Hey there! This is Alli with a tutorial on getting your camera off auto mode. Be sure to leave any comments or questions you might have!
There are a few easy ways to get your camera off auto mode (this is written for people with a DSLR and based on my experience using Canon cameras) in order to have a little more control over the type of creative result you want in your photo. Shutter speed is the length of time the camera’s shutter is open. Correct exposure is dependent on shutter speed, aperture, and ISO working together. Shooting on auto mode has your camera choosing these setting for you. Shooting on TV or AV mode will give you more of a chance to be creative with your photography!
When do you use shutter priority or TV (time value) mode?
Most often this mode is used when you are learning to shoot in manual but it can also come in handy if you want to make sure to catch an action shot without it coming out blurry. The higher the shutter speed (my camera goes up to 1/8000) the sharper an action shot will come out. This can also be applied to fast moving toddlers and kids. I try not to have my shutter speed below 1/125 when I am taking photos of my 4 year old because otherwise he comes out blurry! The more sun or light you have the higher the shutter speed needs to be to expose properly. The lower the shutter speed the more chance you will get blur if you are hand holding your camera (this is where a tripod can come in handy).
How do you use TV mode?
- Look at the dial on top of your camera and turn it to TV mode which is shutter priority mode. This means that you are going to set the shutter speed to get your desired effects and the camera will choose the correct aperture for exposure. (In this photo my camera is set to M or manual so to change to TV mode I would move the dial so that TV was at the white line).
- Use the adjustment dial on your camera to set the shutter speed to your desired number. On my camera I can see the camera settings in a window on the top & on the back so you may need to check your camera manual to verify where you can find this information. In this photo my shutter speed is set to 1/500 and I use the dial right in front of the screen to change it.
- Once you have the shutter speed set where you want it then press the shutter button to take your picture. Adjust it as necessary to get the creative look you want. The faster your subject is moving the higher you want to set the shutter speed to stop the motion.
Example photo 1:
Shutter speed: 1/13
Because of the slow shutter speed the water looks almost solid as it flows down. You can see that because I was holding my camera & not using a tripod that there is some blur in the grassy parts of the photo too. It is a good rule of photography to make sure your shutter speed is at least as high as your lens is long to avoid camera shake if you are hand holding your camera. For example, if my lens is 85mm then I wouldn’t want to go below a shutter speed of 1/100 unless I am using a tripod. I broke that rule in the above photo & you can see the results are a blurry photo!
Example photo 2:
Shutter speed: 1/400
Because of the higher shutter speed the water looks more realistic like the motion was stopped when the photo was taken.
Hopefully these directions will help you get your camera off auto mode and give you a starting off point for shooting in TV mode! Remember the faster your subject the higher the shutter speed needs to be to freeze the motion but don’t be afraid to play around with the settings to see what kind of results you can get!
