The Full Photographer’s Guide to Aperture Priority Mode

So, there is nothing to bother about manually setting the aperture value when there is a camera all set and ready to shoot at your service. Field depth can be defined as a range where the photo is focused. For instance, an infinite field depth is meant a photo that is in focus and is within an assured distance from camera to infinity. A narrow or shallow field depth means that photo that is in focus only from a certain camera distance to other distance that isn’t far away. Therefore, the remaining objects are not in the focus and appear blurred.

When the aperture value is wide there is decrease in F number and if the field depth is narrow/shallow or vice versa: there is increase in the F number if the aperture value narrows along with the deeper field depth. You have to always remember that field depth changes according to the F number, therefore, then there is increase in F number, the field depth increases and same is common if the F number decreases. You can manually control the aperture value and achieve a narrow field depth while taking a portrait photo or when you want a blur background that is behind the portrait object.

It is always advisable to experiment for understanding the aperture settings. By doing this you can easily get the translated aperture values and the field depth. It is very important to know field depth which not only depends upon the aperture value but also the distance of the object from the lenses and the camera used. As there is free experimenting with the digital camera you can easily review your photos instantly as there is no cost for development of film.

There are several options that digital cameras provide exposure control. And it is essential to know the correct usage of these cameras for best photography results. At an earlier times SLR cameras/film were manually operated. A photographer should understand the settings of aperture and shutter speed and its usage. Then afterwards automatic modes came into existence where the camera did all the things. This was regarded and still regarded as a very good reliable method of getting good quality pictures, but as the camera did all the things, the photographer’s creativity was lost. As time passed by, a small number of people studied the manual skills. And as the technology of camera improved, the photo quality actually got worsened.

In today’s world we have the best cameras and all the DSLR cameras and the compact digital cameras are of manual as well as automatic modes, but there are some semi-automatic modes too. Which means you can also be creative as well as have the controlled camera for exposure. If you own a camera that is Aperture and Shutter Priority, but you never understood what use is there, this is the right article for your information regarding this.

Firstly, you must know what is Aperture and Shutter Speed?

It can be explained as two mechanisms that is used for controlling the photo exposure level, such as, if photo will be underexposed, overexposed, , or is just correct. To explain these terms properly, you have to just go through the article and below are the quick summary about these terms.

Carl Zeiss Lens

In simple terms, the whole size by which the light is passed through your camera is an Aperture. You can think them as your eye iris, as there is lower light, the aperture is opened so that more light can come in. The field depth is also controlled by the Aperture that usually affects the picture focus. If the aperture is small, the field depth is large and so are the surroundings and subjects that are focused. And wider the aperture, the field depth small, so therefore, the surroundings and subject focused will be less.

The speed of shutter depends on the time length of the exposure. The shutter should open and allow the passage of light; therefore, if the shutter is opened for a longer time, the exposure is brighter. Photo capture movement is also controlled by the Shutter speed. For example, if you want to a moving subject to freeze, you have to use the shutter speed faster. The main trick of combining the aperture and shutter speed settings is for best result. If the balance is right, your photo is exposed perfectly, and you have a creative control over the image look.

To manage you have the option of Aperture and Shutter. The semi-automatic models allow controlling the setting, and the other settings are done automatically by the cameras. This allows having some of your creativity that you can input. With the help of safety net the camera takes care of exposure level. Here you have to decide the quality and look of the photo and the camera will automatically adjust itself for correct exposure.

So, now it’s your choice: whether to choose Shutter or Aperture Priority.

You should always keep in mind that the field depth is controlled by the aperture. So, if you give preference to focus range, you can choose aperture priority. The camera can adjust if you want a smaller aperture to maximize the field depth, or a larger aperture to focus concentrates the subject.

The movement of the photo is controlled by the Shutter speed. To control a subject that is moving, you can choose the shutter priority. This will definitely allow you to set a faster shutter speed if you want a moving subject to freeze or setting a slow shutter speed for capturing a blurred motion. The camera will take care if you choose any of the so that your photo is exposed correctly.

So, it depends on your shooting whether you want Aperture Priority or Shutter Priority, and how do you want your final photograph to look. It is an ideal marriage of technology and art where you have to concentrate on your creativity more than technical matters. There are many things that you can learn on this topic/matter and a small article is not enough to throw more light on this topic and is just an initiation of this topic. However, reading the camera manual can be a quick reference and guidance can help a lot to understand about the Aperture and Shutter priority.