If you are reading this, you should have a camera and ready to go out and make beautiful images. Where do you start? if you have no experience with a camera, except with a point shoot, turn the dial on the top of the camera with all the little icons. line up the green square with the white square on the side of the dial. this is what is called the automatic mode.

This mode is not the best mode to shoot in, but if you have any experience with shooting with manual DSLR, like aperture, shutter speeds, white balance and ISO. The automatic mode is a safe setting to guarantee you won’t get a bad exposure. When you are ready to take a shot press down the shutter button half way, this will allow the camera to auto focus on your subject, you will see the little squares in the viewfinder light up red. this means that the camera is focused on these points in the photo. From here, the camera will automatically adjust using the built in light metering system and adjust all the setting accordingly. Continue to press the shutter down completely and abracadabra! you have taken your first digital image.

just a little warning, when shooting in the green square mode, it’s not very flexible. while shooting in the automatic mode, settings are locked and preset. For example, If there is not enough light to take a photo, the on board flash will automatically open to correct the exposure. so if you are shooting in a dark or poorly lit places and flash photography is prohibited, be aware, you have been warned before hand.

In part 2 of shooting modes, we will cover all the other little icons and what they do.

so go out there and make some beautiful images, the more you shoot the better you will become as a photographer.

good luck and thanks for reading.