Tip Five- Aperture Priority versus Shutter Priority

This is tip five in the series about photography called, “Ten Things All Photo Geeks Must Know.” It is for the more serious amateur photographer who shoots with a digital camera. These ten tips are the basis for a solid foundation in photography. Once you have these skills in your proverbial camera bag you will be able to advance quickly. Some of the posts will apply to film cameras as well but I am writing this series with an aspiring digital photo geek in mind.

AV versus TV

I am a Canon camera user. No matter which brand of camera you are using, the manufacturers have developed some different drive modes for various photographic situations. In a Canon camera I am referring to Av (aperture value) and TV (time value). For a Nikon camera A is aperture priority and S is shutter priority.

Photo geek footnote: Using aperture priority my exposure was ISO 1250, 1/160 at f/2.8. I also used exposure compensation (see Tip 3) + 1/2 stop.

Aperture Priority: In this mode you set the desired aperture and the camera sets the shutter speed automatically to obtain the correct exposure. I use this mode usually when I am photographing a portrait and want shallow depth of field (f/2 to f/5.6) or a landscape in which want deep depth of field (f/8 to f/22). In the image above I am photographing a portrait of my cat, Eve. I want her to be tack sharp but I would prefer that the curtains and the window are blurry so they become interesting vertical, graphical elements, rather than unnecessary distractions.

Photo Geek Footnote: Using shutter priority I shot at ISO 800, f/9 at 1/400 of a second.

Shutter Priority: In this mode you set the shutter speed and the camera automatically sets the shutter speed automatically to obtain the correct exposure.  I use this mode most often when working with people or objects who are moving quickly. In the photograph above my son, Roman, was running and jumping off the diving board. I wanted to capture him in sharp detail even though he was moving at the speed of light. If you knew Roman, you would understand why I say that! So I set the camera to shutter priority (TV or S) to a 400^th of a second. For fast moving subjects I use 1/250 or higher. I love these modes because I only have to worry about one element and the camera takes care of the rest.

If you missed the fourth part of this series read it HERE.

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North Korea, North Carolina, and a Pulitzer Prize Winning Book

The Pulitzer Prize for fiction was awarded this week to Adam Johnson for “The Orphan Master’s Son” set in North Korea. It is a very timely selection, given our interest in, puzzlement about, and fear of that country. I have revised and updated a column I wrote last year about the book and North Carolina’s […]

Time To Bring The Bunnies

If you’ve had the pedal to the metal, pushing hard to make sales quotas, production schedules and tax deadlines, I encourage you to take a break for a morale and productivity boosting bit of nonsense. And if you need an off the wall, hoppin’ idea…this one certainly qualifies. Several of the seventeen divisions of The […]

Parenting Page: Shake That Fist and Lean In

This is a parenting page, about parenting Page. I am a child psychologist and a mother. So I specialize in children, yet I am human, thus I am full of knowledge and yet as full of emotions as any other parent. So I decided to write this Parenting Page since it might be informative and […]

Fred Applegate Speaks on DPACs "Anything Goes"

Fred Applegate – starring as Public Enemy #13, Moonface Martin, in the upcoming performance of Anything Goes at the Durham Performing Arts Center – took a moment to speak with Ron Stutts of 97.9FM WCHL. Anything Goes runs from March 19-24 at DPAC.   Tell us about Anything Goes. What can people expect? “Well people […]

Fred Applegate Speaks on DPACs "Anything Goes"

Fred Applegate – starring as Public Enemy #13, Moonface Martin, in the upcoming performance of Anything Goes at the Durham Performing Arts Center – took a moment to speak with Ron Stutts of 97.9FM WCHL. Anything Goes runs from March 19-24 at DPAC.   Tell us about Anything Goes. What can people expect? “Well people […]

Surgery for Back Pain? Think Twice

Back pain can be an enormous obstacle to your daily life. Our spines are so central to every movement we make that any discomfort or pain can make ordinary activities unbearable. There are numerous causes of back pain, from muscle spasm to disc problems to bone deformities. And there are almost as many kinds of […]

DPAC's Lord of the Dance

Dancing has never been my forte. For me, just being able to sway to the beat could be considered an accomplishment. So naturally, I’m amazed by anyone who can not only dance, but is so good they can entertain other people! With that in mind, the Durham Performing Arts Center’s Lord of the Dance created […]

Parenting Page: Olive Oil & Baptism

This is a parenting page, about parenting Page. I am a child psychologist and a mother. So I specialize in children, yet I am human, thus I am full of knowledge and yet as full of emotions as any other parent. So I decided to write this Parenting Page since it might be informative and […]

Is Growing Up Really All It's Cracked Up To Be?

Growing up is an interesting thing. It has its ups and downs, its interesting moments and its boring moments, its happy times and sad times, and so many other feelings. I discussed in my last column one of the sad things that is part of growing up. But there are so many other feelings than […]

Giving in Orange County

When I reached the age of senior discounts, I wondered whether I should accept them. Because others likely have greater need for this generosity, it has become my practice to take the discount, collect these bits of change or occasional dollars that I would have paid absent the discount, and then contribute my windfall to […]

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