How Do You Shoot?

Specifically, what mode do you use the most?

I do the majority of my shooting in Apeture Priority. Probably 95% of the time.
I occasionally shoot in Manual Mode, maybe 4% of the time.
It's rare, but I sometimes shoot in Shutter Priority for flash syncronization purposes, maybe 1% of the time.
I do not use Program mode anymore.

So, how do you shoot?

I shoot in manual with a manual camera. About half the time with a meter the rest without.

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Originally Posted by Speed

Specifically, what mode do you use the most?

I do the majority of my shooting in Apeture Priority. Probably 95% of the time.
I occasionally shoot in Manual Mode, maybe 4% of the time.
It's rare, but I sometimes shoot in Shutter Priority for flash syncronization purposes, maybe 1% of the time.
I do not use Program mode anymore.

So, how do you shoot?

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I shoot in program mode generally but switch to aperture priority when DOF is important to the shot and shutter priority if I want specific blurring or stop action. I use manual for low light conditions although sometimes I will just use exposure compensation if that will give reasonable settings in program mode. I also vary the exposure by selecting different things to meter on in the frame, sometimes checking the automatic settings and the setting them in manual to free up framing and focusing.

When shooting in Program mode I often look at the settings shown with the shutter half depressed and think about what that will do to the shot.

Where I want highlight detail as well as shadow detail I will set the camera to bracket plus and minus a stop so I will have images to use for digital blending in order to get more exposure latitude.

I use a tripod or monopod frequently because I can no longer hold a camera steady although I have been happy with the IS capability of my current camera and hand hold more often now.

I shoot a lot of different compositions and selective exposures of a subject and choose which shots to use later. (Pretty sloppy, huh? I am sure glad for digital)

One important thing that I do - when I'm done shooting the subject I originally stopped to take, I turn around in a circle and look at everything else around there with a photographer's eye. I also look at things at a different scale from the original subject - if the original was a landscape I look at things in more detail, or if the original subject was a closeup or detail shot I take in a wider view of the setting. A lot of the shots I really like are those second subjects.

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Originally Posted by Speed

Specifically, what mode do you use the most?

I do the majority of my shooting in Apeture Priority. Probably 95% of the time.
I occasionally shoot in Manual Mode, maybe 4% of the time.
It's rare, but I sometimes shoot in Shutter Priority for flash syncronization purposes, maybe 1% of the time.
I do not use Program mode anymore.

So, how do you shoot?

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When I shoot, I try to slowly, steadily raise the weapon to target height, line up my front and rear sights, inhale, and gently squeeze the trigger as I exhale.

(Aperture priority.)

I shoot just about the same as you do. I'll shoot in manual mode when in conditions where I don't trust the exposure controls in my camera, or when lighting conditions aren't changing.

Depends what I'm shooting. Mostly aperture priority or manual, and occasionally shutter priority for fill flash. I had mostly been using aperture priority but have been using manual more lately. But like I said, it depends on what I'm shooting, light conditions, etc.

I shoot essentially in the manual mode (I'm a control freak I guess). For landscape/macro, I use spot metering while for portraits and street scenes, I use center weight or matrix depending on the scene. I use matrix whenever I use the flash unit! I almost always use the AF since I have poor eyesight. The notable exeption is macro photography, and where DOF is crucial to the pic.

Cheers,

Steph.

I shoot fully manual mode when I'm in the mind set of learning, trying to judge the light right and pick the right settings, then see how I did via the histogram. It's like testing myself. I also shoot manual in order to get RAW files ... in which case I usually check the settings in some other mode then switch to manual and plug them in.

Other times I use auto landscape mode ... landscape is probably the auto setting I use most ... and I do that when I'm tired of thinking, and just want to focus on the scene, the right composition, just capturing the scene. I'll use sports mode if it's a moving subject. I like having the option of turning off the techie side of my head and just letting the creative side do its magic.

When I have the time, I'll use both ... capture the jpeg on auto mode, then go into manual mode and experiment. Then later I'll compare the images side-by-side.

Since my camera is an all manual camera, that's all I can shoot in manual mode. But I always use the light meter to get the settings correct.

