a is for aperture

“There are no rules for good photographs, there are only good photographs.”  – Ansel Adams

I spent this past Saturday morning in a digital photography workshop lead by shutter brothers Jack, a serious amateur photographer, and Al, a professional sports photographer. Opportunities to connect and learn like this with fellow photographers are rare in my small Southern town, so when I heard that the photographers were coming, I noted the event on my calendar with a big, fat Sharpie.

My approach to photography has been primarily artistic vs. a traditional technical approach, though I consumed a photography class in college with a heavy appetite. And while I did learn the technicalities of F-stops and aperture, and the speeds of shutters way back then, I often leaned on an artistic eye in the dark room to turn an okay image into something special. I rarely remembered the formula for chemical soaks, nor did I take the time to document my pinhole camera exposures to simplify the subsequent shot. Numbers and calculations simply didn’t mix with the art of aesthetics for me. I just sort of “felt” that an image was done when it was done.

Even today with my digital SLR, I lean on my auto settings to quickly capture my compositions because I can’t force myself to reference the manual or fiddle with buttons in the presence of a fleeting moment. As a means of controlling light, I keep my flash turned off at all times and follow the rhythm of natural light, shooting in the morning or early evening, feeling confident that if the lighting or contrast isn’t quite right, I can tweak it on my MacBook. But to really mature into a serious photographer, I’ve come to realize that there’s a delicate balance between firing the right and left sides of the brain…like ah, simultaneously. A balance I intend to cultivate.

So when shutter brother Al suggested that I shoot in Aperture Priority setting – giving me control of the size of the aperture (the hole in the camera regulating the amount of light that comes into the camera) and keeping the camera in control of the shutter speed – I made him turn the dial to the “A”.  Large apertures (low f/-numbers) reduce the depth of field, blurring objects behind and in front of the main subject. Small apertures (high f/-numbers) increase depth of field, bringing out details in the background and foreground. Al then pressed on the +/- button to show me how easy it was to increase and decrease the exposure setting simply by turning a control dial in this A-priority mode. The higher the number > the more light let in.  The lower the number  > the less light let in.  Well, now.  That wasn’t so hard.  So I proceeded to play in A-priority mode for the remainder of the weekend increasing and decreasing my depth of field and exposure settings, and comparing the images quickly to see the difference. Suffice it to say, I now can’t imagine shooting any other way.

What about you? Do you shoot with auto or manual settings?  Share your best-lit images in the comments and your tips/tricks for controlling light.

Comments

[leah]

I started playing with manual settings around Thanksgiving of last year. I try to stay away from using flash whenver possible, and love having the ability to shoot in very low lighting situations. At this point, I can usually get the exposure right after a shot or two; my goal is to just "know". (Yeah, I haven't tried to conquer the light meter, yet.)

[tammy circeo]

I have to agree with Ansel on this: it's far more important to capture the moment and play with it later if necessary (on photoshop, for example), than to miss it altogether. I tend to be a purist, too. . . don't mess with it too much, or you miss the reality of the actual moment as seen in your mind's eye.
On the same note, (sort of), although I shoot most of my 'everyday' shots on my point and shoot, I've also been deliberately learning our new DSLR and have played with the Aperture setting, the shutter speed, and the manual. It's amazing to me what different results you get!
Thanks for the continued motivation!

[Sarah - Ji]

I have had a deep love affair with aperture, and usually the wider the aperture the more my heart would throb (f/1.4, how do I love thee?). I have been appreciating the narrow apertures lately, though, and I heartily agree that shooting aperture priority can be very handy, although I admit I usually shoot in totally manual mode. I think I should really be shooting a-priority though, as I often get lazy in manual mode and just leave the settings the way they are and fix the exposure later. One thing I do recommend is utilizing the exposure bias (EV) settings in aperture priority to get the best exposure. My camera (Nikon D50) tends to overexpose in A-priority, so I step it down to -0.3 or even -0.7. Also, if I'm shooting in low light and would prefer to underexpose for a faster shutter speed rather than increase the ISO, I'll decrease the exposure bias as well if I'm shooting in aperture priority, and correct the exposure in Lightroom.

