What is aperture priority AV mode (for Canon) or A mode (for Nikon) on your digital SLR camera and how

do you use it

!nderstanding SLR camera settings "ips for taking #etter photographs SLR tips for #eginners

How to use aperture priority, AV (for Canon) or A (for Nikon) mode on your digital SLR camera

Searc* SLR 0*otograp*y 1uide

$or photographers who use SLR cameras% AV or A mode Search determines whether all the photograph is in focus or part of $or e&ample photographers can choose to ha'e a sharp 0ome 1 Sitemap 1 2log 1 foreground and #ackground% or they can #lur the Re'iews #ackground (f you)re after more technical details% Wikipedia already has a great article on how aperture works in photography Su#scri#e to our feed

n SLR digital cameras, aperture is indicated !y a f"num!er #alue$

"he higher the % num#er% the more of the photo that will #e in focus $or instance if you)re taking a photograph of a landscape% chances are you will want all of the foreground and #ackground to #e sharp and in focus $or this to happen you will need to set your digital camera f 'alue or aperture as its known% to a large num#er% for e&ample %&'' *n the other hand if you)re taking a photograph of a #ird and you want the animal in focus #ut not the #ackground% then you would choose a small % num#er like %&( )ou can see w*at aperture your digital camera is set at !y looking at t*e !ack LC+ screen for a % num!er$ As you can see #y the image a#o'e right% the aperture in that e&ample is set at $+ , "he display shown on your LC- may look different to this e&ample% depending on the make and model of your camera

How to set your camera to aperture priority,

-*e letters AV (for Canon camera.s) or A (for Nikon camera.s) on your mode dial sets your digital SLR camera to aperture priority$ .our camera then changes all other settings such as shutter speed automatically to suit *nce you ha'e AV mode turned on% you can change the f/num#er #y rotating the main dial a#o'e the shutter #utton Note/ this is for Canon digital cameras .ou may need to refer to your manual to find out how to change the % stop for your specific #rand of camera

When the f num#er is small% the lens diaphragm is actually wide open So if someone says to you that you need to open your lens more% they mean to lower the aperture or % num#er Alternati'ely% if the aperture is a large num#er% say $33 then the lens diaphragm is smaller or more closed "his often causes much confusion with #eginners *pening your lens more refers to lowering the f num#er Closing your lens more refers to a higher f num#er -*e !est way to understand *ow aperture works is to take numerous p*otograp*s wit* different f"num!er #alues and see w*at t*e difference is$ "ake images at #oth ends of the scale *ne with as low a $ num#er as possi#le and one with as high a $ num#er as possi#le 4ore importantly% when you 'iew them on your computer take notice of how much of the photo is in focus S*own !elow is a couple of e2amples 3.#e done myself to *elp e2plain aperture$ (n the first photograph shown #elow% the aperture (f num#er) was set at f566 so all the image is in focus

Now for the second photo% the aperture was set at a smaller num#er f57 8 so only the rocks and sand at the foreground are in sharp focus while the #ackground elements are #lurred

And here is an e&ample of a close o#9ect photographed with an aperture 'alue of f57 8 As you can see the foreground o#9ect is in sharp focus and the #ackground is #lurry

(t)s also important to note that results from aperture settings can change from one lens to another $or e&ample 9ust #ecause an aperture 'alue of f57 8 for your macro lens results in a #lurred #ackground% it doesn)t mean you should also set your telephoto or wide angle lens to the same f stop "herefore its important to e&periment with all your camera lenses so you know your e:uipment #etter All photographs shown on this page are taken with a Canon +,,- (Re#el ;"i) -igital SLR Camera

nline 0*otograp*y Course

!nderstanding how each mode works separately% is 'itally important #efore trying 4 (manual mode) Learn how to use aperture priority and how different % num#ers effect the o'erall image "hen and only then% will you fully understand how to use it when shooting in manual (4) mode

Assignment/ Lesson in aperture priority mode

1. Set your camera to aperture priority mode $or Canon users% this means
turning your mode dial to AV Nikon users need to change the dial to the letter A (f you don)t see the letters AV or A% then refer to your camera manual

