THE BENEFITS OF SHOOTING IN APERTURE PRIORITY MODE:

How Aperture Priority can help you achieve creative control over depth of field

- Jo Plumridge

I ’m guilty of shooting in manual mode all the time, as it’s the way I learned to shoot. But the semiautomatic modes of Shutter and Aperture Priority also have their uses. And in this guide, I’ll be looking at Aperture Priority mode and explaining how useful it can be – particularly when it comes to controlling your depth of field. Let’s get started!

WHAT IS APERTURE PRIORITY?

You’ll find Aperture Priority on your camera’s mode dial, usually labelled as ‘A’ (or ‘AV’ on Canon cameras). In this mode you choose the aperture you want, and by extension your depth of field, while the camera picks the required shutter speed and ISO value (if you have the auto ISO on). Alternatively, you can pick the aperture and ISO and the camera will choose the right shutter speed for the correct exposure.

You will still need to set all your other settings, such as white balance, exposure compensation, metering mode and file format. Using aperture priority just allows you to focus on your aperture settings and your depth of field.

WHY SHOULD YOU USE APERTURE PRIORITY?