Get out of Auto mode

Jun 17

Our trip to Paris in May was a great trip, we saw a lot of Paris and I took over 5000 photos! That sounds like a tremendous number of photos, however I take my photos in what is called 'bracket mode' where the camera automatically takes the same photo in three different exposures (under exposed, normal exposure, over exposed). So, every time the shutter button is depressed, three pictures are taken. This is helpful to assist in making sure every photo is taken in the correct exposure and also, in post-production, all three can be 'stacked' to get a better overall photo.

Stacking is helpful when you are trying to maintain a truer likeness of the subject in color and detail while also ensuring depth by keeping rich shadows that tend to mute brighter colors when under exposed. You see in 3D and the goal of a photo is to transition that 3D element to a 2D print. We do that in part through depth of field and exposure setting which is the F-stop (aperture) setting and the shutter speed setting respectively. I shoot in what is called AV, Aperture Priority, mode most of the time. This allows me to select the F-stop (aperture size) and the exposure bracket (1, 3, 5 or 7 pictures per shutter button press) and the camera decides which shutter speed to use (I use ISO Auto so I don't have to think about that but we won't go into ISO today). Sometimes I use TAV or TV which is Shutter Priority, and it allows me to control F-stop, exposure bracketing, and shutter speed.

If you have a DSLR camera, you can use the Auto picture mode in which the camera selects all of that automatically depending on what the sensor believes is correct. There is nothing wrong with taking photos in Auto mode and you will get wonderful pictures with today's technology. However, with AV and TAV (or even full Manual) modes, you get to determine your creativity and put your style in your photos. Maybe you want a large depth of field to showcase the object in the foreground. Or maybe you want to show all of the objects in the picture in relative clarity. You can achieve that by switching out of Auto and into a different mode. This should be the way we approach our art, whether it be photography, painting, illustrating, crafts or writing. We should switch out of Auto mode and into something that takes us out of our comfort zone and makes us creative and inventive. This makes our art better. It makes our art more expressive of who we are. It makes it ours. Do not be afraid of something not coming out right or failure. Failure is a process of development. Development gets us to the next level. From a tricycle to a bike with training wheels, to a mountain bike traveling through a beautiful forest trail. I would love to hear or see what you have done recently to get out of Auto mode with your creativity.

J. S. Clawson

Scott Clawson is an avid writer, photographer, traveler and gardener. Living on a small island, he has spent many hours watching and taking photographs of wildlife in his garden, on the beach and in the wetlands. He naturally began writing stories about the whimsical wildlife world around him.

https://www.jsclawson.com

Get out of Auto mode

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