2. Change your camera)s aperture % stop to the lowest num#er possi#le for your
lens (t)s important to note that each lens will #e a#le to shoot at different apertures <&pensi'e lenses can go as low as %'% where most on a'erage will #e a#le to shoot at around %( 3. =o outside and photograph a close o#9ect where the #ackground elements are far away in distance "his is e&treme to ensure you easily see the 'isual differences as you change the % num#er *n a low % num#er% you should notice the #ackground is 'ery #lurred% when compared to the main o#9ect that is in focus 4. Now change the aperture num#er to around %5$' and take the shot again 5. "ake two more photographs% firstly with an aperture of %''% and then %66 8 -ownload and open all + photographs on your computer and see the difference that can #e seen in the #ackground Notice the lower the % num#er% the more #lurred the #ackground "he higher the % num#er% the more of the #ackground that is seen in focus

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? 3,,@ / 3,6, SLR >hotography =uide

7*at is 3S setting on your digital SLR (+SLR) camera and *ow do you use it,
"he letters (S* on your digital camera settings refer to the film speed <'en though your camera is most likely not film at all% #ut rather digital% the (S* setting still does has the same function as older film cameras (S* determines how sensiti'e the image sensor is to light (f your after more technical information% Wikipedia has a good article on (S* speed

The most common ISO speed settings are: 100, 200, 400 and 800. -epending on your digital camera model you may also ha'e them in the range of 8+% 6,,% 68,% 3,,% +,,% 8+,% A,,% 68,, *n a Canon digital +,,- (also known as Re#el ;"i) you can see what the (S* setting is #y looking at the rear LC- "his is similar to most SLR digital cameras (f you can)t see this in your specific model% refer to your manual As you can see #y the e&ample on the right% the (S* in this case is set at 6,, "he lower the (S* num#er% the slower the speed "he higher the (S* num#er% for e&ample 68,, the faster the speed

=eneral Rules and tips for (S* SettingsB

!se an (S* of 6,, or 3,, when taking photographs outside in sunny conditions (f the sky is o'ercast or it is e'ening time% then use an (S* within the range of +,, to A,, Night time or in cases of low light you might need to set your digital camera (S* to 68,, (f you don)t then your photo will appear too dark if at all

0ow does the (S* speed affect the photographs end resultC
(f you set your digital camera to a low (S*% for e&ample 6,,% the resulting photograph will #e #etter :uality than one set at 68,, "he higher the (S* the more grainy the photo will look "herefore go for a low (S* num#er whene'er possi#le 0owe'er there are circumstances where a lower :uality photograph is #etter than none at all $or e&ample taking photographs of fish in a dark a:uarium would normally #e out of range for most point and shoot cameras As you can see #y the image #elow% setting my SLR camera to a high 68,, (S* made this task possi#le *therwise there would not ha'e #een enough light let in to the sensor and the image would ha'e turned out totally #lack

*f course ( could ha'e chosen a lower (S* and used my cameras in#uilt flash 0owe'er this would ha'e resulted in unwanted flash glare #ouncing off the glass With this in mind a higher (S* (say A,,) is also recommended if you want to take photographs of people inside in the e'ening without using a flash

0ow to change your digital cameras (S* settingC

"o change the (S* setting on your SLR camera% press the (S* #utton then use the )up down left and right #uttons) to change the speed Again% if you don)t ha'e this option refer to your cameras manual as it may #e slightly different #etween #rands

Note/ When your digital camera is in automatic mode% the (S* speed is chosen for you to suit the le'el of light a'aila#le at that particular time A manual mode 3 p*otograp* in 8uite often is called 0rogram A9$ With >rogram A< you can choose the (S* you wish to photograph in and the digital camera then sets the shutter speed and aperture (e&posure) automatically to suit ( like to think of

it as #eing similar to an (S* priority option "o use >rogram A< change your mode dial to >% like the e&ample image on the right (f you)re a #eginner in using an SLR camera% you)ll find it takes some time to get used to setting your (S* correctly ( can)t count how many times ()'e kept my (S* at 6,, and tried taking a fast night shot to find the photo turning out completely #lack 0owe'er after si& months or so taking photographs in all different situations% you)ll soon find it #ecomes second nature Like anything new% it 9ust takes practise

