While I am absolutely an advocate of learning to use your camera in manual mode, there are times when you just don’t want to mess with setting everything up– especially if you’re still learning and it doesn’t come as second nature to you.

It’s important to capture the moment without struggling at times, and as we all know, kids can be fast, and moments can be lost if you’re really struggling to nail your settings. In circumstances such as those, you can still take creative control of your camera by using the M, A, S, or P mode (also referred to as M, Av, Tv, P). There are lots of other little pictures on your camera’s dial, but today we are just going to focus on these 3 little letters.***Wanna know what I am using to take pictures of my family? You can see everything I keep in my camera bag here!***

Understanding your camera

modes,

and when to use them

**there may be affiliate links throughout this post. by using these links, your pricing stays the same, but i may earn a small commission

Manual Mode (M)– this will allow you to choose all of your settings independent of one another. Although you will have the ability to adjust each setting individually, you will still need to follow the photographic triangle in order to get the right exposure for any given situation.That said, I’ll give you 6 reasons if you’re wondering why you should learn to shoot in manual mode.
My point and shoot camera actually lets me shoot in all 4 of these modes, and the one I am most excited about is the manual mode!2. Aperture Priority Mode (A)– This setting will allow you to choose the aperture you want for an image and then adjusts the other settings accordingly to achieve correct exposure.

If you want a blurry background, you should aim for a lower f-stop/ number. If you’re trying to take pictures of a landscape, a large group, or you just want the background in focus, choose a higher f-stop/ number.

This setting is often used for portraits, since many times people are concerned with having their subject in focus, and a blurred background.

3. Shutter speed Priority Mode– This setting will allow you to adjust your shutter speed and then adjusts the other settings for you so that you can achieve correct exposure.

This mode is often used when your more concerned with freezing, or showing motion. The higher the number is that you choose, the better the chance that you’re moving subject (think wild child moving, or sporting events) will be frozen and tack sharp.

Often, a lower number is chosen when trying to show motion (think pictures of waterfalls with flowy water, or flowy waterfalls).
4. Program Mode (P)– This setting will allow you to choose which correct exposure combo to use for a picture. You will be able to decide which settings to use, but they will already be paired together for correct exposure.

If you take an image in this mode, and you aren’t a fan of how it turns out for one reason or another, all it takes is a turn of your knob to change the settings and try again. The nice thing is, you can try several settings without really knowing what you’re doing, and just check and see if you’re getting the desired effect.

It really is just trial and error and very little specific knowledge, but at least you know you can have some control over what you want! Then again, the more knowledge you have, the less time it will take you to get that desired effect!

If you’re looking for something to put into your pocket or your camera bag that will give you a quick reminders and tips for using your camera, along with props and ideas, check out my momtographer’s cheats! It’s available for immediate download right here!

xoxo,
lorrin
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