# Question for professional photographers



## digabella (Nov 20, 2010)

I am just learning to use my d40x and would actually like to go into photography. I am just wondering if the professional photographers actually shoot (people shots) using the manual modes or do you actually use one of the auto options when shooting?
Thanks,
Angie


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## jamesdavidboro (Nov 20, 2010)

Not a pro but i'll tell you not many pro's use the scene selection mode. Everything in them can be done better manually. Aperture Priority is the favourite although some swear by full manual mode. As a mere amature i use Aperure Priority mainly although i have started to use full manual more lately. It just gives you more control but for portraits i'm pretty sure Aperture Priority is your best bet.


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## jamesdavidboro (Nov 20, 2010)

Btw D40X, nice camera!


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## Blake.Oney (Nov 20, 2010)

I think you will find that most people on here wont really consider themselves professional even if they make money shooting. 

Different people do different things. I think it is really important to take the time to learn your camera, and learn how to shoot manually, as well as composition, lighting and all the other basics. I didn't charge anyone for almost a year after I started because I didn't want to learn on other people's dime, but I needed the shoots to learn. As far as what mode I use; I use aperture priority most of the time. The only time I'll use manual mode is if I'm looking for a specific effect, or the a mode isn't getting the lighting the way I want it. As I said, though I think it is very important to learn manual.


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## Jcampbelll (Nov 20, 2010)

I would ask for: experienced photographers (not professional). 
Depending on the situation I will take 'test shots' in aperture priority to see what the shutter speed is, then go over to manual.


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## Overread (Nov 20, 2010)

f8, ISO 100, 1/200sec 

will give you the exact same shot in manual mode as you will get in aperture priority; shutter priority, program and full auto. The difference is how you get to those settings and further if those settings are the creativly correct ones for your shot. 

I strongly suggest that its not a case of learning just one mode; but instead of learning what each gives you and also learning the basics of exposure. That then empowers you to make the mode choice that will work best for yourself.

Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson is an oft quoted book in this and other forums and is well worth getting a copy of and reading as a good comprehensive introduction to  exposure control. 

As a basic reference though aperture priority, shutter priority and full manual mode are generally the most popular modes since they give you control over the camera. Program and full auto offer less direct control and thus are decent enough fora solid exposure; but you won't have much of a creative control over the camera and what you produce.

Also once you start working with flash lighting as a dominant light source you'll mostly have to use manual mode for shooting.


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## KmH (Nov 20, 2010)

The auto modes in todays cameras make a guess at what it is you are wanting to make a photo of. They don't always guess right.

I usually use aperture priority when I shoot sports, and manual for everything else.

The photographer not only needs to choose that one creative combination of the exposure triad, the photographer also has to choose the correct white balance, metering mode, focus mode, and focus area mode.

The thing that usually separates professional images from amature photos, is lighting.


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## digabella (Nov 20, 2010)

Blake.Oney said:


> I think you will find that most people on here wont really consider themselves professional even if they make money shooting.


 
Just as a matter of curiosity, why do people consider themselves experienced instead of "professional"?

By the way, thanks jamesdavidboro. I do love my camera. Really hard to take a bad pic with it!

I am trying to learn the camera in the manual modes, I just wondered if that is what the experienced photographers used during photo shoots, since I would assume that you don't have time to "play" with the settings a lot during the shoot. (at this point, still takes me a while to figure stuff out)

Overread, you actually bring up another point that I would like to know about. You mentioned Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson as being an often quoted book. Right now, what I have is the d40/d40x for dummies book. It does teach you some good things about my specific camera, but I figured that I really need something else to help me "truly understand" the art of shooting great photographs-the manual way. I know I eventually want to shoot portraits but I love outdoor shots as well. Just wondering what you guys would suggest to help me learn what I need to know about shooting the actual photography-not just my camera. Hope that makes sense. I am having some difficulty understanding aperature and shutter speed-much less full manual mode. Anyway, I wanted to know what some really good publications are for learning this stuff without it being so technical.


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## IgsEMT (Nov 20, 2010)

professional - experienced, a thread that was here few months ago...

As for modes, once in a blue moon, when bored, i shoot in PSA modes, cause - well i'm bored and don't want to think, but 99.99999% of the time, in M mode. I did get lazy with digital, especially later gear since it is more accurately reads the scene thus flash is in TTL mode, but otherwise, all M MmmmmmMost of the time (hey, that sort of rhimes  )
I am tired, been a LooooooooooooNG day 
On scene modes, even with higher end/ later gear, i think they suck b/c they rarely *correctly *evaluate the scene w/o common sense intervention.

