The Digital Photography Companion

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APERTURE VALUE AV MODE

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Hands-On Techniques from A to Z

is chapter covers camera settings and techniques alphabetically from A to Z, or more

specifically, from Aperture Value mode to zooming. New terms are listed in italics. If

you’re not sure where to find any of these settings on your particular camera, double-

check the owner’s manual and refer to Chapter 1 of this guide.

REMINDER ▼

As always, it’s best to have your camera in hand as you work with the text and study the

photo examples. e more you shoot, the more natural these techniques will become.

Aperture Value (Av) Mode

Many intermediate and advanced cameras allow you to choose the aperture setting, and

the camera sets the proper corresponding shutter speed. is setting is sometimes denoted

as Av, which stands for aperture value. (Some cameras just go with a simple “A” for aperture

priority.) You can typically access this setting via the mode dial or as a menu option.

Choose the aperture priority mode when you want to control depth of field. In other

words, how much of your picture, from front to back, do you want in focus? Shallow

depth of field is often used for portraits—your subject is in focus, but everything else is

a little soft. Choose an aperture value of 2.0, 2.8, or 4 for this type of shooting situation.

e lower the value, the shallower the depth of field will be, and less of the image ...