# Best mode for portraits



## theroseoftheworld (Oct 28, 2010)

Hey everyone,

I tend to use Av mode more than any other, but am wondering if this is the most commonly used/best mode for portraits?  

Best,

Sandra


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## fokker (Oct 28, 2010)

ArthurIhde said:


> sorry i am newbie here



Helpful :meh:


OP: If you are using any kind of off-camera lighting other than natural light then I would say manual mode is the way to go for sure. Otherwise Av is fine. A lot of portraits are done at wide open apertures to blur the background, so if this your goal then Av mode makes the most sense.


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## enzodm (Oct 28, 2010)

At a recent portrait course I attended, the teacher said that he typically does some test shoot to choose aperture & shutter (using Av), then just puts on manual with the selected values.


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## MohaimenK (Oct 28, 2010)

M always. even outdoor you can use M mode just because you're not going to be doing anything in a flash. Like weddings you're not gonna turn around and shoot a quick shot. You have more time to control and pace yourself.


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## kundalini (Oct 28, 2010)

fokker said:


> .... A lot of portraits are done at wide open apertures to blur the background, so if this your goal then Av mode makes the most sense.


 One caveat about shooting wide open is that focus becomes more critical due to the shallower DoF.  Also, most lenses will produce sharper images when stopped down 1-2 stops.  You can increase the chances of blurred backgrounds, even with consumer grade lenses, by getting the camera-to-subject and subject-to-background distances correct for your gear.


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## Marc-Etienne (Oct 28, 2010)

Two rules that I learn on a Nikon DSLR course I took few months ago.
1- Landscapes are shoot with a deep depth of field.
2- Portrait (to answer your question) are usually shoot with a narrow depth of field in order to blur the background and bring the focus on the subject.

In order to do that, I shoot in Aperture priority mode ("A" on my Nikon D90) and set it on the widest aperture possible (smallest f-stop number).

Hope this helps a bit!

Marc-Etienne


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## SrBiscuit (Oct 28, 2010)

M for me.


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## Phil Holland (Oct 28, 2010)

P for portrait


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## rocdoc (Oct 28, 2010)

I looked this up when I was starting out. I found that most folks including pros seem to prefer aperture priority for the obvious reasons, as mentioned above - DOF control, which is very important for portraiture. If you can shoot everything in M mode you obviously have most control that way, but that is not always the most efficient approach for us mere mortals.


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## gsgary (Oct 28, 2010)

enzodm said:


> At a recent portrait course I attended, the teacher said that he typically does some test shoot to choose aperture & shutter (using Av), then just puts on manual with the selected values.




I would have walked out because that is a total waste of time, and asked for my money back


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## gsgary (Oct 28, 2010)

I always use Manual, just use what ever works best for you


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## mwcfarms (Oct 28, 2010)

If you are new to photography and portraits I suggest Av or aperature priority. Nothing is more frustrating than having what would have been a nice portrait but you had the shutter speed too low and have tiny bits of motion blur. Depending on your proficiency with the camera either Av, A or manual.


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## Infidel (Oct 28, 2010)

Lots of recent threads on "which mode to use" or "who uses manual?". These are perfectly legitimate questions, I suppose, but all of the modes just apply varying levels of convenience to how the exposure triangle is manipulated to achieve the desired effect. As I described in the recent "Dew Tour" thread, I tend to leave mine in aperture priority...this used to be the only auto mode available on some film cameras, and in my opinion it's because this is the most useful mode for typical shooting situations. The reasons for this are two-fold:

1. Most consumer-grade lenses have a relatively narrow range of useful apertures; wide open isn't necessarily very sharp (nor very large... sometimes you need all the light you can get, so this is an area for compromise), and anything beyond F/16 or so can cause excessive diffraction. The best resolving power of the lens is restricted to relatively  few f stops. On the other hand, shutter speed is shutter speed, regardless of quality or cost. That said, the range of available shutter speeds can easily exceed the useful aperture range of a kit lens. Just vary aperture within this useful range, and shutter speed will come along for the ride. Need max shutter speed to freeze motion? Just set the aperture to wide open; the shutter speed will automatically be adjusted to its fastest possible value.

2. Aside from panning technique and other motion-related effects, I consider aperture a more useful compositional parameter than shutter speed, although this really depends on the photographer and the type of photography.


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## table1349 (Oct 28, 2010)

kundalini said:


> One caveat about shooting wide open is that focus becomes more critical due to the shallower DoF.  Also, most lenses will produce sharper images when stopped down 1-2 stops.  You can increase the chances of blurred backgrounds, even with consumer grade lenses, by getting the camera-to-subject and subject-to-background distances correct for your gear.



:thumbup:  

The key to good portraiture and any photography for that matter is understanding your gear and relationship of the exposure triangle.


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## Derrel (Oct 28, 2010)

Mostly tall, or "portrait" mode on single-person, half-body to head and shoulder shots of one person. Seldom use the horizontal orientation.