S*utter speed and t*e difference !etween fast and slow s*utter speeds
Wikipedia descri#es shutter speed as #eing the amount of time a digital cameras shutter is held open for when taking a photograph Shutter speed allows light to reach the cameras image sensor Sh tter priorit! allo"s the photographer to choose a sh tter speed% then the digital camera automatically sets the aperture to suit

"o set your digital camera on shutter priority% turn your mode dial to "V like the image on the right (n case your wondering% "V stands for time 'alue Now rotate the main dial until you ha'e the shutter speed your after Shutter speed is measured in seconds and looks like 657,,% 6537,% 653 or 6 as in one second etc (t can range anywhere from 65A,,, to 2 for #ul# 2ul# keeps the shutter open for as long as the shutter #utton is pressed down

0ow do you know what shutter speed to useC

"he shutter speed you will need to use depends on the type of photograph you want to take $or e&ample% if you want to take a photograph of water froDen in action with e'ery little #ead in focus% then you would choose a fast shutter speed like 657,, of a second (f you want to #lur running water like the e&ample #elow% then you would need to use a slower shutter speed like 65+ of a second *ften when you use a slow shutter speed% you will also need a tripod to help a'oid camera shake

"he photograph of #lurred water shown a#o'e was taken with a shutter speed of , 37 sec (65+) At this speed ( was lucky enough to hand hold the digital camera steady to a'oid ha'ing to use a tripod Now in contrast% here is a photograph of water taken with a faster shutter speed of 658, sec so e'ery #ead of water can #e seen

As seen in a recent lesson on light trails% night photography also re:uires a slow shutter speed *nce again% this allows enough time for light to reach the cameras

image sensor *therwise your image might turn out nothing other than a #lack rectangle or a series of colorful circles

Short tips for using shutter speed in digital SLR photography

Slow shutter speed% slows motion $ast shutter speed% takes the image almost instantly as in froDen in time !se slow shutter speeds of at least 6, seconds or more for night shots of cities% #uildings and streets etc When using a slow shutter speed it)s also a good idea to use a tripod and remote shutter release to a'oid camera shake (f for any reason you don)t want to use a tripod% then a general rule to a'oid camera shake is to ne'er set your shutter speed slower than the reciprocal of the focal length 'alue $or e&ample% if your lens focal length is set at 7,mm then don)t use a shutter speed any slower than 658,th of a second and so forth "o photograph a running child or animal while #lurring the #ackground% set the shutter speed to #etween 65+, sec and 65637 sec "hen follow the running child or mo'ing animal as you press the shutter #utton "his is often referred to as panning

Similar to aperture AV priority% shutter speed also re:uires you to e&periment so you can fully understand this mode of photography $ind some running water and try #oth fast and slow shutter speeds so you can see the results for yourself *'er time% setting the correct speed for any specific circumstance will #ecome second nature

Can you turn off your digital cameras annoying s*utter noise & sound,
Recently while on holiday ( was taking photographs alongside my partner who was using a 'ideo camera When we returned home and watched #ack the 'ideo footage% all we could hear was the click click click of my digital cameras annoying shutter noise (t was then ( pulled out my trusty <*S camera manual to see if the shutter noise was an option ( could somehow turn off 3 soon found t*at it wasn.t possi!le to turn off t*e s*utter noise on my Canon digital 9 S camera$ "he click is a real hardware noise and not a simulated digital one that can #e turned off at will 7*at makes digital camera s*utter sound, "he noise is made from the sound of your digital cameras mirror flipping up to allow light in on the sensor and from the shutter opening A mo'ing shutter is an important aspect for a camera with an e&changea#le lens to help protect the image senso

7*at is mirror lockup and w*en do you need to use it,

When you press the shutter #utton on your digital SLR camera to take a photograph% the first thing that happens is the mirror flips up and out of the way to e&pose the digital image sensor Sometimes if you ha'e a long telephoto lens connected to your cameras #ody% this mirror flip can cause a slight 'i#ration "his 'i#ration can result in a #lurred photograph similar to the effects of camera shake 4any photographers choose to use a manual setting called mirror lockup to help a'oid this pro#lem

How to know w*en you need to use mirror lockup,

When you use a long telephoto lens and notice photo #lur (or loss of image sharpness) e'en after trying a sturdy tripod and remote release