Funny you should bring up aperture-priority shooting because I never used it very much until my photoshoot last week w/ my friend Ben. I think I shot that one entirely in aperture priority, and I really like the way the photos came out. Here's one of the shots:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sierraromeo/2433175517/

[deezee]

actually, the smaller the number (i.e. 2), the bigger the opening and the more light let in; the bigger the number (i.e. 16), the less light let in. :)

[Marcie]

I shoot only in 'A' mode. I love to be able to control the light and the selective focus, Altho you can see it in almost all of my images, here are a cuople of recent illustrations:

http://marciescudder.blogspot.com/2008/04/bursting.html
http://marciescudder.blogspot.com/2008/04/morning-after.html

[DanaB]

I've pondered that A setting on my camera dial...

My favorite way to control the light is by using natural light to it's fullest(like most of y'all lol).

~~


http://www.flickr.com/photos/windowswideopen/2448797270/

[Shelli]

Learning about the technical side of taking photographs has always been like learning Greek to me. I've tried in the past. I even bought a manual 35mm camera once to force myself to try. But I always fell back on the auto settings.

Right now I just use a point and shoot, and I try to play with natural light as best as I can such as in these two photos. Thanks for inspiring me to try again though!

http://web.mac.com/pabis/Mama_of_Letters/Camera_Happy.html#25
http://web.mac.com/pabis/Mama_of_Letters/Camera_Happy.html#9

[Melissa (aka Photomom86)]

I take most of my pictures in Aperture Priority. I think I'm getting pretty good at this setting. I'm working on using the manual mode more.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/24035778@N04/2448168233/

Great shot above. Love the pink.

[Kacey]

I'm an aperture priority girl myself. I shoot in this mode most often. I love messing with the depth of field on pics. I have such fun with it. I used it on these pics.

http://www.wineonthekeyboard.com/2008/04/27/life-in-focus-the-dogwood/

http://www.wineonthekeyboard.com/2008/04/22/whee-lo/

[Tony]

Depends on the subject, and the type (sports, landscape etc), but I do shoot in ap priority quite a bit

[star8278]

For the first 3 years that I had my Canon 350D I used the auto modes. I was too busy shooting to read the book. I met up with a friend who has just bought the Xti and she started fiddling with my camera settings and she taught me the value of shooting in M mode. I like the ability to adjust the ISO which is about the most comfortable I am yet with the manual settings. Might just try AV this week and see what happens. Thanks for the inspiration.

[julie]

I shot full auto for the longest time and now I shoot full manual. I tried AV this weekend and found I wasn't quite happy with the way the pictures turned out but I'm encouraged to try again after reading your article today. How cool to get to go to a workshop! I'd love to go to one! So here's one with really cool light...
http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Juliestew/518963/
I love the play of the light across her face and hair. Of course this was near sunset in the late afternoon at her brother's football game.
Keep snappin'
julie

[Carrie Harvey]

I, also, love Aperture! I have been trying to learn my DSLR since I bought it in January...I read somewhere that the best way to learn each setting is to shoot for a month in only one setting...I have found that I love Aperture and am still incredibly intimidated by Manual..so much easier to only think about ONE aspect instead of many!! Here's an example of my Aperture month...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/23724564@N02/2335845864/

[maya]

i almost always shoot in aperture priority. i'm trying to learn manual, but when the shot's really important to me, i stick with A.

low aperture - good for toes:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/23558661@N03/2436115969/

i cut my daughter's bangs too short, just for fun, and caught this shot of the longer hair hanging forward:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/23558661@N03/2398495307/

both were shot in A priority.

[littlepurplecow]

deezee - Thanks for the correction. I scrambled Fstops and exposure settings in A-priority mode. My use of the +/- button + dial was controlling the exposure compensation not the Fstop. I've clarified this in the post.