The way I shoot depends entirely on the camera systeem and subject. However instead of launching off on some overzealous diatribe:

When I shoot with the DSLR's or a system 35mm I almost always shoot Program and employ the Shift or Flexible options. There's always an EV +/- function handy for minor changes in lighting when required or tricky composition like predominantly dark or white background/subject in image. It gets me in the ballpark a lot quicker when using available light. The cameras that have the DOF mode are interesting to use but only with mono/tripod support.

So far I've not been a fan of IS/VS type lenses as for some reason I don't like what I see in the viewfinder, but then again I don't shoot much action or even much of any thing moving very fast that I cannot track or let predictive focus deal with and fix.

For studio/flash etc. I meter, I meter, and then I compare notes with someone else and their measurements! Of course this is usually MF stuff so there's more involved.

I generally avoid any other programmed modes as they never do exactly what I want/think they should. Other than tripod or macro work I always use AF as it is faster than my fingers (usually!) and I can support the camera better.

-CDP

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Originally Posted by Gerry Widen

I shoot in manual with a manual camera. About half the time with a meter the rest without.

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I bought my K1000 for astrophotography and night work. But, I do occasionally pick it and shoot with it, just for fun!

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Originally Posted by Lava Lamp

When I shoot, I try to slowly, steadily raise the weapon to target height, line up my front and rear sights, inhale, and gently squeeze the trigger as I exhale.

(Aperture priority.)

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I prefer to exhale then gently squeeze the trigger. ;-)

And a good trigger helps tighten up the groups! :-O

Good to see another Aperture Priority guy in the mix.

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Originally Posted by Chunk

I shoot in program mode generally but switch to aperture priority when DOF is important to the shot and shutter priority if I want specific blurring or stop action. I use manual for low light conditions although sometimes I will just use exposure compensation if that will give reasonable settings in program mode. I also vary the exposure by selecting different things to meter on in the frame, sometimes checking the automatic settings and the setting them in manual to free up framing and focusing.

When shooting in Program mode I often look at the settings shown with the shutter half depressed and think about what that will do to the shot.

Where I want highlight detail as well as shadow detail I will set the camera to bracket plus and minus a stop so I will have images to use for digital blending in order to get more exposure latitude.

I use a tripod or monopod frequently because I can no longer hold a camera steady although I have been happy with the IS capability of my current camera and hand hold more often now.

I shoot a lot of different compositions and selective exposures of a subject and choose which shots to use later. (Pretty sloppy, huh? I am sure glad for digital)

One important thing that I do - when I'm done shooting the subject I originally stopped to take, I turn around in a circle and look at everything else around there with a photographer's eye. I also look at things at a different scale from the original subject - if the original was a landscape I look at things in more detail, or if the original subject was a closeup or detail shot I take in a wider view of the setting. A lot of the shots I really like are those second subjects.

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But you answered that one anyway!

Obviously, there is no right or wrong answer, I am just curious how folks shoot. I should have asked why, but I was planning on explaining why I shoot like I do after I got some responses.

I think it's great the way you look around you. Sort of like Seb's rainbow shot. Someone shooting a sunset could have easily missed that (someone like me!)

Thanks for the insight my friend. Hopefully, it will help others think about expanding their horizons when they are looking through the viewfinder.

AP mostly ........and I love my 4LB trigger also(hahaha)

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Originally Posted by another view

Depends what I'm shooting. Mostly aperture priority or manual, and occasionally shutter priority for fill flash. I had mostly been using aperture priority but have been using manual more lately. But like I said, it depends on what I'm shooting, light conditions, etc.

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Insightful, as always.

Subject, light, etc, do determine how you shoot.

For me, aperture priority works for how I shoot. Landscapes - dial in a small aperture. Sports - dial in a shallow aperture. Portraits - dial in a small aperture for environmental ones, dial in a shallow aperture for headshots. Aperture priority makes sense to me and is quick and easy to use for my style of shooting.

AP works for me & my camera because of the relatively narrow range aperature range built into it (F2 - F8). In shutter priority it is real easy to "run out" of exposure control in varying light with a fixed shutter speed (in bright ligfht F8 might still be overexposed at my selected shutter speed, or the opposited in dim light, so I found myself spinning the command dial too much) but in AP my shutter speed can be anything from 8sec to 1/2000th so it's more versatile. I find that if I desire a certain amount of motion blur, I can do like you just described, find an aperature setting that's gives me a shutter speed I'm looking for. If that's not working out, then is when I go to manual. Indoors I'm looking for the fastest shutter possible to help eliminate camera shake (when shooting handheld) so I open the aperature wide and leave it.