3s t*ere any disad#antages to mirror lockup,

"he main disad'antage to using mirror lockup is that you cannot look through the 'iewfinder when the mirror is locked $or this reason% mirror lockup is implemented most often with long shutter speeds $or e&ample% when taking a photograph of a landscape at dawn

How to set your +SLR camera to mirror lockup,

With Canon digital cameras the mirror lockup is hidden in the Custom $unction (C $n) setting *nce in custom function choose 4irror Lockup 5 <na#le Note/ "hese articles often refer to Canon SLR cameras #ecause that is the model ( am personally familiar with (f you own a different model simply check your camera manual on how to set specific settings $or the most part% the #asic workings are 'ery similar if not the same% from one SLR model to another

+oes it really matter if your digital camera doesn.t *a#e t*is option,
No% it doesn)t matter as it)s not a function that is implemented often >hoto #lur due to mirror 'i#ration is usually so minute that it isn)t easily noticea#le "o most photographers% their photographs simply may not look as sharp as normal and need to #e sharpened in an editing program like >hotoshop

7*at is RA7 setting on your +igital SLR Camera,

-igital cameras usually sa'e images in either 9pg or raw format (or #oth)% depending on the camera model and settings "he downside to 9pg is that they start to deteriorate or loose :uality from the first time you edit the photos $urthermore% e'en #efore the editing stage% your digital camera compacts the image into a smaller file when it sa'es E>= format "herefore loosing all the raw information that was originally gathered #y the camera

Howe#er, if you set your camera to sa#e in RA7 CR6 t*en all t*e data is kept in tact$
"ake this image #elow for e&ample (t is a desktop picture taken from a raw editing program showing #oth the E>= and raw CR3 file side #y side (t)s clear to see how much data is lost in the E>= on the right (f your image is destined to #e printed "hen it)s recommended to open the RAW CR3 file and sa'e it as a "($$ file #efore printing "($$ files also keep a high percentage of the data)s :uality when compared to E>= E>= is really only recommended for we#site 'iewing due to its fast loading% small file siDe

Another way to think of RAW format is to #eing similiar to negati'es #ack in the eighties (t didn)t matter if you damaged the photograph #ack then #ecause you knew you could pull out the old negati'e and ha'e it printed again "he same goes with RAW format #hene$er possi%le se RA# format or if you own a Canon digital camera change the settings to E>= F RAW What this does is it sa'es each image in two different file formats% one 9pg and one raw "hen you can digitally edit the 9pg as many times as you want% knowing that you can resa'e an original copy from the raw file if needed in future

How to con#ert and edit RA7 files,

(f you need to con'ert a raw file into a 9pg so you can use it on a we#site or ha'e it printed% then you need a con'ersion software package that can read this format Chances are% if your -SLR camera has a raw file option% then your purchase should also ha'e included a raw software package on a C- $or e&ample Canon offers with each SLR camera a copy of -igital >hoto >rofessional (f you purchased your camera second hand% then you can download Grd party con'ersions like >hotoshop Camera Raw plug/in

t*er ad#antages to setting your camera to RA7

Another ad'antage to using RAW is that you don)t need to ha'e your camera)s white #alance or picture style etc set perfectly when you take the actual photograph (nstead you can change this later on using a RAW editor "his is particularly useful for #eginners who may forget to change their picture style from portrait to landscape when going from one particular su#9ect to another

When ( took the first photograph shown #elow% ()d forgotten to change my white #alance from the day #efore As you can see the )shade) white #alance setting wasn)t suita#le for this particular day which resulted in the tree ha'ing an off orange tinge to it 0ad ( taken the photograph in E>= format% ( would ha'e #een stuck with this image as it is

Luckily ( photograhed in RAW format so could open the file in my editor and change the color #alance to )daylight) "his resulted in a much #etter color tone in the tree

+isad#antages to s*ooting in RA7

Like most things% there are also some disad'antages that must #e taken into account when setting your digital camera to photograph in RAW format RAW CR3 files are 'ery large and take a lot of space on your cameras memory card and on storage disks (f you plan on shooting in this mode then ( recommend ha'ing at least two +gig memory cards for your camera 2acking photo)s up on -V- disks instead of C- will also let you sa'e more images per disk 0a'ing a fast computer on which to edit the RAW files is also a necessity (f you own a 7 year old computer you might find it

takes an hour 9ust to open your folder of RAW files *ther than that% shooting RAW is the only way to go

