The Flash Photography Field Guide

Automatic Exposure Modes

Automatic exposure modes—such as Program, Aperture, and Shutter Priority—are really only useful when using off-camera flash if you are using a TTL-based wireless triggering system or a sync cord. If you’re using basic radio triggers, they are of limited use. You’ll be controlling your flashes manually, so it’s far better to control your exposure manually, too, but if you use TTL systems like Canon’s E-TTL, Nikon’s CLS or a Pocket Wizard, or similar TTL system with appropriate dedicated flashes, then automatic modes can make things easier.

The two most used modes are Aperture and Shutter Priority. These are called different things on various cameras. Aperture Priority is often called A or Av, while Shutter Priority is ...