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## ghpham (Oct 28, 2010)

Using Av mode and setting the f-stop on wide open is not a good idea.  This will leave you with too shallow of a depth of field that could leave on part of the face focused and the rest not.


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## quixilver (Oct 28, 2010)

I would recommend Manual mode all the time, no matter what you r shooting.
It might be a little problematic at the beginning but once u learn it u will have control on everything.
If you have any questions feel free to ask


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## IgsEMT (Oct 28, 2010)

I shoot M 99% of the time both in/outdoors.
When you say *best* you have to mention your lighting conditions.


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## aadhils (Oct 28, 2010)

Camera in the Portrait orientation (a battery handgrip will help alot). Use Manual always. Also Manual mode helps beginners figure out what they need to do to get the shot they want.


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## ghpham (Oct 28, 2010)

quixilver said:


> I would recommend Manual mode all the time, no matter what you r shooting.
> It might be a little problematic at the beginning but once u learn it u will have control on everything.
> If you have any questions feel free to ask


 
When shooting sport, you won't have time to use the M mode.


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## aadhils (Oct 29, 2010)

ghpham said:


> quixilver said:
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> ...



We're talking about manual setting mode on the camera not manual focus.


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## quixilver (Oct 29, 2010)

aadhils said:


> ghpham said:
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correct


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## ghpham (Oct 29, 2010)

aadhils said:


> ghpham said:
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So the batter is about to hit the ball and you are going to have the time to change the aperture and the shutter speed? how is that going to help you??


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## aadhils (Oct 29, 2010)

ghpham said:


> aadhils said:
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Well you first get there early. Then you determine the lighting and while in manual mode you set the shutter speed and aperture according to your analysis of the available lighting. Then you use that setting for the entire shoot. Note that you'll be in manual mode the entire time.


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## quixilver (Oct 29, 2010)

aadhils said:


> ghpham said:
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You just have to have a pretty fast shutter speed with a nice exposure...and you are ready to go.
Because the light doesn't change when they hit the ball, so as long as your speed is pretty fast and still get a a nice exposure while avoiding any blur....you could do the whole game with the same settings.


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## ghpham (Oct 29, 2010)

quixilver said:


> aadhils said:
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Depend on the time of the game.  If the game takes place around dusk when the sun set really fast and the lights come on, you simply won't have the time.


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## o hey tyler (Oct 29, 2010)

ghpham said:


> quixilver said:
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Uh, yeah you will. 

The sun doesn't set in the blink of an eye. If your shots start to get a little underexposed, up your ISO, open your aperture, lower your shutter speed, etc. Whatever you feel is best for the situation, and will render the best images. It's not even difficult to shoot sports using manual. It's more difficult handling your camera and focusing properly than paying attention to what your settings are at.


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## quixilver (Oct 29, 2010)

o hey tyler said:


> ghpham said:
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I agree with you... also I think we went a little off topic...which it was best settings for portraits lol.


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## Blake.Oney (Oct 29, 2010)

Aperture for DOF control like stated many a times here. Unless you want to jump on the "I always shoot manual because I'm awesome" bandwagon.


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## quixilver (Oct 29, 2010)

Blake.Oney said:


> Aperture for DOF control like stated many a times here. Unless you want to jump on the "I always shoot manual because I'm awesome" bandwagon.



I don't think is about being awesome, I think that is just easier for me in manual, all you really have to do is moving the little wheel left or right to before you shoot to get the right exposure.
And i really have nothing against who even shoots in full auto. If they get a great result I more happy for them.
Photography is just all about what is easier and best for you.


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## Blake.Oney (Oct 29, 2010)

I get that, and I understand it, but you know just as well as I do that there are people who have an attitude about manual. It doesn't really matter. Just a temporary moment of snarkyness on my part.


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## Christie Photo (Nov 8, 2010)

All of my life, I've shot manual...  until just recently.

In the studio, the lighting is "nailed down" (unchanging) and shooting in _ANY_ auto mode makes no sense.

The way I've worked outdoors is very consistent too...  at least stable enough to take a reading off a grey card for each situation.

This past month, I found a location that provides open sky for a light source without need for any subtractive techniques to achieve directional lighting.  All I have to do is simply wait for the sun to go below the treeline off to the right and behind me.  The location affords me just about 20 minutes or so to work, so I go there with a plan and get a _LOT_ done in that amount of time. _HOWEVER_, as the sun continues to sink, the quality of light remains good, but the amount of light gradually diminishes rather quickly.

It dawned on me that the camera has a pretty sophisticated metering system, so I set the ISO, put the camera on AV and set the aperture.  I gotta tell ya, this was a very freeing experience, allowing me to concentrate on directing and talking with my clients rather than tending to the rapidly changing lighting.

I'm still a bit wary of this.  I've never wanted the camera doing anything that I didn't "tell" it to do.  But when I sat down at the computer, I was very pleased with the results.

Maybe I'll try auto focus next.

-Pete


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## gsgary (Nov 8, 2010)

ghpham said:


> quixilver said:
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Why, i shoot sport in manual and it is easy to adjust as the light changes


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