%ocusing tips for Nikon and Canon digital camera.s

*ne of the most important skills for a #eginner to learn from the start% is how to focus properly !sing a digital SLR camera will #ecome 'ery frustrating if you don)t understand how to set the focus on the e&act o#9ect you)re trying to photograph "ake the two images #elow for e&ample 6 $or the first photograph% the camera focused on the lea'es in the front right% while the waterfall at the #ack was #lurred and out of focus (n this case% the photographer was intending to take a photograph of the waterfall

With the second image shown #elow% the photographer was taking an image of the sheep 0owe'er% as you can see% the camera focused on the tree to the right .ou can tell this due to the tree #eing sharper than the sheep (f this was the initial intention% then it)s a good photo 0owe'er% if it was not% then it is a #adly focused photograph

How to focus on w*at you want, single area$

r spot focus on

So how do you ensure you)re focusing correctly on what you want to photograph and not the o#9ect on the front or to the side of itC (n short% the answer is to set your A$/ Area 4ode (autofocus) to one of the main focal points on your camera 0owe'er first you need to understand what ( mean #y focal point %or instance, follow t*is e2ercise !elow/

Set your camera on the > dial and turn it on Look through the 'iewfinder as though your going to take a photograph >ress your shutter #utton half way down and look for a red #linking focal point "he o#9ect in your scene that the focal point is positioned o'er when it #links red% is what your camera is focusing on $or the two e&amples shown a#o'e% the red focal #link would ha'e occured o'er the lea'es in the front and on the tree to the right (t)s also important to note that different camera models will ha'e a different num#er of focal points $or e&ample% Canon +,,- has H focal points Whereas Nikon -+, has G focal points

-epending on your current camera setup% it might #e possi#le to keep pressing the shutter half way down and #ack up again% then half way down etc and it will focus differently each time As you can imagine this could #ecome tedious $urthermore% a mo'ing o#9ect isn)t going to stick around until your camera automatically focuses on the correct o#9ect "herefore% you also need to learn how to set one particular focal point as the default main focus <&amples #elow are shown for a Nikon -+, and a Canon +,,- SLR camera 0owe'er% most digital camera)s work in similar ways

How to focus using a specific focal point on a Nikon +(:

6 >ress 4<N!% go to the left side (if not already highlighted) and select the up and down (ne&t to *I #utton) to na'igate to the pencil icon "hen highlight the C!S"*4 S<""(N= 4<N! on the top of the color LC- and press *I Scroll to num#er G in that menu )A$/Area 4ode)% and choose )J o K Single Area) >ress *I to set it "hen set your camera on > for this e&ample% and look in the 'iew finder At the #ottom you will see something similiar to the image #elow "he part ()'e circled in red is what ( will #e referring to in the rest of this tutorial .ou)ll notice it resem#les the focus points in the centre of the screen (left% middle% right)

3 G

(f you don)t want to look at it though the 'iewfinder then you can also see it on the #ack LC- screen% like the image #elowB

When the middle is highlighted (part in the red circle a#o'e)% any o#9ect the center focal point is positioned o'er when looking in your 'iew finder% will #e the main focus when the photo is taken .ou are a#le to change this to either right% center or left #y pressing the left and right #uttons near your *I #utton

How to focus using a specific focal point on a Canon (::+

6 3 >ut your camera setting on something other than automatic% for e&ample the > setting on your top dial Look through your 'iewfinder and hold down the #utton circled #elow in red

While holding that #utton down% use the rotating dial shown #elow to mo'e #etween the numerous focal points

NoteB (f you find this does not work% it may #e due to you ha'ing the shutter speed or aperture screens displayed in your LC- .ou might ha'e to hop out of that particular screen first% then set your focal point #efore going #ack into the shutter speed and aperture if need #e

How to manually c*ange your camera.s e2posure settings,

4any #eginners often find their photographs are either undere&posed (too dark) or o'ere&posed (too light or white) 0owe'er% there is a way to manually change the e&posure to compensate for them #eing darker or lighter =etting the correct e&posure #alance isn)t as hard as it first seems% once you learn a few simple skills from the tips listed #elow

