its sensitivity set by the chosen ISO. The shutter closes, the mirror drops back down. Below we have the shutter in action.

What About My Smartphone, Mirrorless, Drone Or Action Camera?

The biggest difference between all the cameras listed above and a DSLR is the lack of all the stuff to bounce the light. They look, more or less, like this.

Most of the cameras listed above have a fixed aperture. Other than that, the light still comes in and gets flipped but now the sensor is hooked to the screen on the back (except for drones and some action cameras) and the software flips it back around so you can see it.

In smartphones, action cameras, drones and some mirrorless cameras, there is no physical shutter to block light. Instead the camera scans the sensor very quickly to simulate a shutter. Sometimes it doesn’t scan fast enough if something is moving very fast, which is why you get images like this iPhone shot:

Pretty funky, huh? That doesn’t happen with DSLRs.

More On The Actions

Blue Morpho Butterfly (Morpho peleides), Costa Rica

Most cameras come to life when you press the shutter release half way down. At that point auto-focus (if engaged) and light metering become active. These two functions control most of the camera when in Auto and Program mode. Shutter and Aperture modes follow suit and we’ll cover these modes next week as well. If a lens has vibration reduction or image stabilization, it will turn on as well.

After light hits the sensor and the image is captured, the information drops into a buffer. A buffer is a holding pen for information. Inside the camera are one, two or more processors, just like in your computer and, eventually, toaster. The processors need a bit of time to crunch the raw information from all those millions of pixel sensors. The buffer allows a space for incoming images to hold up until the processors can work. then it will dump the images onto your memory card. Light goes:

Subject->Lens->Sensor->Processor->Buffer->Memory Card

Think of your buffer as those long, long, swerving holding pens….errr….lines at Disneyland. If more people come into the line than the ride can load at one time, eventually the line gets full. Pretend no one else is let in when the line is full. That’s what happens with the buffer.

Shooting at eight frames a second will fill a buffer and the shooting speed of the camera will slow to the point where a new picture can only be taken when another has been written to the memory card and removed from the buffer. Don’t worry though, they keep coming up with faster and faster processors (although they also keep coming up with bigger and bigger sensors which fill more space!).

NOTE: Camera memory (both internal and memory cads) has gotten to the speed that there isn’t much buffering with smartphones, action cams and drones these days. Even DSLRs can shoot almost continuously in certain modes.

Process All The Things

Running Hippo (Hippopotamus amphibius), Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Tanzania.

Information processes before it hits the buffer, making JPEG files, with their smaller size, take up less space in the buffer. Again, different cameras are different. If you are shooting in RAW mode, the information will essentially be written to the memory card untouched while a companion file is saved along with it. This companion file has all the information about the image when it was shot, including what the white balance was, which shooting mode was used, the metering mode at the time, how sweaty your palms were as the crazed hippo was charging your truck….

In JPEG mode, the RAW information compresses to save space. Some cameras have another processor that just compresses files, creating the JPEG files. I discuss RAW vs. JPEG later this month. For now it will suffice to say that RAW files can be 3-5x larger than JPEG and that’s why they take longer to handle.

Lastly, the information writes to a memory card and your image is saved!

I know this information might be basic to some of you and thank you for bearing with me, as I want to make sure the basics are covered. We’ll begin to pick up speed from here and and get into the meat of Photography Basics.

Experiments For You To Try

Now that you know how your camera works, try these experiments at home:
- One Subject, Ten Photos
- Get Low
- Shooting The Full Moon At Moonrise
Tomorrow we will cover Understanding Shutter Speed.

Questions? Pop ’em like Pez in the comments section below. or email me at peter@peterwestcarey.com.

Photography Basics – A 43 Day Adventure, and its companion 40 Photography Experiments, are series written by professional photographer Peter West Carey. The series are designed to unravel the mysteries of photography, helping you can take better pictures. Subscribe here to receive all the updates and bonus material. Your comments are always welcome.

If you enjoy the series, consider learning photography first-hand on a professionally led international photo tour in Nepal or Bhutan. More information can be found at Far Horizon Photo Tours.
October 4, 2018
The Exposure Triangle – Photography Basics
With our law and rules finished, let’s jump into how to make a photo.

The Exposure Triangle

First, there is The Exposure Triangle. It balances all things. Makes things right in the Universe. Or maybe it is just a handy metaphor.

To be honest, the Exposure Triangle, to me, is better explained as two Teeter-Totters, which isn’t nearly as sexy as a triangle. What the Exposure Triangle is trying to tell you, is there are three things which have an impact on proper exposure of an image on film or on a camera sensor:
- Shutter Speed
- Aperture
- ISO
We’ll be going over each of those in more detail in the following days.

Shutter Speed

Tree Amongst Rock Formations, Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah, USA, North America

Essentially, this is how fast your camera blinks. Remember the days of film and how you were never, ever, ever, ever supposed to open the back of the camera while the film was loaded? That’s because film reacts to light and if you don’t control how much light hits it, it freaks out and exposes EVERYTHING. Much cursing typically ensued.

