Part 11 - Those Shooting Mode Icons

Having spent several posts covering the topics of exposure and shooting modes, it might be beneficial to look briefly at the shooting mode icons that can be found on many DSLRs as well as the most basic point-and-shoot digital cameras. At the very least, you'll be able to explain to your point-and-shoot friends what those funny looking icons mean, and what's happening inside the camera when they are selected.

Shooting mode dial on a mid-range DSLR

I've talked in detail about automatic, aperture and shutter priority and manual modes. Hopefully you are gaining valuable experience on understanding when each is most appropriate. But it is common to find a series of shooting mode icons or symbols among the selections as well. There is a degree of standardization among camera manufacturers on the appearance of these icons AND what takes place in your camera. Generally speaking, your camera should look and act very similar to the examples below.

What these icons mean, and what's happening inside the camera, is often confusing. So, let's take a closer look.

Understand first that, in every case, these icons intentionally use the AUTOMATIC exposure features of your camera. Meaning: The manufacturer has built into the camera's software the mechanical and digital adjustments that are required to take the kinds of pictures the icons represent -- automatically. (You will not be setting aperture or shutter speed yourself.) This is an especially good thing for those users who do NOT want to learn the complexities of great exposures -- unlike you.

Portrait Icon (in red circle)

The Portrait Mode icon is shown in the red circle above. This camera manufacturer's manual defines this automatic mode as: "This mode blurs the background to make the subject stand out." For most users of these modes, that's certainly an adequate description. But not for us.

Inside the camera, the following adjustments are being made:

• - A wide aperture setting is being favored (remember, wide aperture -- smaller f/stop number-- the LESS depth of field). This will place the subject in focus and -- as the manual says -- blur the background.
• - The shooting mode is set to continuous shooting. In this way, multiple pictures of your portrait subject will be taken until you release the shutter button.
• - The metering mode is determining its setting from objects in the center of the frame (because that is where a portrait subject is normally located).
• - If you selected JPEG files as your file storage preference, the quality level of the JPEG is set to high.

These are the same considerations you would be making if the camera were in shutter or aperture priority mode. Only in this case, complete control is turned over to the camera's auto exposure system.

Landscape mode is shown in the red circle. (mountain symbol)

The next shooting option is Landscape Mode. Again, the manual's description is: "This mode is for sweeping scenery, sunsets, etc." That's dramatic.

What's happening inside the camera at this setting?

• The camera's exposure software will favor smaller aperture openings for greatest depth of field (remember smaller apertures are larger f/stop numbers).
• The metering mode is determining the setting from light across the entire scene (because "sweeping scenery" encompasses the entire viewfinder window).
• The camera is set to single frame shooting (one picture is taken each time the shutter button is depressed).
• JPEG selection is set to high quality.

The flower icon above indicates "Close Up" mode

Close Up Mode, as the manual says, "is for taking close-up shots of flowers, insects or other small objects. Inside the camera:

• The auto exposure system is favoring smaller apertures to increase depth of field (remember the closer you are to your subject the less depth of field you will have at each given f/stop).
• The metering mode is determining its setting from objects in the center of the frame (because that is where beginning photographers generally place the subject in the scene).
• The camera is set to single frame.
• The JPEG file quality level is set to high to provide maximum detail resolution.

Sport photography mode is indicated by the "runner" symbol in the red circle

Based on the other modes and your knowledge of shutter speeds, can you predict what's happening inside the camera? The Sports Mode's definition is: "used for sports photography and capturing fast moving subjects." True enough.

In the camera:

• The automatic exposure system is favoring FAST shutter speeds to provide action stopping capability.
• The shooting drive mode is being set to continuous to allow multiple frames to be shot when the shutter button is depressed.
• The metering mode is determining its setting from objects in the center of the frame (because that's where the fast moving subject is normally located).
• Some cameras will also increase the ISO setting automatically. In this way, higher shutter speeds can be used under less well lit conditions.
• The JPEG file quality is set to high.

Night scene mode is represented as Little Man in Front of Star (above in red circle)

As the camera manual indicates, "Night Scene Mode is for taking pictures of people at sunset or at night." No, it's not intended for night pictures of city panoramas or fireworks. Several settings are being automatically adjusted in this mode:

• The camera's flash is enabled -- and will be used.
  
• The camera will favor slower shutter speeds to create a balance between the dim available light and the fill light that will be provided to illuminate the subject.
• The meter mode will be set to read the entire scene (not just the subject) in order to determine an f/stop and shutter speed combination that produces this natural blending of available and flash-supplied light.
• The camera will be set for single shot mode.
• The JPEG quality is again set for high.

These are the most typical automatic scene icons found on most low to mid-range DSLRs as well as virtually all point and shoot cameras. These modes certainly provide more control than just shooting and relying purely on automatic mode (shown in all the pictures above as the "green box" setting). However, they are still not as accurate, flexible and creative as the aperture and shutter priority modes discussed in earlier parts of this primer.

Based on everything you've learned about exposure from this primer, here's an example: Let's assume that you are taking a portrait of a black cat.

As the "Portrait Mode" explanation above indicates, the camera is metering the object in the center of the frame. The camera's meter wants to reproduce anything it "sees" as an 18% shade of any color. But the cat is black -- not 18% gray. So the exposure will not be precisely correct.

Or, what if you want to take a portrait of an 18% gray cat, but you want the animal to be placed at the far right side of the picture. In Portrait Mode, the camera will measure the center of the frame to determine exposure (as dictated above). Again, the exposure will not be precisely correct since the subject isn't located in the meter's "sight".

So, if precision is your photographic goal, it's more accurate to use the aperture, shutter or manual priority setting, and spend the time to meter and expose the scene correctly.

And, as you know, exposure is everything.

I hope this helps your understanding of the automatic icon modes. If you have questions or comments, you know where to find me.