The Digital Photography Companion

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FACE DETECTION

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modes that represent this combination of aperture and shutter speed are Programmed

Automatic, Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority, and Manual.

Programmed Automatic (P) e camera sets both shutter speed and aperture

based on its internal light meter reading. Programmed Automatic mode is handy for

situations when the photographer wants to concentrate on composition and other

aspects of the shot without worrying about exposure settings. is is a good default

mode. Many photographers joke that the “P” icon that represents Program mode

really stands for Professional mode.

Aperture Priority (Av) You set the aperture (f-stop) and the camera sets the cor-

responding shutter speed to ensure a good exposure. Aperture Priority is helpful for

when you want to control the depth of field (the area that appears in focus from

the front to the back of the composition). By opening up the aperture (e.g., f/2.8),

you create a relatively shallow depth of field—perfect for portraits with a soft back-

ground. When you stop down the aperture (e.g., f/16), you will have greater depth

in focus, which is helpful for landscape shooting where you want both that flower in

the foreground and the distant mountains in focus.

Shutter Priority (Tv) In this case, you set the shutter speed and the camera sets

the corresponding aperture. Shutter priority is used mainly ...