If you buy a Ferrari but never drive it over 60 mph, I question the purchase. If you buy a top of the line computer with maxed out RAM but use it only for email, I question the purchase. If you buy a home theater yet stay glued to a shopping network, I question the purchase. And for the intent of this article, if you invest in a nice digital SLR and leave it in Program or Auto mode, I question the purchase. The Ferrari will be fun to drive, but I can also attain 60 mph in a used Corvair, I can receive and send email via a basic notebook and I can see what I buy from TV on a 10 inch B&W. In essence and to get to the topic at hand, if you have a digital SLR, use the features that allow you to determine what the picture will look like rather than letting the camera make the decision.

© Russ Burden

Program and Auto both provide excellent exposures so they definitely serve a purpose. BUT, if the result you want is an intentional blur or an action stopping moment, using Program or Auto MAY result in obtaining the effect. If the result you want is an out of focus background to make the subject stand out or an image that’s sharp from the foreground to the background, using Program or Auto MAY result in obtaining the effect. The reason I emphasize MAY is the above effects are dependent on the shutter speed or aperture the camera chooses and if it chooses the “wrong” ones, even though the exposure is spot on, the image falls short because the effect is not achieved. So when it comes time to take control of the picture making situation, get off Auto or Program and learn how to use Aperture or Shutter priority modes.

© Russ Burden

In talking with most professional and advanced amateurs, Aperture priority is the most popular mode to use. A big reason why - for most image making situations, controlling the depth of field is key. A key way to do this is by adjusting the aperture. The more wide open the aperture, the less depth of field. The more wide open apertures are f2.8 / f4 / f5.6.  As the values of the f numbers get higher, the amount of depth of field increases. Those that produce the greatest amount of depth of field are f16 and f22. So here’s where it becomes real. For instance, let’s go back to Auto mode and pretend you’re photographing a landscape. The desired effect is to have everything in focus from an important subject that is close to the camera out to a distant one in the background. As stated above, an aperture of f16 or f22 is necessary to attain this. If the camera chooses f8, even though the exposure will be perfect, the picture falls short because certain planes will be out of focus. But on the other hand if you switch to Aperture priority and physically set it to f16 or f22, the result will be what was envisioned. Conversely, if you’re creating a portrait, the often desired effect is to limit the plane of focus to just the person. As stated above, an aperture in the neighborhood of f4 or 5.6 is necessary to attain this. If the Auto mode chooses f11 or f16, more of the background will appear in focus and be very distracting.  Again, the exposure will be perfect, but the picture will fall short.

© Russ Burden

Equally as important as the chosen aperture is the resulting shutter speed it produces. If  stopping down the lens to f16 creates a situation where the shutter is slow, you need to realize how it will impact the image. If the subject is moving, it may produce a blur. If the shutter speed is too slow and you’re hand holding the camera, it may be necessary to place it on a tripod to ensure there’s no camera movement. Some photographers switch to Shutter priority to lock in a given speed while most still choose Aperture priority and spin it until the desired shutter speed is attained. This way they don’t have to worry about mastering two exposure systems.

© Russ Burden

In the first two images that accompany this article, it was important that specific shutter speeds were used to attain either the slow effect of the moving rapids to produce a more poetic rendering of the scene or the action stopping effect in the other. In the last two images, the first is not successful in that the out of focus foreground is very distracting. It’s very possible this would be the result of shooting in Auto. But by stopping the lens down to f16 in Aperture priority, a much more pleasing result was obtained where everything is in focus throughout every plane in the image.

What it all comes down to is taking charge of the picture making experience so the desired effect is dictated by the photographer and not serendipitously by the camera. Make it a “Priority” to take control of the outcome of the image before you press the shutter. Setting a specific aperture and/or shutter speed to produce what you envision goes a long way in making you a better photographer.

To learn more about this topic, join me on one of my Photographic Nature Tours. Visit www.russburdenphotography.com and click on the NATURE TOURS button for more information. Also, pick up a copy of my book, Amphoto’s Complete Book of Photography. You can purchase a signed copy directly from me or visit your local book store or Amazon. Contact me at rburden@ecentral.com to order your signed copy.