:: Photography Tips + Tricks | {which shooting mode to use for portraits} :

After I bought my first dSLR, I read the instruction manual from cover to cover like a nerd. It was great learning about the various capabilities and limitations of the camera, but I couldn't really figure out which shooting mode(s), other than AUTO, would be better for shooting portraits. AUTO mode worked ok in settings with plenty of natural or artificial light, but when I tried shooting in low-light situations, the onboard flash would !POP! up and ruin the shot. By the way, if you don't already know this -- I despise onboard flashes. The mere swishing sound of one rearing its ugly head makes me cringe every single time.

Which mode is better for portraits then? We like the convenience that the AUTO mode offers us, but we don't like how it performs in low-light situations. We also like a creamy, blurred background that will help accentuate our subjects. So in order to shoot more effectively, setting the camera to Aperture Priority (AV in Canon or A in Nikon) mode seems like a good bet. Aperture Priority mode allows us to control the Aperture, while the camera automatically adjusts the shutter speed and ISO for proper exposure.

However, you must keep in mind that in low-light conditions, the shutter speed will often become so slow that it becomes impossible to hand hold the camera and still capture clean, sharp images (usually anything slower than 1/60 sec). In that case, you could also manually set the ISO according to your shooting condition (e.g. 200 for a bright, sunny day outdoors, or 1600+ for a dimly lit room indoors), and the camera will then only automatically adjust the shutter speed for proper exposure.

But at which aperture/f-stop value should you shoot when in AV mode? For most portraits, an aperture value of f/2.8 is more than sufficient. However, in extreme low-light conditions such as Trick-O-Treat night, you'd want to stop down the f-stop as much as possible so that the aperture is as wide open as possible. An f-stop value of 1.2 or 1.4 or 1.8, paired with a high ISO value will allow you to do marvelous things in near darkness.

What my eyes saw

What my lens saw: ISO 3200, F/1.2, 1/60 sec

Alternatively, you could also shoot at f/1.2 or 1.4 or 1.8 on a sunny day, which will allow you to set the ISO to 100 or 200 for maximum color saturation, blur out any distracting background, and capture high-speed motion at the same time. But be careful. Because the Depth of Field becomes extremely shallow at low f-stop value, focus and sharpness becomes a concern when shooting close-up portraits. If you focus on the wrong feature on the face (i.e. the nose instead of the eyes), then the nose would be sharp and in focus, while the eyes become blurry and muddy. So choose your focus point wisely; generally try to focus on the eye that is closest to the camera.

ISO 200, F/2.8, 1/500 sec

Once you've got the hang of shooting in Aperture Priority, you are only a short hop, skip and jump from shooting in full Manual mode! Next week, we will talk about how to shoot in Manual mode (it is much easier than you think) by manipulating the "Triumvirate of Exposure."