[Kate]

I don't think I've had my Rebel set to anything but aperture priority since I got it - because what determines the shot, to me, is depth of field.. that's what I want to control. I'm not so much concerned with effects of motion (shutter speed), but totally envision the feel I want based on DOF.

I'm quite keen to try some shutter speed priority shots, but I think those will be more interesting with older kids, who are more physically dexterous - babies and toddlers are all about the DOF, so my whole life is all about aperture.

Great post!

[camerashymomma]

i fluctuate between aperture and auto depending on circumstance. if i have my son with me, i'm most likely shooting in auto for convenience and lack of time and brainspace, but if we are on vacation or i am crouching in the grass without a monkey on my back i'll shoot in A priority.

recently i was asked to photograph a good friends homebirth and for that i have ventured into the world of flash! i had never owned one or enjoyed flash photography in the least, but this past weekend i've really been messing around with settings and running tests on what does what. and how different to see the result right away than take note in journal and wait for film to be printed! so right now my learning curve is for capturing this birth in shutter mode, i heard a technique from a photographer friend of mine to diffuse the flash up to the ceiling and drag the shutter to 50. (how much fun can i have in a darkened room running practice shots? i love it!)

great post and photo!!

[Jen]

I learned to shoot on a completely manual camera - best lesson I've ever learned. I try to shoot on Manual but with a two year old as a subject, Aperture Priority becomes the norm!

This one is using only natural light. I sat my daughter just shy of the sunlight coming in the window, just enough to light her face. It's one of my favourites!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jlynn28/2391828543/

[misti]

I prefer to shoot complete manual. It has taken some time getting everything set up and to understand it all, but I think the pictures come out better. I am not one for a lot of post processing. I'd rather let the camera do the work. Hubster and I argue a lot because he likes aperture priority and thinks I should use it all the time.

[Sierra]

I tend to shoot aperture priority unless I really can't get what I want, in which case I'll switch to manual. I have a mad passionate love affair with wide aperture.

I took a shot this weekend with 1.8 aperture, which turned a porch light into the moon. It's one of my new favorites: http://heyitssierra.com/blog/2008/04/28/trio/

[Marcene]

It took me about 6 months to move from P to Tv to Av to M on my camera. Once I figured out how Shutter priority worked and felt comfortable with it, I moved on to Aperture priority. I got comfortable with that, and moved to Manual. I learned to use the camera's light meter, although it is not entirely perfect. And I am able to adjust a few stops up or down to get the effect that I want. Now I don't use anything but Manual!

[Lu]

I primarily shoot in aperture priority mode, but I have been experimenting more with shutter speeds. I am a bokeh lover, so I enjoy manipulating the blur on my images. I do know how to shoot in manual mode and I use it when I can not get the exact results I am looking for. Also, when shooting kids, you can not do everything in manual, so using Av mode is very helpful.

For the food shots, I like using natural light, usually early in the morning and I soften it with curtain sheers. Love the effect.
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1145/873087244_9bc09884f8_b.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2396/1968042427_8f8c596dcd_b.jpg

[Dennis]

Shutter brother here....I am an A Mode person too. Afraid of full manual at this point but Aperture priority gives me the flexability adn creativity that I need at this point.

[Johanna]

Technical approach to photography and all that incomprehensible vocabulary makes me feel small. But I used to shoot with Nikon FM for many years so I had to learn to shoot manual. Now that I've gone digital I still prefer shooting in M mode because.. well, old skool... :)

[Angella]

I generally shoot in Aperture Priority, especially when out side. When I'm inside, I will often shoot in Shutter Priority - it works better in lower light :)

[Jenny Rebecca]

I've been trying to shoot all manual ever since reading "Understanding Exposure". I'm also trying to get better at using my XTi kit lens before deciding what I need to upgrade to. This is not the most stellar of pictures, but I was using the light coming in from a window behind me, trying to capture my daughter's efforts at pulling up to standing at an unfamiliar coffee table for the first time. The expression on her face cracks me up! :o)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/fanglord2/2448472031/in/photostream/

