Quick setting adjustments

[Diver_matt]

Newbie question probably:I want to shoot in various modes other than auto. While out practicing on scenery it's not a problem. But, if anything is moving & I want the shot, I go to auto simply to get it. I often don't have time for two or 3 attempts. So, am I just stuck until I get so familiar with settings that it's reflex or is there a trick to at least getting close enough to have a usable image? I love taking photos at dog beach, automotive, etc. This is where I figure if I really want a usable image, gotta go auto.

 

[tom_anderson18]

Well I'm new so I may be wrong but from what I understand of shutter speed and aperture is that if you want to capture a picture of something fast moving such as a dog running at the beach then a high shutter speed will be more suitable as it will capture the image a lot faster, you can do the same with a slow shutter speed by panning with the dog providing that it is in focus. As for aperture don't forget that the higher the number the less DoF but also means that light getting to the camera takes longer and a lower aperture will capture light a lot easier.

Another thing you can try is to take the pictures in the auto mode which you are comfortable doing then looking at the EXIF data (Use this website: Jeffrey's Exif viewer) and seeing what settings the camera decided to use then replicate the same in manual mode.

 

[willis_927]

You can use the mode Av, and Tv as apposed to full Manual.

Av- aperture priority - you select the aperature you want, camera selects other settings to make the proper exposure
Tv- shutter priority - you select the shutter speed you need, camera select the other setting you need to make proper exposure.

 

[ann]

Practice, practice , practice is the key.

Moving items, use shutter priority mode put the shutter speed on 250 for your beach dogs and see what happens.

We all miss shots, we just show the good ones!

 

[RyanSands]

I agree with Willis....try AV mode. Then you can set your F-stop and the camera will adjust shutter speed for you. Stick with a nice f4-5.6 so you have plenty of light to work with and your still getting some depth of field.
Always make sure your camera's focus point is on the center dot and try learning there. The problem with sticking to Auto mode is that the camera picks your focus points for you...so it will not always focus on what you actually want to take
a photograph of. AV at least allows you to pick the focus point and then just helps out with the shutter speed.

 

[DiskoJoe]

you need to examine what the auto setting is actually doing. What aperture, shutter speed and iso is it setting these images to in different circumstances. Then just set those manually if you want.

 

[Diver_matt]

I'm slowly (I'm getting old) remembering what does what. My question was more along the lines of memorizing. Do you memorize setting for a given environment? Let's say I'm shooting light coming through branches on a snow covered tree. Then I see a mini avalanche in another spot that's shaded by the mountain. Do you eventually just memorize settings so you can make rapid changes, just use auto and adjust later, or shoot & pray?

 

[MTVision]

Well I'm new so I may be wrong but from what I understand of shutter speed and aperture is that if you want to capture a picture of something fast moving such as a dog running at the beach then a high shutter speed will be more suitable as it will capture the image a lot faster, you can do the same with a slow shutter speed by panning with the dog providing that it is in focus. As for aperture don't forget that the higher the number the less DoF but also means that light getting to the camera takes longer and a lower aperture will capture light a lot easier.

Another thing you can try is to take the pictures in the auto mode which you are comfortable doing then looking at the EXIF data (Use this website: Jeffrey's Exif viewer) and seeing what settings the camera decided to use then replicate the same in manual mode.

Maybe I'm reading this wrong but a smaller aperture (higher f#) will have more DOF (not less) meaning more in focus - but less light gets in. A larger aperture (small f#) will have less DOF and will let in more light.

 

[MTVision]

I'm slowly (I'm getting old) remembering what does what. My question was more along the lines of memorizing. Do you memorize setting for a given environment? Let's say I'm shooting light coming through branches on a snow covered tree. Then I see a mini avalanche in another spot that's shaded by the mountain. Do you eventually just memorize settings so you can make rapid changes, just use auto and adjust later, or shoot & pray?

Once you understand how everything works together to expose a photo you will be able to adjust settings properly. Not necessarily memorizing because every scene will be different. Have you tried the shutter or aperture priority mode? Shutter priority - you set the shutter speed and camera chooses the rest. That way if you are shooting fast action all you have to do is Choose a fast shutter speed. Aperture priority would probably be better for portraits and the such - just choose an aperture and the camera chooses the rest.

Pay attention to your settings in auto and play around with the different scenes to see what each one does.

 

[Diver_matt]

Yeah....I've played around with priority modes and manual. I'm just looking to the future and was wondering how the pros can switch from a bright sunlit still to a moving shaded subject in an instant.

 

[MTVision]

Yeah....I've played around with priority modes and manual. I'm just looking to the future and was wondering how the pros can switch from a bright sunlit still to a moving shaded subject in an instant.

Well that's how. You either shoot in a priority mode or just change the settings real quick in manual mode. It only takes a second to change your settings.

 

[Railphotog]

With my Canon DSLR, I usually choose the Program setting, have never used the Auto/green square setting. This shows in the viewfinder the shutter speed and aperture the camera suggests. I can move the selected settings up or down with the control wheel if I feel I need to.

For action shots, I stick to Shutter priority and let the camera pick the aperture. I'd rather have a sharp subject than a perfectly exposed blur if I had used aperture priority.

 

[480sparky42 42]

............and was wondering how the pros can switch from a bright sunlit still to a moving shaded subject in an instant.

By having a solid understanding of their gear, how it works, what every button/knob/switch/setting does and how it affects the final image, and knowing what's important right now and what isn't.

 

[analog.universe]

Read up on spot metering as well. If you get really good at using your meter, you can adjust settings and get what you want quickly without having to use trial and error to get the settings right.

If the light is really unpredictable I just use the priority modes however, as others have suggested.

 

[Patrice]

Diver-matt, don't dispair, you will eventually get to the point where you'll be the one telling others how to do it. to get there it just takes lots of practice and learning by careful observation of your results.

Your camera can be a wonderful learning tool. You can set the playback display to show you all the exposure parameters at every shot. Pay attention to what it says there and soon you'll start to notice how the camera reacts to different inputs.

It's not a bad idea to start like you did with program mode. This lets you get familiar with the basic operations of the camera. At every shot, not just the good ones, look at the exposure settings the camera picked and the histogram. Make changes to iso and see how the camera reacts to that.

After a while start doing the same thing in aperture priority. Examine every photo as well as the exif dada and histogram. Pay attention to what you see there and soon you'll be an expert in aperture priority. Next repeat for shutter priority.

All this takes a bit of work and it won't happen in a day. Some of the hardest things humans have to lear are to walk upright and communicate by language, we all manage to do it, photography is a dawdle compared to that.