44 essential digital camera tips and tricks

Digital camera tips: 21. Preset exposure modes

‘Serious’ photographers may frown upon them, but your DSLR’s preset modes shouldn’t be disregarded entirely, especially for candids. ‘Landscape’ mode will typically set a small aperture and boost saturation, while ‘Portrait’ mode combines a wide aperture with more muted colours. Both can be used beyond their intended purpose – it’s just a question of understanding what the preset parameters are and exploiting them creatively.

Digital camera tips: 22. Don’t forget Program Shift

Grossly underrated, your camera’s Program (P) mode effectively gives both aperture and shutter speed priority in one semi-automated package. If you want a wide aperture, simply ‘shift’ the Program to get it. You want a slower shutter speed? Then shift in the opposite direction.

Digital camera tips: 23. Which is best – Aperture or Shutter Priority?

In a nutshell, the aperture controls the depth of field in an image and the shutter speed controls how movement is recorded. Not sure which shooting mode to go for? Decide which of those two things you want to keep most control over in your shot and that’s the priority option to go for.