[Mama DB]

I shoot in manual. I've had my camera since December and I sort of forced myself to leave the auto setting alone and learn the camera. I've suffered for it at times, getting only one good shot out of 12 but I'm learning. These days, sometimes I get two or three good shots out of a dozen. :)

I like to use natural light. I drag the kids and various objects around the house as the light changes. Here's one of my favorites.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2324/2428648707_417c31d7fe_b.jpg

[Anke]

Oh this is really interesting. I do most of the time my shots in the auto modus as well, because I want to capture something in the moment....I will try out the A setting though, thanks for sharing the tips, really appreciate it....since I'm kind of overwhelmed with the manual settings sometimes. Great foto by the way!
Smiles, Anke ;)

[gkgirl]

i generally use the auto with no flash
and look for the best light
as you described
but now that you have explained this
so well, i'm going to write it down
and then try this with my camera in hand...
thanks for the info and the inspiration!

[Sheri]

i totally relate to everything you said. i recently bought a nicer camera with nicer auto setting than my old point & click, but i did so with the intention of self-teaching myself on some or all of the fancier settings. of course, with tips like this, i don't even have to open the book. thanks! tracey's earlier post on good lighting clicked a few switches for me too.

whenever possible, i control lighting by taking pics just after it has dropped down (i'm hardly ever up early enough in the morning). early evening in my kitchen (faces east) is great, like i used for this one:

http://todayispretty.wordpress.com/2008/04/16/places-to-go/

[Trude]

I usually shoot in Aperture priority too, because a lot of my shots are indoors, at night (after work). Plus it helps that I usually have my "nifty fifty" lens on (50mm f/1.4). :) That way I can get shots like this: http://www.flickr.com/photos/trudem/2419833572/

[Sherry]

I shoot 90% of my photos in AV mode and the other 10% in TV mode. I love AV mode, I love playing with the apertures. I have yet to experiment in manual mode though.

Here's a pic I took yesterday at the playground. My camera was set in AV mode.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/25233571@N04/2448663263/

[Teresa]

I started shooting with my 50mm prime lense and aperture priority setting about a month ago and have hardly used anything else since. I'm having so much fun.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/8078228@N08/2386124415/

[cotterpin]

I tend to lean heavily on the automatic settings with the flash turned off...occasionally I venture into the apeture/shutter speed settings and have good luck- but still take multiples to be sure...

http://cotterpinhouse.wordpress.com/2008/01/04/inspiration-nashville-in-red-and-white/

[mamie]

i almost exclusively shoot on A because that is how i shot with our old manual film cameras, light meter and all. now i find that my joy is exponentially increased with the digital slr as it allows me to capture the images i want of my boys without having to see the disarray to my household that comes with twin boys. go A!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/16401019@N00/2439449145/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/16401019@N00/2379525668/

[amy]

when i first got my SLR i shot in auto for the first few months because i didn't know what to do with the other settings!
once i finally got someone to explain it to me, it really changed everything. it became more challenging but also much more rewarding. I now shoot manual 98% of the time, only falling back on auto if i am in a time sensitive situation!

[Bridget]

I also shoot mostly in AV mode. I am still learning though. I try to use as much natural light as possible with no flash...sounds like i am with the majority! :)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/iheartjimmyhank/2441220073/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/iheartjimmyhank/2441232649/

I have a 10 month old son, so he is my favorite subject :)

[Kizz]

I was shooting my film camera in manual settings but without knowing exactly what I was changing and why up until a couple of months ago when I got my beloved slightly used SLR. With the digital I've known that I need to re-learn how to shoot manually but needed someone to talk me through the basics very simply. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR DOING THAT. I'll be playing in the A setting now, too.