7*ere is t*e e2posure compensation !utton,

*n #oth Nikon and Canon digital SLR camera)s% the e&posure compensation #utton looks like a plus and minus sign (F5/) *n a Nikon -+,% this is situated near the shutter #utton $or Canon +,,- it is found upper right to the LC- screen on the #ack of the camera <&ample of e&posure compensation #uttonB

How to use t*e e2posure compensation !utton,

"he e&posure compensation #utton can #e used when your camera is in any non/automatic mode $or e&ample% you can use it while your top dial is on > (for program)% S (Nikon shutter priority)% "V (Canon shutter priority)% A or AV (aperture priority) and 4 (fully manual) modes

$or this e&ercise% put your camera on the > mode and take one photograph Now take a second photograph% this time firstly pressing the shutter #utton half way down to focus (lift up again)% then hold down the F5/ compensation #utton% while turning the main dial to the right + stops and shoot Now look at #oth images one after another in the LC- screen and you should notice a difference in the lighting Shown #elow is an e&ample of what the main dial looks likeB

Now repeat this e&ercise% this time when taking the 3nd photograph% hold down the compensation #utton down and turn the main dial + stops to the left NoteB it won)t need to always #e + stops% this is an e&ample to show e&tremes only What you should #e seeing is a series of photographs% one too dark% one 9ust right and one too light% like the e&ample #elowB

(f you own a Nikon SLR camera% turning the main dial to the left (while holding down the e&posure compensation #utton) will lighten the image Whereas turning it to the right will darken the image for the ne&t shot taken .ou need to read9ust it for each photograph (f you own a Canon SLR camera% it is the opposite to the Nikon "urning your main dial to the left (while holding down the e&posure compensation #utton) will darken the image and turning it to the right will lighten the image

7*en is e2posure compensation useful,

(f at first% you take an image and it looks to #e too dark or too light when 'iewing it in your LC- screen $or e&ample if it is early morning or late e'ening% you might want the photograph to appear lighter (or darker) than it actually is (f you are taking a photograph of an o#9ect that is in actual fact too dark% and you want to lighten it $or e&ample if you were taking an image of the underside of a car near the tyre 2ad e&ample ( know B) *r lets say you want to photograph a #lack #ird and need to see the actual eye in your image (n this case you could slightly o'er e&pose the image to #ring out the patterns and shapes (n contrast% snow images can appear too o'er e&posed (n these situations it)s recommended to undere&pose the image until you see a nice #alance #etween the sky and the snow <&posure compensation is also useful for those people that photograph o#9ects in a light tent A light tent is a s:uare #o& that has numerous colored #ackgrounds so photographers can capture products and o#9ects with one #ackground color $or e&ample% if a white #ackground is used and you don)t change the e&posure compensation% the #ackground may appear off white

-igital SLR camera)s offer so many different settings% it)s often hard to keep track of what one)s you ha'e changed Any photographer who has gi'en his camera to another person for a day or two% will understand how hard it is to try and guess what settings were changed so it can #e put #ack to the original state

How to c*ange a Nikon +(: !ack to default factory settings,

>ress the )menu) #utton on the #ack near your LC- display >ress the left #utton near the )*I) #utton to make sure you ha'e the left side of the menu highlighted on the LC- display !se the up and down #uttons near the )*I) to scroll to the )pencil) icon When the )pencil) icon is highlighted% press the right #utton near the )*I) to highlight the right side Scroll up and down until you ha'e )Reset) highlighted% then press )*I) Scroll down one to )yes)% and press )*I)

.our default factory settings are now #ack to when you originally purchased your Nikon -+, camera

How to c*ange a Canon (::+ !ack to default factory settings,

$irstly press the )menu) #utton% then the up #utton a#o'e the )*I) as many times as needed% until you see the top folders are highlighted >ress the right #utton near the )*I) until you see the last folder highlighted .ou will know this is highlighted when you see the first menu option that says )Language) "he Grd one down from that says )Clear Settings)

>ress the down #utton under the )*I) until )Clear Settings) is highlighted% then press the )*I) #utton Scroll up to your choice and press )*I) to reset your Canon +,,- #ack to default factory settings