I live in NYC and 4/7days a week travel on the Staten Island Ferry. Not so much in the morning but in afternoon the boat is usually 60% tourists who want to take pics of each other with South Manhattan as the background: you have someone standing on the boat, with back towards the City and another person taking a pic of this guy/girl - pics tend to turn out dark and then these are the same ppl who are like "hmmm, I wonder why?"
Now if someone with a PS camera does that - ok w/e - but when I see freaks with higher end SLR bodies on scene modes and no common sense - thats just funny


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## kric2schaam626 (Nov 20, 2010)

Overread said:


> I strongly suggest that its not a case of learning just one mode; but instead of learning what each gives you and also learning the basics of exposure. That then empowers you to make the mode choice that will work best for yourself.
> 
> Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson is an oft quoted book in this and other forums and is well worth getting a copy of and reading as a good comprehensive introduction to  exposure control.



I'm going to agree with this, especially that book. I have it and it has helped me A LOT in understanding exposure.

Manual mode is an excellent thing to learn. It takes a lot of practice, because you are *obviously* controlling everything manually, which requires balance. Practice with different exposures and compare what you did differently to produce each shot. 

And have fun!


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## manaheim (Nov 20, 2010)

Search on "manual auto" and you'll bring up about 80,000 threads... per day.


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## EddieDerbyshire (Nov 21, 2010)

Keep your camera on program mode all the time! Its sort of like a cross between auto and manual! Try it out! 
Hope this helps...


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## Robin Usagani (Nov 21, 2010)

EddieDerbyshire said:


> Keep your camera on program mode all the time! Its sort of like a cross between auto and manual! Try it out!
> Hope this helps...


 
I never shot in P Mode even once.  I dont even know what it does really.


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## jamesdavidboro (Nov 21, 2010)

I used to use P all the time but i can't remember the last time i used it now. It basically controls the exposure for you, ie you have no control over shutter speed or Aperture but you can control ISO speed, white balence ect. I found it a decent learning setting when i 1st started.

I very nearly bought a 2nd hand D40x but in the end my local store had the Sony a450 on offer so i went for that instead.


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## Robin Usagani (Nov 21, 2010)

Then dont encourage her to use that  LOL.


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## o hey tyler (Nov 21, 2010)

Schwettylens said:


> EddieDerbyshire said:
> 
> 
> > Keep your camera on program mode all the time! Its sort of like a cross between auto and manual! Try it out!
> ...



lol guise what about creative auto? its da future rite?


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## jamesdavidboro (Nov 21, 2010)

Schwettylens said:


> Then dont encourage her to use that  LOL.



I didn't....


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## Robin Usagani (Nov 21, 2010)

I meant Eddie .  I guess P mode is a little better than green box LOL


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## Tee (Nov 21, 2010)

"Understanding Exposure" page 15 - setting manual exposure.  You will never dial to another scene mode again.


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## chmille (Nov 21, 2010)

yea, I've never used anything but manual settings. I love my manual settings.  I guess maybe because I first start using a Minolta, and film and there wasn't anything but manual settings.  But I really think it's preference.


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## pauliec (Nov 21, 2010)

KmH said:


> I usually use aperture priority when I shoot sports, and manual for everything else.



What is the advantage of using aperture priority when shooting sports? I would think shutter priority would be best.


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## skieur (Nov 21, 2010)

I use everything and avoid getting into a rut.  I shoot manual, aperture priority, shutter priority, and any auto mode that will give me what I want in a particular shooting situation.  Landscape mode for example often warms up the colours a little and adds some contrast and saturation.  No matter what I am shooting, if I am working on a dull, dark day or in the shade I may want exactly that combination for a particular subject.  Dynamic Range is turned on, is in some auto modes and not others so I may use a mode to quickly improve the dynamic range in the scene.

skieur


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## Blake.Oney (Nov 21, 2010)

pauliec said:


> KmH said:
> 
> 
> > I usually use aperture priority when I shoot sports, and manual for everything else.
> ...




I wouldn't do it because of shallow DOF, but in AP you can open the aperture wide open and it automatically gives you the fastest shutter speed possible for that aperture while still exposing correctly.


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## digabella (Nov 22, 2010)

Thanks everyone for all of the advice. I do definitely want to learn the manual modes, and I will read my d40 for dummies book and I'll think "oh yeah, I get it" but then when I look at my camera, it seems that the numbers (such as fstops) just do not match what they are "supposed" to be at all. That's why I thought maybe I needed some type of book that teaches specifically about how to take the pictures, because I'm definitely missing something and get confused???


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## EddieDerbyshire (Nov 24, 2010)

On my camera you can control aperture with it...?


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## o hey tyler (Nov 24, 2010)

EddieDerbyshire said:


> On my camera you can control aperture with it...?



If you still are using the 450D in your flickr photostream, then yes. Simply switch it to Manual or Av mode, and you will have control over your aperture value. Which is represented by a decimal, 2.5, 2.8, 5.6, etc. But can also be whole numbers as well, f/4, 8, 2, and so on. The larger the number, the smaller the lens opening.


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