In this set of lessons we switch the camera off auto. We explore the various priority modes and look into what is happening in each scenario. By the end of these lessons, students should understand the advantages and limitations of the various modes, and be able to cite instances in which a photographer might use specific camera modes and settings. After using the camera simulator app and having the tap analogy outlined, students should also understand the control triangle and how to balance it.
KEY
TAKE-AWAYS
Priority modes, aperture, shutter/shutterspeed, ISO, focus, shutter release, the control triangle, and the tap analogy
| Automatic
mode
2.2: HOW A CAMERA WORKS.
The CONTROLS.
priority modes
Auto/aperture priority/ shutter speed priority/ manual mode
Having seen inside a camera, you will realize that there's a lot going on inside that little machine. There are a number of factors that need to be considered and a whole lot of settings that need to be adjusted to allow the right amount of light onto the sensor. There are a lot of little dials and settings and there are hundreds of items listed under a few different sets of menus. That's a lot to take in and a lot to learn.
Don't worry. In general, and for most situations, you will put the camera in automatic mode and the camera will automatically calibrate the settings for the scene you're framing.
| Inside a camera: A lot of stuff to pay attention to in a very short amount of time.
Automatic mode is great, because as you have probably guessed, the camera does all the heavy lifting for you. It will use internal sensors to adjust all the settings to allow for a correct exposure: not too dark and not too bright. The camera does this by balancing a number of controls; controls we will learn about throughout this course. In addition to adjusting the settings, automatic mode will also decide whether or not to trigger the popup flash. In newer models, the camera may even analyze the scene to help decide what type of scene it is capturing and factor this into the process. Finally, many cameras have a number of additional automatic modes geared towards specific types of photography: portrait, landscape, sports, low light, and macro modes and more, which allow the camera to automatically produce results closer to what the photographer hopes to achieve.
The benefit of these modes is clearly that an amateur photographer can point and shoot their camera at any scene and take an adequate photo. As you become a better photographer though, you will want to make your own decisions about how to expose a photo and what creative measures you wish to use to make each shot. How do you take back control from the camera and manage all those settings effectively? Read on.
Learning to use your DSLR camera effectively takes time and practice.
The absolute best way to get better at taking good photographs is to get out and take more photographs.
Actively think about what you are doing. Look at the settings and take a picture. Change the settings and re-take the same picture. What changed? Based on your knowledge of camera anatomy why do you think it changed? As you start to figure out what is happening inside your camera you can start to predict how settings will affect your images.
The
TAP ANALOGY
Leaving the safety of automatic mode can be a little scary. All those settings can be intimidating. 800ISO, 1/250 seconds, f/20!? How do you know where to set those numbers and what are they all doing? Getting the exposure right will take practice, but the concept is simple. The easiest way to think about it is filling a cup with water. The tap analogy.
If you had to fill a cup with water, you would take the cup to a tap, turn on the tap, controlling the flow of water until you had the right amount of water, and then you would turn off the tap. Correctly exposing a photo follows the same process, except instead of a tap you have an aperture which controls the flow of the light instead of water. When you turn the tap on, water flows. When you open the shutter, light flows. When you have enough water (or light) you turn the tap off.
There are two things to consider while filling your container with water.
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how long the tap is on before your turn it back off
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how much water is flowing out of the tap
| Board notes from class: The tap analogy
​You could turn the tap on all the way for a short period of time or turn the tap only a little for a longer time. Either way, if you do it right, you end up with the right amount of water.
If you turn the tap on for too long (even if the flow of water is low) eventually, it will overflow because you have too much water. Similarly, if you leave the shutter open for too long eventually you will have too much light, and it will be overexposed. If you leave the tap dripping so slowly, that the water evaporates before it can accumulate, you will never have enough. If you do not allow enough light to reach the sensor, your image will be underexposed.
​
With a DSLR camera you can control how long the tap is on (shutter speed), how much water is flowing out of the tap (aperture size) or both. The camera modes are: Auto, shutter speed priority, aperture priority and manual. Let's take a look at each one.
camera MODES
P
Programmed auto
Mode
As you gain more confidence with your camera and begin to better understand and predict how various settings will affect your photography you may want to take more control of the outcomes. programmed auto is a great way to take some control of camera features while leaving the aperture and shutterspeed settings to be decided by the camera's sensors.
#noFlash
S
shutterspeed priority
Mode
This mode gives you control over how long the shutter is open. Remember that the shutter allows light to reach the sensor while it is open, so if you are trying to capture either a long exposure or perhaps stop motion, taking control of the shutter speed will allow you the control you need.
​
#lightPainting #longExposure #capturingMotion #stopMotion
| Are you trying to stop time or capture the blur of motion? By varying your shutter speed, you can get dramatically different photos of the same subject.
A
Aperture priority
Mode
The aperture is the pupil of the camera. We looked at its function in class when we dissected a medium format camera. By dilating and constricting it allows more or less light into the camera. This can affect exposure, but in practice is most often is used to vary depth of field. We will cover this concept later.
#DOF #portrait #bokeh
| Light enters the camera through a hole in the front of the camera. Aperture (measured in f/stops) refers to how large that opening is.
M
MANUAL
Mode
As you get more comfortable with the camera and start to experiment with different settings in different situations you will find that manual mode offers you the most control. In manual mode you can change the aperture and the shutter speed, giving you complete control over the look of your images.
As you develop more confidence you may seek to use the controls to impact your photography, using higher ISO settings to increase noise or changing the white balance to warm up or cool down an image. Armed with a good understanding of how the camera works, your creativity is your only limit.
QUESTIONS
HW
​Get out your camera and answer the following questions:
​
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What do aperture and shutter speed refer to?
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What are the available settings? (Give a range, highest and lowest in a typical camera)
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What actually changes in the camera when you change these settings?
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When would you use the highest setting? When would you use the lowest setting?
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Are there any considerations that you should take into account while using these functions?
CONTROL triangle
The
The Control Triangle, sometimes called the Exposure Triangle refers to the three main controls you have for setting the exposure of a photo. We will cover these in-class, but you will also be required to read articles and answer questions about each setting. In short, the Control Triangle is used to balance the three controls based on the exposure you are trying to achieve and the scene you are viewing.
Aperture article:
Understanding Aperture for Beginners
ISO article:
Understanding ISO for Beginners
| Board notes from class: The control triangle.