+ifference !etween +90 (AV, A on some camera.s) and A"+90 modes

-epending on the #rand of your digital camera% you may ha'e noticed 3 similar yet different modes on the dial% called +90 and A"+90 -<> may also #e sy#olised #y the letters AV (Canon) or A (Nikon) +90 (AV% A) and A"+90 modes% #asically do the same thing% in that they allow you to set an aperture so you can control the depth of field seen within a photograph *r in other words% it allows you to set how much of the scenery you want in focus and how much you want #lured "he difference #etween the two camera modes% is how they achie'e this

7*at do t*e letters +90, AV and A stand for or mean,

"he letters +90 stands for )depth of field automatic e&posure) Sometimes +90 is replaced with the letters AV or A% meaning )aperture priority) When you set your camera to these modes% you also need to set an aperture $ num#er ( won)t go into detail here% as we already ha'e a good tutorial for this setting atB What is AV mode

7*at do t*e letters A"+90, stand for or mean,

A"+90 stands for )automatic depth of field)% or )auto depth of field) 4eaning% the camera sets the depth of field automactically When the camera is set on A"+90% the photographer doesn)t need to set an aperture $ num#er as the camera does this for them

How to use A"+90 mode,

"o use automatic depth of field% turn your camera)s mode dial to A/-<> Look through your 'iewfinder and point at the o#9ect you want to photograph% then press the shutter #utton half way down to focus All the area you see co'ered #y the focal points that flash or light up% will #e in focus *r in otherwords% will #e within the automatic depth of field "he camera will choose the #est aperture for that specific circumstance when you take the shot

7*at is w*ite !alance,

Setting the correct white #alance in your camera% is important to ensure the o#9ects that are white% are actually displayed white within the photograph As you can see #y the interacti'e e&ample #elow% white #alance also effects other colors as well (f your camera)s automatic white #alance setting doesn)t get the color )white) correct% it won)t render the other colors correctly either

Click within the square below to start the demonstration. Then click each of the four white balance settings to see how color is effected by this setting.

How to know if t*e wrong w*ite !alance *as !een set,

Eust a#out e'ery photographer at one stage or another% has taken a photograph that contained a #lueish tinge "he #lueish tinge is normally a result of using an incorrect white #alance $or e&ample% the first image #elow has a #lueish tinge% where as the second shot displays a more natural coloring

Setting an incorrect white #alance% can also result in unsightly reds% yellow or green tinges as well% depending on the situation

+oesn.t auto w*ite !alance fi2 t*is pro!lem,

Not always While it)s true many impro'ements ha'e #een made in todays digital camera)s% they still often get white #alance settings wrong in certain lighting conditions (f you take your images in RAW format (highly recommended) then sure% go ahead and use auto white #alance (f the camera gets it wrong% you can always change this setting later on in your RAW editor

7*ere to find your camera.s w*ite !alance settings,

%or Canon users% the camera)s white #alance setting can #e found on the #ack panel ne&t to the LC- screen (on Canon +,,-) (t can #e recognised #y the letters W2% as demonstrated in the image #elow "here can #e slight differences #etween models% so if you can)t see the letters W2% then check with your camera)s manual >ress the W2 #utton and you)ll #e gi'en a list of the following optionsB auto% daylight% shade% cloudy% tungsten light% white fluorescent light% flash and custom

%or Nikon users% press the menu #utton on the #ack near the LC- screen% and na'igate your way to the )Shooting 4enu) $rom there% you)ll #e a#le to choose )White 2alance) *nce you)re in the white #alance screen you)ll ha'e se'eral options includingB auto% incandescent% tungsten% fluorescent% direct sunlight% flash% cloudy% shade and preset

&ote: If you have the camera set on fully automatic, you won't be able to choose a white balance setting.

