Manual & Auto Camera Settings

Martin’s “qualifications” for providing this sort of instructions are that he spent 38 years as a photographer/technician with Kodak UK, some of it spent delivering photographic training.  During the 1980s, with the fall of communism opening the Eastern European market, he was sent on many trips to lecture dealers and customers.  He went to Romania, Bulgaria, Latvia, Slovenia, the Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, Croatia, and Russia.  He was even sent to Bombay, as it was then, for a week to train new Kodak reps in Photography and Kodak Professional Products.

Martin identified our reliance on “auto” during some of our club interactive evenings, such as his studio flash sessions.  So now he wanted to help us with manual interventions in our photography.  He aimed to explain both when and how to make manual adjustments.

He started with exposure – how to make sure that the amount of light hitting the sensor (or film) is the right amount of light.  The aim is to produce a correctly exposed image where there are no blown out highlights and no detail lost in the shadows.

So we looked at Aperture (and its role in controlling both the amount of light and the Depth of Field), we looked at Shutter Speed (and its role in controlling the amount of light and determining sharpness), and we looked at the relationship between the two.

As Martin explained, an exposure at F4 for 1/1000s involves the same amount of light as an exposure at F11 for 1/125s.  But the resultant images could be very different.  By controlling Aperture and Shutter Speed the photographer, rather than the camera, gets to determine the image.

Martin encouraged everyone to look at the Histogram displayed in the monitor on the back of their cameras and learn how it varies with changes to Aperture and Shutter Speed.

We then looked at the different modes of TTL (through the lens) metering available – Matrix, Centre-Weighted, and Spot (the names may be slightly different for different brands of camera) – to assess the amount of light needed to make a correct exposure.  Martin examined the pros and cons of each mode and how they respond in different lighting situations.  And he explained why and how subtle adjustments can be made to the Exposure Value using the Exposure Compensation button.

We also considered the different operating modes (APASM) available through the Mode Dial – Auto, Programmed Auto, Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority, and Manual (again, the names may vary for different brands of camera).

All that took us to the other important factor in exposure, the sensitivity to light of the sensor (or film), referred to as the “ISO” – a higher ISO number indicates a higher sensitivity and a greater ability to capture light.  The ISO number selected therefore affects the brightness of an image produced with any given amount of light.  And of course Martin explained the “Exposure Triangle” and how the relationships between Aperture, Shutter Speed and ISO work.

Martin also told us about controlling the colour of images by adjusting Colour Balance and Colour Temperature.  While Auto White Balance may work for most light sources, it will not always produce the right result.  It may, for example, make snow look grey rather than white.  So understanding when and how to adjust White Balance can be useful.

Overall, Martin’s message was that we cannot always rely on auto settings to produce the results we want.  He encouraged us to read our camera manuals and get to know how the settings work.  He also recommended the camera guidebooks written by David Busch.

This was an informative and educational intervention by Martin.  His presentation will be especially useful for novice photographers.  But, for all of us, it is always worth revisiting the basics.