Camera settings And modes

EXPOSURE BRACKETING

Bracketing is a simple camera function option that allows the photographer to take 3 or more photos of

the same subject, changing the exposure by a user-set amount with each photo so that the photographer

can later choose which exposure worked best and rendered the best photo. This is a good tool for

beginners to use while they learn the subtle tweaks that make for better exposure. It is also useful when

taking photos to that will later be post-processed using HDR software.

As an example, if you’re photographing a sunset, you know you want negative exposure compensation,

but how much? You might bracket three photos at -1.0 -2.0 & -3.0 and then choose which looks best.

SHOOTING MODES

Most consumer-level DSLR cameras offer a wide variety of shooting modes to give the photographer

fully manual, semi-manual, or fully automated control of exposure.

Auto – the default point-n-shoot mode for any camera. Use this until you become comfortable

with exposure fine-tuning. And use it when loaning the camera to someone else who doesn’t

understand cameras

“Dummy” modes – these are usually marked cutesy little icons to represent “action” mode, or

“portrait” mode, or “landscape” mode, etc. These are a very minor step up in control over Auto

in that you set the mode for the type of photo you’re taking. Other than that initial selection,

these modes operate fully automatic with no further manual input from the photographer.

P, S, A, M modes (on Nikon and others) P, Tv, Av, M (on Canon) – these are the manual and

semi-manual modes that most professional photographers use to ensure control over exposure

P – Program Auto Exposure – similar to Auto in that camera sets both aperture and

shutter speed, but allows the photographer to dial in exposure compensation, and does

NOT automatically engage and use on-camera flash (photographer must make conscious

decision to use flash).

A or Av – Aperture-priority Auto Exposure – Photographer sets desired aperture; camera

sets corresponding “correct” shutter speed. Otherwise operates similar to Program AE.

S or Tv – Shutter-priority Auto Exposure – Photographer sets desired shutter speed;

camera sets corresponding “correct” shutter speed. Otherwise similar to Program AE

.

M – Manual exposure – Photographer selects both aperture and shutter speed and camera

“suggests” whether these values will render accurate exposure, like older pre-AE cameras.

This mode is invaluable for difficult lighting situations when photographer wants to lock

in particular settings he/she knows will render the exposure he wants, regardless of

camera “suggestion”.

WHITE BALANCE

This is the other element of digital photography, along with ISO, that sets it apart from 35mm film

photography. With a digital camera, adjustments for white balance or color balance can be made within

the camera itself. With film, either the actual film itself was changed (different films were manufactured

to be used with different types of lighting) or color correcting filters were placed in front of the lens.

The term white balance started with television and video production and refers to equalizing or

balancing the color cast from different lighting sources to achieve a desired neutral color effect (a

necessity with the advent of color TV). This ensures that white objects appear white (not blueish or

yellowish) and that colors appear true and neutral (not influenced by the color of the light itself).

Different lighting sources emit different colors of light. The human eye adjusts automatically for these

differences, but the camera sensor or film does not (or at least not as well as the human eye). We don’t

often notice the difference, but …

A standard household light bulb (known as incandescent) emits an orangish/yellowish light.

Different variations of fluorescent bulbs emit greenish, bluish or pinkish light.

Compact fluorescent (CFL) light bulbs (those new curly cue lights) differ depending on brand,

but often are color balanced to give off light similar to incandescent.

The sun emits different colors of light depending on the time of day and its position relevant to

the earth.

At high noon, the sun’s light is an almost pure white.

But closer to sunrise and sunset, the sun can emit starkly orange-tinted light.

When obscured by objects, shaded sunlight gives a distinct bluish tint.

Photographic flash emits a pure white light similar to mid-day sun

Special tungsten-light photographic strobes used in studios emit an orange-cast light requiring

specific manual white balance settings.

Scientifically these differences are measured with the Kelvin scale of light “temperature”. Some

photographers must know and adjust for exact Kelvin measurements (for example, fashion

photographers and catalog photographers who must render the color of clothing and other merchandise

exactly as it appears in real life), and many professional and semi-professional DSLR cameras can set

white balance to any specific Kelvin temperature. Measuring the exact Kelvin temperature, however,

requires very expensive color temperature light meters ($500 or more).

But most of us can get by adjusting for just the basic lighting categories discussed above. And nearly all

modern digital cameras include basic white balance adjustments.

White balance modes

Auto (or AWB) – this all-purpose mode, in which the camera makes a rudimentary attempt to

measure light temperature and adjust accordingly, works very well in scenes lit by camera flash

or sunlight. It is also a decent setting for scenes with multiple different light sources (i.e. inside a

home with incandescent light bulbs, open windows letting in diffused sunlight, and on-camera

flash). BUT the Auto setting is often sub par in man-made lighting indoors, either incandescent

or fluorescent.

Source-specific – these modes vary by camera but are usually self-explanatory and include some

or all of the following. On many cameras, the modes below can also be fine-tuned by variables

plus or minus 3 to signify the intensity of the effect of the color correction. Using this fine tuning

typically involves trial and error. So if you shoot in a specific setting often, make note of which

mode and fine-tune setting works best so you can use it each time.

Incandescent

Fluorescent

Flash

Bright sunlight

Cloudy

Shade

Preset (PRE) – this is one of the best, but most under-utilized and least understood white balance

modes in modern digital cameras. This setting is indispensable for difficult lighting situations

where the correct mode above cannot be determined or where a mixture of various lighting

sources cannot be properly balanced using the Auto mode. In a nutshell, you activate this mode

(follow camera-specific instructions in user manual), take a test shot by photographing a solid

white subject that completely fills the camera viewfinder, and the camera does the rest by

shifting the white balance to ensure that white objects photographed under the current lighting

will show up as white in the photograph until the photographer changes white balance mode

again. As for a solid white object, you can simply locate a person wearing a white shirt, but

keeping one of the following items in your camera bag can be helpful when presetting white

balance:

White paper or card – any flat solid white object (even a white text-free page of your

camera user manual)

Wax paper or a Pringles can lid – place either translucent white item directly over the

front of your lens and take the preset test shot while pointing the camera toward the light

source or the subject

Expodisc – similar in use to the translucent items above, this is a photographic-quality

glass filter that provides extremely reliable results with preset white balancing.  This is a highly

recommended item for professional or semi-professional photographers who want to

obtain the most accurate possible white balance without using a Kelvin meter.

Creative use of white balance

While the above information has focused on obtaining proper neutral white balance, these same tools

can be used for creative photographic effects. With film cameras, creative photographers have used

colored filters or “incorrect” film or developing to purposely produce strange and creative lighting

effects. Intentional “misuse” of white balance controls can render similar results. For example, set the

camera’s white balance to fluorescent while taking photos under normal household incandescent lighting

and the resulting photo will have a heavy orangeish tint.