So the shutter does the blinking of the camera (from closed to open and back to closed). Everything is dark inside the camera and then “BLINK”, the shutter lets in how ever much light it is told to. More on this tomorrow.

Aperture

The Aperture is analogous to the pupil in your eye. It’s a hole that lets in light and can be changed in most cameras and even some smartphones.

Let’s use an analogy. It’s pitch-black inside this room the is 20′ x 20′ and you are standing in the center. Outside the room is daylight. Are you with me?

Next to you is a 40 ton, 8′ wide wrecking ball. You’ve been working out and are feeling destructive so you swing the ball forward and BAM! 8′ wide hole in your wall. How much light do you think is coming in right now? Tons.

Now back up and let’s do this again. Instead of a wrecking ball, let’s use a 1” wide drill bit on that wall. POP! Hole is in and, if you are standing back 10′, how brightly lit is the room now?

Can you see now how Aperture affects how much light comes into the room? More on how the aperture does other cool stuff on Friday.

ISO

The ferry boat Kittitas approaches a dock in a high key photograph

People often ask what ISO stands for; International Standards Organization. I get blank looks after that answer or “Oh, ok” looks followed by, “Huh?”. Wikipedia has thousands of words on ISO as it relates to photography, but in short, we’re talking about sensitivity here.

It’s the exact same sensitivity as if I punch you. If you’re a body builder, you’re not that sensitive to a punch. But if you’re….oh jeeze, now I need to come up with an example where I punch something sensitive…a cute, fluffy bunny. Sorry bunnies. Chances are, with the same punch the bunnies would yelp and jump a mile because of the guns I’m packing on this 6’1” frame. (sorry, obscure, and sometimes old, pop culture internet references may come up this month)

Better yet, let’s go back to the wrecking ball analogy. You’re in the pitch black room before the ball smashes an 8′ hole in the wall. If you’ve been in the pitch black room for an hour, your eyes are far more sensitive to light, aren’t they? Your pupils are open wide, trying to gather as much light as they can.

BAM! The ball smashes a hole and ARGGHHH!! You sensitive eyes don’t like all that light.

Same scenario but this time, before the ball strikes, we’ve been holding a flashlight pointed into your eyes for 10 minutes. By ‘we’ I mean me and the bunny you made me punch. Your eyes are now constricted and not so sensitive, are they?

BAM! Hole in the wall and you think, “Eh, not so bright”. Your eyes were less sensitive.

ISO will be covered on next Monday.

Got all that? Shutter speed = how long light hits your camera sensor. Aperture = how wide is the hole letting in light. ISO = how sensitive the sensor is to light.

Visualize

Here’s where the triangle comes in. Visualize it like this:

Except for the bunny, it’s a nice balanced triangle. However, the moment one of those corners changes, let’s say you change the ISO from 100 to 400, then the triangle gets all fuddled up and is not in balance any more.

If one, or both, of the other variables aren’t moved as well, the bunny picture won’t come out properly exposed. And by properly exposed I’m talking about an ideal here. After you learn the rules through these 43 days, you’re welcome to break them as mentioned yesterday. But until then, we’re shooting for properly exposed images.

Revisualize

Another way to think of it is:

With the Exposure Teeter Totters Of Doom, if ISO wants to move up or down, one of his buddies (or possibly both) needs to go in the opposite direction to make all things even. This is all in regards to the amount of light hitting the camera sensor. Any of the three could be in the middle and if it is changed, one or both of the other two needs to change to keep exposure proper and level.

Silhouette of mountain with trees at sunset – East Africa – Tanzania

Currently a lot of smartphones, action cameras and drones have a fixed Aperture, so you only have two settings to play with; ISO and Shutter Speed. Most DSLRs and point-and-shoot cameras can adjust all three.

That’s it!! That’s the Exposure Triangle. It’s not a huge mystery, really. It is simply an attempt to keep all things in balance for a proper exposure. Those three things, explained more fully over the coming days, are what determine a proper exposure. ISO, Shutter Speed and Aperture.

Experiment With It

Here are a few practical experiments you can try at home to help the concepts take form:
- ISO Limits Of Your Camera
- Depth Of Field – Changing Aperture
- Look At The Light
Tomorrow we will cover How Your Camera Works.

Questions? Pop ’em like Pez in the comments section below. or email me at peter@peterwestcarey.com.

Photography Basics – A 43 Day Adventure, and its companion 40 Photography Experiments, are series written by professional photographer Peter West Carey. The series are designed to unravel the mysteries of photography, helping you can take better pictures. Subscribe here to receive all the updates and bonus material. Your comments are always welcome.

If you enjoy the series, consider learning photography first-hand on a professionally led international photo tour in Nepal or Bhutan. More information can be found at Far Horizon Photo Tours.
October 3, 2018