When do you use aperture mode

Decades ago I used aperture priority quite a bit, but find that it's just easier to use manual the vast majority of the time. In some situations, I have found it is easier to set your shutter speed and aperture and just use auto ISO.

Cameras today have great image quality still at higher ISOs, so I found it is another tool to be able to use. Everyone learns differently BUT for me as a photographer I always have to be in control of the three main elements, aperture, shutter and ISO and the best way to learn that for me was to start on manual mode and just keep shooting until it was all completely natural.

It could be considered a little "trial by fire" but once you mess up a shot because one of those elements was off you won't do it again or if you do it will become less and less the more you shoot.

Hard lessons in my opinion speed up the learning process in photography. You wouldn't learn how to drive a stick by driving an automatic or semi-auto car if there is such a thing. You get in and learn it the first time and then never forget it. I think the more you manually control your camera the more experimentation and learning you'll get out of it in the end.

I use either aperture priority or manual. Aperture most of the time, but manual if I'm using flash, or if I'm in the mood for it. Aperture priority is quick, and since aperture is the control I think about most, the mode is natural. Home Topics Education. Switching a backlit subject to a non-centered frame and scenarios where you're shooting ever increasing amounts of sky: both a great time to lock your exposure. Posted In:. Premium Photography Tutorials Check out the Fstoppers Store for in-depth tutorials from some of the best instructors in the business.

Log in or register to post comments. Keagan De Villiers - March 27, tried it once and will probably never use it again. Deleted Account - March 27, [Edited] When I was using Fujifilm, it was the only practical way to use the cameras. Tom Jensen - March 27, In my mind if you're using aperture priority and adjusting the scene with exposure compensation, well, essentially it's pretty much manual mode.

Andy Day baan saba - March 28, Yep! Joe Healey baan saba - March 28, When I got my first camera F-Stoppers was one of the first sites that came up in searches as i was trying to learn the fundamentals. Jim Bolen - March 28, Decades ago I used aperture priority quite a bit, but find that it's just easier to use manual the vast majority of the time. Sean Sauer - March 28, Everyone learns differently BUT for me as a photographer I always have to be in control of the three main elements, aperture, shutter and ISO and the best way to learn that for me was to start on manual mode and just keep shooting until it was all completely natural.

Dillan K - March 28, I use either aperture priority or manual. Tags: aperture photo tips technical tutorial. Keep Reading Blog Comments Reply romeo May 12, at pm. Reply Harsh June 12, at pm. Reply Shellie Rindal-Haack January 6, at am. Reply Jo September 24, at am. Some great advice written simply. Perfect for those Like me who are new to photography. Leave a Comment Cancel Comment. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Facebook Instagram Twitter Pinterest. Privacy Policy. Aperture priority is a great mode to have selected by default, as it allows you to manually control these critical settings, while the camera automatically optimizes your shutter speed. More specifically, aperture priority mode works great in landscape and portrait photography. In these styles, sharp, grain-free imagery is paramount, and the shutter speed can cause minimal disruption. There is plenty of debate in the photography community about aperture priority vs shutter priority.

Some photographers refuse to use these modes altogether, preferring manual M control over all camera settings.

As mentioned above, aperture priority is a great mode to use for landscape and portrait photography. When photographing a moving object, the shutter speed will have a big impact on how that motion is captured in the resulting exposure.

Therefore, shutter priority makes more sense. It allows you to manually control the shutter speed, and choose how much motion blur the movement of the object is captured within your photograph. If you are shooting in broad daylight and are getting overexposed photos while shooting in automatic mode, you can close the aperture opening. As the name suggests, Shutter Priority mode allows you to take charge of the shutter speed. Just to brainstorm, shutter speed is the duration for which the camera shutter remains open for the light to enter the camera and ht the sensor.

The slower the shutter speed is set on the camera, the more the light is received by the image sensor. Similarly, the faster the shutter speed the less light would hit the image sensor. While you are shooting in Shutter Priority mode, you have the freedom to adjust the shutter speed as per your requirement while the camera chooses the aperture and ISO value on its own. As we just discussed, if you want to take full control of the shutter speed and experiment with your camera then this is the ideal camera mode.

If you want to freeze a fast moving bird, animal, or car in your photo, using Shutter Priority mode will allow you to do so by setting a fast shutter speed.