[Elizabeth]

I like to shoot in aperture priority as well, but often go strictly manual for low light and depth of field shots, where I use my 50mm/F1.8lens. I love the control over depth of field and low-light shooting capability I have with the low f-stop settings.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/esabet/2285430386/in/set-72157603988509446/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/esabet/2381072459/in/set-72157603988509446/

[Sarah - Ji]

And all this time I thought the Tv and Av on my husband's camera (a Canon point-and-shoot) stood for Television and Audiovisual, which totally confused me. NOW it makes sense!

[Lawyer Mama]

I love my manual settings. It's the whole reason I moved from my Nikon point and shoot to a digital SLR. I wanted to be able to control my DOF, my shutter speed, everything! When I first got my camera, I picked a different priority every weekend (shutter, aperture, iso, etc...) and tried out everything to see what it could do. Then I moved to manual. I *knew* how everything interrelated, but knowing it intellectually and actually doing it while shooting are entirely different things!

I tend to use the P mode on my Nikon a lot now, but I know what to do to get certain shots that I want now. Ever since I got my 50mm 1.8/f lens I've found it so much easier to control the light because when I shoot wide open, I get a lovely bokeh and lovely light.

Here's one I just took. It was on a ferry, under a dark cover, but you really can't tell!

http://flickr.com/photos/lawyermama/2445064970/

And one taken indoors with my "nifty fifty."

http://flickr.com/photos/lawyermama/2419765911/in/set-72157603643073069/

[Lawyer Mama]

Oooh, and another I have to share. Shot with my 50mm at 1.8 just before the sun went down:

http://flickr.com/photos/lawyermama/2423965115/in/set-72157603643073069/

[heidi]

I stick mostly to program mode, but all of you brave manual shooters out there are inspiring me to try it again! Am I the only one to tinker with settings (exposure being a great one, since my exposure control is in a different place than the others I regularly adjust, like white balance) and then forget the adjustment, only to wonder *why* my shots come out wrong? You'd think I'd learn by now...

Here's a shot with interesting light:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/hstender/2438086926/
it's slightly under-exposed because, you guessed it, I forgot that I had set the exposure to -0.3 earlier. Luckily, I sort of like it that way.

[littlepurplecow]

Enjoying all of your comments and images so much. Thanks for sharing them.

[grdguru]

Only recently found this site and loving it - wanting to explore beyond the auto setting on my camera but feeling overwhelmed/lost with all the options on the dial. After reading this today could not wait to get home and turn the dial to AV. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! - Still don't know exactly what I'm doing but I'm having fun doing it and exploring the possibilities. Who knows maybe I'll even have a link to post someday

[W. Lotus]

I shoot in manual mode at ISO 100 (as much as possible) without flash and use a combination of shutter speed and aperture to control light. When I first set up the shot, I set the aperture depending on the depth of field I want, then I set the shutter speed according to the light meter. My 50mm/f1.8 is my primary lens, so I have a lot of leeway when it comes to indoor shooting.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/wlotus2008/2425240847/

I haven't thought about how convenient Aperture Priority mode is when capturing a fast-moving object or a fleeting moment. This post and the comments have given me some ideas!

[Anna at Hank and Willie]

I fluctuate between aperture priority and manual, but mostly Ap--I think of it as my AUTO, really, since I love to control the DOF and let the camera do the rest.

Thanks for a great post!

[HSY]

I almost always shoot in aperture priority, and LUV my 1.5 50 mm lens which loves natural light. I'm just now learning more about light. I'd love to be able to use my fancy flash to supplement natural light, but I can't yet figure out the art of bouncing or diffusing light.

[naomi]

My camera's so basic it's not funny. I've been happiest with my results when I stick with the manual setting. This is my latest:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nomesthenome/2453483741/

[carrie]

Interestingly, I just started playing with the a button, too. I'm slowly learning -- and leanring more from you and the comments.

Here are some recent attempts:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/read2me/2444016666/in/set-72157604742302808/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/read2me/2443991830/in/set-72157604742302808/