On the mode dial, there is the basic zone and the creative zone. The settings in the basic zone are automatic and the camera makes all the decisions. The creative zone is where the photographer has more control. Each mode has a specific purpose:
Auto – the mindless mode, can be used when trying to take a picture quickly
Program – the camera makes shutter speed and aperture combinations that can be shifted. This is good for slowly working up to shooting in full manual mode.
Shutter speed priority (Tv) – photographer picks shutter speed, good for sports pictures
Aperture priority (Av) – photographer picks aperture, good for getting DOF pictures.
Manual (M) – photographer chooses aperture, shutter speed, and ISO
Portrait – blurs background to focus in on a person
Macro – meant for close up pictures, emphasizes fast shutter speed
I took this picture in program mode with macro focus. If I could change anything, I would try and get closer to the subject so that the background is more blurred.
This picture was taken in auto mode. It could have been better if it was brighter and if the camera was positioned so that it didn’t have so much concrete in the picture.
This picture was taken in portrait mode. The background didn’t get very blurry, and it would have been better if the heat lamp wasn’t making the picture so red.
This picture was taken in Av mode with macro focus. The combination of the shallow depth of field and macro focus made the subject sharp and the background blurry. If I could change anything, I would maybe make it a little brighter.
This is the picture that I chose for the featured image. It was taken in program mode with macro focus. I like it because the subject is in focus and the background is blurry. If I could change anything, I would try and get it so that the thermostat thing in the background isn’t there.
Closing
Auto is the easiest and most natural mode to use because it doesn’t really take much effort. But, the macro mode is fun to mess around with and is relatively easy to take pictures in.
Manual mode could be more useful than an automatic mode when it comes to things like an action picture. By using a manual mode to adjust the shutter speed, you will be able to freeze the motion better than an automatic mode could.