Shooting mode: Automatic or creative exposure mode?

In an effort to compete, as well as provide lots of control to users of digital cameras, camera vendors have created a wide variety of different exposure modes. All of these modes fall into one of four categories: automatic, creative, manual, or special.

When you use an automatic mode, the camera chooses both f-stop and shutter speed for you based upon its attempt to optimize exposure for a particular type of subject. Besides choosing f-stop and shutter speed, some automatic setting modes also control the ISO setting based upon the available light, or white balance. They can automatically turn on a built-in flash if it is needed, or make other settings for you automatically. One drawback of using some automatic modes is they do not let you modify some settings such as exposure compensation, automatic exposure bracketing, or the light metering or focus methods.

A creative exposure setting allows you to choose either f-stop or shutter speed, then the camera attempts to choose the other settings for you based upon your initial choice. If there is not enough light, or there is too much light to get a good exposure, your camera may not let you even take a photo!

Using a manual setting, you get to set everything yourself! Yes, that means that you can do all kinds of creative things like over- and under-exposures without having to fight with the camera in any way!

Special modes include modes optimized for doing panoramas, movies, night scenes, or other special effects. To select exposure mode, most digital cameras offer an exposure mode dial. With all these choices of exposure modes, how do you decide which one to use? Because of the sophisticated and usually accurate light metering on many digital cameras, you can often get excellent results by using one of the automatic modes. Just make sure to pick one that is appropriate for your subject! For example, if you're shooting a portrait and your vision is to have a sharply focused face or faces against a soft blurred background, you can use a 'portrait' mode. Most automatic portrait modes are designed to have a shallow depth-of-field, which results in a soft background. If you want an even shallower depth-of-field, then you have to choose another exposure mode that allows you to change the aperture setting. If you want to shoot a landscape with everything in focus, try using a landscape mode. Or, you can use one of the automatic modes or creative modes that allow you to change the aperture setting, too!

The more you learn about the relationships between f-stop and shutter speed, the more you are likely to want to have control over your settings instead of leaving it up to your camera to choose for you.

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