Let's say you have a friend who keeps pushing the idea of mastering manual mode
and that only the "real" photographers can shoot all manual. At home you try to
switch to that dusty unusual M setting and try to take a picture. And again.
And a few more. And then you think to yourself that the whole idea of manual mode is just pure bullsh**!
And before you get stuck in a shower thinking how to answer that idiot friend next time, make sure
you watch this episode or else you'll be stuck in a shower even longer thinking why you didn't.
Hello guys, it's Aperture Value and guess what - we finally get an episode directly connected to the
name of this channel. Aperture value or aperture priority mode is when you control just the
aperture of your lens and all the rest is handled by the camera. It's designated by A or Av on your
mode dial. On Fuji cameras I set ISO and shutter to auto and switch to the desired aperture value on
the lens - that gives me aperture priority. This mode is indeed the GOAT in modern photography and I'm
not saying that it's the only one to use - that's another dumb idea among some photographers.
The truth is that shooting modes are just like women: there is no perfect one, but there's the one to
tick the most boxes for you. And here is the very first reason why aperture priority is so versatile:
with it you control one of the most important things - the depth of field. Before shooting a
picture that's the first thing to consider and in most cases other settings would be secondary or
even non-important. If I'm shooting landscapes or portraits for instance I already know what
aperture I need and so I don't care much about the shutter speed or ISO as long as I get my desired
depth of field. For more control you can restrict your auto ISO and shutter speed so you don't get
too much noise or movement blur. So in my X-Pro3 for instance I can go to the auto ISO setting
and set the maximum ISO and minimum shutter speed for the camera to choose from automatically. For
instance I don't want too much noise beyond 6400 ISO and I'll set the shutter speed at 1/ the
focal length of the lens I use to be sure there won't be any blurry shots. And that's it - that
would cover like 80% of all the shooting situations. If we shoot landscapes you'd probably
choose the optimal aperture of your lens to get the best possible results, the so-called sweet
spot. And so like I've said the shutter speed and ISO are secondary to that since the priority is
aperture, hence the name of the mode. When it comes to street photography here aperture priority rules
as well; the main setting for you will be the aperture to control how much of surroundings you
want to focus on. You might have to set the minimum shutter speed to make sure you freeze the moment,
but generally aperture is the first one to take care of. If we're taking portraits, most natural
or continuous artificial lighting scenarios will also benefit from aperture priority mode.
Many like to force the lens to the widest aperture to get everything sucked by that bokeh son of a bitch,
or if it's a group photo for instance, you also need to close down the aperture just enough
to keep everyone in focus. The same goes for sports and wildlife: with telephoto lenses depth of field
is even more crucial, so aperture mode helps to make sure that whatever object you have is in
focus as a whole. When it comes to wedding and event photography, the aperture is not that much
of a priority, but the speed and convenience that aperture priority gives makes it irreplaceable
for this kind of shoot. And finally, for macro shots aperture priority is also the best since
you have to force your lens to keep the aperture closed down - that way you'll get the greater depth
of field required for taking pictures up close to your subject. But again, aperture priority won't
fill 100% of your needs; if we're talking flash photography, long exposures or astrophotography
then yes, manual mode is gonna work much better, but is it a good choice for everyday use? Of course, you
can shoot in any mode it doesn't f***ing matter, anyone you pick can do the job, but is it the best one?
If you're talking speed, convenience, consistency and accuracy, while still having some control,
aperture priority is a clear winner. For those who think that manual mode is for pros and shooting it
means something - you're wrong. These same pros from a long time ago had nothing else other than manual
and when aperture and shutter modes were introduced they were more than happy to switch
to that. I don't know any serious photographer who shoots manually daily; they surely can but
because of all the reasons we've talked about here most settle with aperture priority. Unlike
some opinions revolving around amateur photography world, aperture priority or any other mode for that
matter doesn't take away from creativity, skill or knowledge, and vice versa - manual mode doesn't add
that at all. It's just harder. In summary, aperture priority is the most convenient and useful mode
of all, no surprise majority of photographers use it constantly, including me. C'mon, I named the
channel after this mode, so of course I shoot it a lot! Shooting landscapes and architecture there's
no better choice than aperture priority: I mostly deal with constant lighting or bright sunny days,
so my main concern is keeping the lens in that sweet spot of the aperture range. I stay focused
on composition and surroundings and angles, and I worry less about the technique because I'm sure
all the photos will be tack sharp, well exposed and in focus. I'm also a great exposure comp
believer, I wish all modern cameras had a dedicated control wheel for that. Aperture priority combined
with exposure compensation gives me confidence in every shot and still provide me with some
creative control if I ever wish to intervene and change shutter or ISO according to my needs.
Fuji cameras make it even easier with dedicated controls for each part of the exposure triangle
right at the tips of my fingers. So if someone tells you that you're noob because you don't
shoot manual - make no mistake and hit him right in his teeth with your budweiser. Oh, and tell him
to subscribe to Aperture Value: help me spread my aperture cult through this rough YouTube world!..