;uick e2plaination of eac* w*ite !alance setting

Note once again% settings differ #etween #rands and models "herefore don)t worry if you ha'e a few of them missing from your menu #ar 7*en to use Auto w*ite !alance/ (n auto% the camera guesses what white #alance to use depending on the a'aila#le light (n H7L of the time% the guess results in a nicely colored photograph "his is a perfect setting for times when you)re unsure what white #alance to choose (t)s also a good idea to keep the camera on Auto white #alance if you shoot in RAW format (recommended) +aylig*t (Canon) and +irect Sunlig*t (Nikon)/ "his is a good setting for direct sunlight $or e&ample% a #each landscape mid morning where you)re not shooting into shade 7*en to use S*ade w*ite !alance/ !se shade white #alance in shady area)s or sunset shots (t will help gi'e a warmer color to your shots 7*en to use Cloudy/ "his is a good setting for cloudy days (t)s also :uite effecti'e for shady area)s as well ()'e found there is a fine line #etween shade and cloudy white #alance settings 7*en to use -ungsten w*ite !alance/ "his is one of the most e&treme #alance settings of them all and should only #e used with tungsten light #ul#s *r at times where you purposefully want a #lue tinge to your images 7*en to use fluorescent/ "his setting will help make inside flourescent house lighting% look a #it #etter than the yellowy orange color you usually see %las* w*ite !alance/ $lash white #alance is used mostly for studio work Custom (Canon) and 0reset (Nikon) w*ite !alance settings/ !se these ones with a white or grey card that you can pick up cheaply from any camera store% for perfect white #alance

7*at is a *istogram
A histogram is a #ar chart that shows you whether a photographs e&posure is good or #ad .ou can 'iew the histogram on your camera)s LC- screen after you ha'e taken the shot A histogram looks similar to the image shown #elow

(f you see high peaks on the right side of the histogram% this indicates the photograph may #e too #right or o'ere&posed *n the other hand% if there are high peaks on the left side of the histogram% the image is most likely too dark and undere&posed (f the peaks are centered like in the e&ample a#o'e% the photo is said to #e well #alanced and e&posed "hat is% not too dark or too light

Reasons w*y p*otograp*ers s*ould #iew t*e p*oto.s *istogram

While it)s true that some photographs are o#'iously too light or too dark when 'iewing them #ack on your camera)s LC- screen% other images may not #e so clear ( can)t count the times ()'e 'iewed the perfect image on my small LC- screen% to find they are #adly e&posed when seeing them on my 6H inch computer monitor (t is especially important to check the histogram if the photograph is taken from a once in a lifetime moment Recently ( took some photographs down at our local har#or side marina "he morning was perfect% there wasn)t a ripple in the water and the reflections were crystal clear (t was one of those moments we may not see again for a long time "herefore it was important to ensure the e&posures were correct in the histogram #efore packing up and heading home (f the histogram showed any under or o'er e&posure% ( would ha'e taken the shot again while ( had the chance

7*ere to find t*e *istogram grap* on your camera,

(f you are using a Canon +,,- SLR camera% 'iew a photograph in your LCscreen% then press the -(S> #utton twice% on the top left near the LCscreen .ou should then see the histogram *nce you)re done% press the -(S> #utton again to get #ack to the pre'ious screen

$or Nikon -+, users% 'iew an image in your LC- screen% then press the up and down #uttons near the )*k) to scroll to the histogram

All other users% check your camera manual

Histogram e2amples
1. As you can see !y t*e image !elow, it was undere2posed (too dark)$
"here is 'ery little detail seen in the tree)s% footpath and two people on the left

S*own !elow, is t*e *istogram for t*e undere2posed image$ As you can see #y this e&ample% the high peaks are on the left hand side of the graph

2. 3n contrast, t*e p*otograp* !elow is o#ere2posed (too lig*t)$

S*own !elow, is t*e *istogram for t*e o#ere2posed image$ Notice this time% the high peaks are on the right hand side of the graph

What you should #e aiming for% is a histogram that displays the ma9ority of peaks within the center of the graph

92ceptions to t*e rule

"here are times when it)s perfectly accepta#le for the graph to display high peaks at either end of the histogram

$or instance% if there is naturally a lot of white within the scenery (snow shots)% then you would see high peaks on the right side of the histogram% e'en when the photo is perfectly e&posed *n the otherhand% if there is a lot of #lack within the scenery or o#9ect you are photographing% then the high peaks would naturally occur on the left hand side of the graph $urthermore% if there is a good mi&ture of #lack and white within the scenery% you may find high peaks at #oth ends of the histogram