Ever wondered what all those letters on your mode dial mean? The auto mode pictures are pretty easy to decipher, but what about the others near the M mode? Girl, I got you. I am going to teach you what they all mean. Let’s talk about shutter priority mode today! If you want to know what the A/Av mode is, click here!
What is shutter priority mode?
The shutter priority mode is set by turning your mode dial (usually on the top of your camera) to the Tv (Canon) or S (Nikon, Sony). It is basically a hybrid mode between auto and manual.
This allows you to input what shutter speed you would like your camera to use, but allow your camera figure out the aperture setting required to create a properly exposed image. This is great if you don’t have a full-grasp on using manual mode, but know you want the effect created by a fast or slow shutter speed for your image. You also have to input the ISO value you would like, or select AUTO ISO to give the camera more control.
What does the shutter speed do?
The shutter speed controls how long light can enter the camera. You enter this value in seconds and split-seconds.
See this in action!
What creative effect does shutter speed have on your image?
The shutter speed you enter controls the movement captured in an image. A fast shutter speed is like your camera blinking really fast. When you blink fast, you can only see a quick snapshot, right? When you stare with eyes wide open, you take in a lot more information and movement. Same for your shutter. A fast shutter speed means motion will be captured frozen in time. A slow shutter speed means motion will appear as a blur. To learn the three major causes and corrections to blur in your image, click here.
Don’t forget to pin this for later!
What to learn more than shutter priority mode?
If that has your curiosity peaked and you want to learn more, consider checking out my online photography courses and sign up for my FREE photography education email list!