What mode do you mainly shoot in?

I'm pretty new to using a DSLR and I am still shooting on Auto. I know I need to learn how to shoot off Auto. So I was just wondering what do you mainly shoot in. M, S, A, P

I shoot in S mode.

As I am walking around, I am usually in Auto mode since I never know what is going to pop up. Once I get the first shot, I determine which mode to use, usually either aperture or shutter priority. I took a workshop where the presenters claimed you should ALWAYS use Manual. Bet they miss a LOT of shots fiddling with settings. Manual is great IF you have time and your subject is static (like the Grand Canyon, a dead animal, or a crime scene).

More often than not, I shoot in manual, sometimes in Program, but it depends on what type of shooting I'm doing...

When I first started photography I shot in manual for a good year if not longer. It's how I learned. Then I shot in S mode, for a bit. Now I shoot mainly in Aperture. But if I am shooting anything that I want to freeze motion I shoot S or M.

I primarily shoot in Manual mode or Shutter priority mode for sports, Aperture priority mode for portraits/weddings, Rarely Program unless it's a snapshot opportunity

A (Av) mode mainly.

I use:
M for shots I can take more time with or for constant lighting.
S (Tv) for sports style shots where I want to make sure I freeze the action. Also for telephoto shots where I want to make sure I get enough SS for counter hand shake
P (hardly ever use this)

My camera (D3s) doesn't even have an Auto mode the closest to it is P.

90% of my work in the last 6 months is shot in "M" or manual mode, I've been working on exposure and it really helps. Learning to read the light in the situation is important to me and with a little practice it gets a lot easier.

Like Rob, "S" or shutter priority for sports ESPECIALLY for JPEG shooting! ....

A first than M

Shutter

McBeth Photography wrote: Shutter controls the ambient light and Aperature contols the flash. At least that seems to be the rule.

What? Shutter controls the speed of the shutter and Aperture controls the aperture (the opening of the iris). What do you mean actually?

Stealthy Ninja wrote:

McBeth Photography wrote: Shutter controls the ambient light and Aperature contols the flash. At least that seems to be the rule.

What? Shutter controls the speed of the shutter and Aperture controls the aperture (the opening of the iris). What do you mean actually?

Sorry ... brainfart ... up too late, lol! I edited the post above to make it more applicable. What I was talking about is mixing manual flash with ambient light. Again, up too late and my thoughts were running together.

I gotta get this night school out of my hair so I can get back to photography!

McBeth Photography wrote:

Stealthy Ninja wrote:

McBeth Photography wrote: Shutter controls the ambient light and Aperature contols the flash. At least that seems to be the rule.

What? Shutter controls the speed of the shutter and Aperture controls the aperture (the opening of the iris). What do you mean actually?

Sorry ... brainfart ... up too late, lol! I edited the post above to make it more applicable. What I was talking about is mixing manual flash with ambient light. Again, up too late and my thoughts were running together.

I gotta get this night school out of my hair so I can get back to photography!

NP dude, I was just confused.


Anyway, since we're talking flash, I'll just write down some stuff incase anyone's interested in what I think.

With flash. The aperture determines the amount of ambient light in a shot (as does ISO and shutter speed). Then the flash lights the subject (depending on various things). So if you use M for flash, it assumes the flash is the main lighting and will control the flash output as such. Then you can maniuplate the Aperture, SS and ISO to get the ambient light the way you want (dark background or lit). Generally I go 1 stop or so below perfectly exposed for ambient and let the flash sort out the subject lighting.

Shutter speed doesn't actually stop the movement of the subject when using flash, the flash will do this. However you might get movement blurring on the edges, sometimes in the reverse position it should be (like if you're photographing a car, the lights of the car might be out the front instead of the back) this is where you use reverse curtain sync or whatever your camera manufacturer calls it. This'll put the blurred sections of the photo behind the subjects motion where it should be (if your SS is too low).

Outdoors I use A or perhaps S mode. In these modes the camera assumes it's being used as fill (to fill in shadows) which is sorta what you want to use it for outdoors.

Hope that makes sense

P.S. your flash will also have a maximum sync speed (depends but usually it's around 1/200 or 1/250 see your manual for more information. You can overcome this by setting your camera to high speed sync, which will fire a series of very rapid bursts from the flash while the shutter moves over the sensor. This is useful when using your camera outdoors when you want a wide aperture for a blurred background.