How does program mode work

Remember: The ISO refers to the sensitivity of your camera sensor, the aperture refers to the lens diaphragm size, and the shutter speed refers to the length of time the shutter captures light. For now, just remember that Program mode gives you ISO control, but leaves the aperture and shutter speed up to your camera. I shot this using Program mode, which let me tweak my exposure settings on the fly. Put your camera in Program mode, change the ISO, and focus on composing and framing your shots rather than thinking about the aperture, shutter speed, and overall exposure.

You see, Program mode is also a great transition mode. At this point, you should be comfortable with the Program mode basics: You set the ISO, and your camera does the rest.

After all, the barrier that most new photographers face is understanding the exposure triangle , and making all those changes to settings is, let's be honest, a bit on the daunting side. So you might be asking, "Don't aperture priority and shutter priority allow you to focus on making just one exposure setting change too?

In aperture priority and shutter priority, whatever the camera chooses for the shutter speed and aperture, respectively, is what you're stuck with. That makes P mode a bit more flexible and gives you more power to determine the settings if you so desire. When I was a beginning photographer, I wanted nothing more than to start shooting in manual mode because I believed - erroneously - that professionals only shot in manual.

Don't get me wrong - manual mode is great, and if you have the skills and know-how to use it, by all means, use it! After all, our cameras are packed with technology to make the process of taking a photo more streamlined. For me, if the choice comes down to shooting in manual mode and potentially missing a shot because I'm having to fiddle with my camera settings, and shooting in program mode and letting the camera do most of the work so I can actually get the photo, I'm going to opt for the latter option.

In addition to being a faster option for getting a well-exposed photo, program mode also frees up some of your mental power to work on composing the shot. By that, I mean that without having to worry so much about making changes to aperture and shutter speed, you can concentrate more on how you want the shot to look.

If you are new to using a DSLR camera , plan to switch from a fully automatic mode to Program mode and learn how to control more of your camera's functions. Program mode continues to give you good exposures while allowing you a little more freedom in some of the advanced abilities of the camera. When the novelty of the camera has worn off and you are ready to move from Auto, switch the dial over to Program or P mode and find out what your camera can do.

Program mode the "P" on the mode dial of most DSLRs means that the camera still sets the exposure for you. It chooses the correct aperture and shutter speed for the light available, so your shot is correctly exposed. Program mode also unlocks other functions that give you more creative control over your images. The advantage of Program mode is that it allows you to learn about other aspects of your DSLR without having to worry about getting your exposure perfect.

It is a significant first step in learning how to get your camera off the Auto setting. Program mode gives you control over several key elements: flash, exposure compensation, ISO , and white balance. Unlike Auto mode, where the camera decides if flash is needed, Program mode allows you to override the camera and choose whether to add pop-up flash. This can help you avoid overly lit foregrounds and harsh shadows. Turning off the flash could cause your image to be underexposed.

Program mode is good for beginners. Aperture priority and shutter priority is ideal for intermediate photographers. Pro photographers can use it to shoot quickly. Manual is best for shots that need full control over the different camera settings. Program mode is a great mode for beginners coming off that green auto mode for the first time. Using program mode, you can make quick adjustments to the camera settings. It will also help you learn exposure settings, and get off of auto mode.

Leaving your camera on its default settings will produce blurry results. Share with friends Share. Show Comments 0 Hide Comments. Related Articles. They can easily cost you hundreds, if not thousands of dollars. But do the best tripods and monopods…. Even portrait photographers, who know the very depths of human beauty, need a different set…. It's ideal for getting better long exposures,….

See all articles in Beginner Photography. Here are 3 of the 7 steps we uncover in this 21 minute video:. Focus Selection Points Leaving your camera on its default settings will produce blurry results. Where should we send the video? Enter Your Email Address Here