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Originally Posted by bmadau

I shoot just about the same as you do. I'll shoot in manual mode when in conditions where I don't trust the exposure controls in my camera, or when lighting conditions aren't changing.

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Cool. Then I'm not odd. ;-)

One of the things I like about aperture priority, is when the shutter speed gets displayed, I know if something is askew. One recent example is shooting my girls playing soccer. When I turned on the camera and focused on the players, I got an unusually high shutter speed. That caught my attention, so I then took notice that most of the grass on the field was brown - LIGHT brown. So I opened up one stop, and shot. It was quick, it was easy, and my images were properly exposed. Works for me.

Thanks for adding your comments. It is interesting seeing how folks shoot, and why they choose to shoot that way.

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Originally Posted by Steph_B

I shoot essentially in the manual mode (I'm a control freak I guess). For landscape/macro, I use spot metering while for portraits and street scenes, I use center weight or matrix depending on the scene. I use matrix whenever I use the flash unit! I almost always use the AF since I have poor eyesight. The notable exeption is macro photography, and where DOF is crucial to the pic.

Cheers,

Steph.

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Control freak? When you've got obsessive/compulsive under your name? ;-)

Hehehe.

To each his own. I own a K1000, and while I bought it for astrophotography and night work, I have been known to pick it up and shoot with it just for fun. :-O

And manual is the ultimate control. You decide how you want the photo to look, and you make it look that way. Thanks for sharing with us.

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Originally Posted by kellybean

I shoot fully manual mode when I'm in the mind set of learning, trying to judge the light right and pick the right settings, then see how I did via the histogram. It's like testing myself. I also shoot manual in order to get RAW files ... in which case I usually check the settings in some other mode then switch to manual and plug them in.

Other times I use auto landscape mode ... landscape is probably the auto setting I use most ... and I do that when I'm tired of thinking, and just want to focus on the scene, the right composition, just capturing the scene. I'll use sports mode if it's a moving subject. I like having the option of turning off the techie side of my head and just letting the creative side do its magic.

When I have the time, I'll use both ... capture the jpeg on auto mode, then go into manual mode and experiment. Then later I'll compare the images side-by-side.

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Hey Kelly. That is a great way to learn, for sure. It is great trying to judge the light, and making an educated guess at the proper settings. I wasn't even thinking about the cameras that have landscape/sport/portrait/night modes. Perfectly viable options, and definitely what I was asking for. Thanks for playing.

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Originally Posted by drg

The way I shoot depends entirely on the camera systeem and subject. However instead of launching off on some overzealous diatribe:

When I shoot with the DSLR's or a system 35mm I almost always shoot Program and employ the Shift or Flexible options. There's always an EV +/- function handy for minor changes in lighting when required or tricky composition like predominantly dark or white background/subject in image. It gets me in the ballpark a lot quicker when using available light. The cameras that have the DOF mode are interesting to use but only with mono/tripod support.

(rest removed)

-CDP

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I've found that with the D70 I use a lot more automatic functions than on my film cameras. Most of the time I let it set the exposure, choose the colour balance, choose which focussing zone to use - I choose the ISO setting but I let the camera override.

Strangely enough this seems to give the best results. I haven't yet figured out exactly when the camera will screw up. I just know that if I try to give it the wrong instructions, the result is worse, especially with flash.

Charles

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Originally Posted by Axle

Since my camera is an all manual camera, that's all I can shoot in manual mode. But I always use the light meter to get the settings correct.

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With his manual weapon! Nothing wrong with manual. I was amazed at how many people still use fully manual camera's. Not that they were anti-auto or anti-digital, they just prefer manual when it matters.

Do you use the camera's meter or do you use a handheld meter? I've found the meter in my K1000 is right on. I also took my handheld meter and checked it against that recently. Reinforced that the camera's meter is indeed accurate.

95% AP with the exception of studio work. In the studio it's 100% manual and external metering.

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Do you use the camera's meter or do you use a handheld meter?

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I use the camera's meter, don't have a handheld, would like one, but they're expensive, and money is one thing I don't have a lot of right now.

And I love my manual.

Manual, 95% of the time, in concert with a handheld meter.

Apeture Priority most of the time but if I am doing sports I will use manual.