Program mode is an Auto Mode with freedom to control few Parameters of the camera. Program Mode gives similar results as Auto Mode shot, but allows you to use few abilities of the camera. In Auto Mode, the camera takes the full control and does not allow to adjust any parameter.
Consideration 1
You can think that Program mode allows you to LEARN more about different aspects of your camera, without worrying about getting over exposed shots. You can use P Mode as the first step to get your camera off the Auto Mode.
Consideration 2
Program mode is Auto Mode which gives you control over (primarily)
Flash,
ISO,
White balance
Exposure compensation and
Few other parameters may be also adjustable, based on Brand & Model (let us bother about these extra parameters, later).
As you are aware that these parameters are not adjustable in Fully Auto Mode.
Now, it is for you to EXPLORE your camera, in P Mode to understand your camera’s different capabilities!!!
Can I request you to show us some of your new settings & Shots?
Also, if you feel that this post helpful to you, kindly tag your friend LGs, so that they too can reap the benefits.
Let’s Shoot in P Mode…
Note For LGs:
How P Mode can help LGs? P Mode should be handy in many occasions! One frame is that of food, where, shooting without flash gives more natural look to the shot. Also, we can use flash to enhance the face / object, while shooting in bright light… etc.
When I used to take photos with a compact camera/DSLR, I always shoot using the P mode. As you said, it’s very similar to Auto mode but it gives a bit more control.
The two things for me that I didn’t like about Auto mode was the flash and ISO settings. Auto mode almost always pop the flash unnecessarily and I don’t like the harsh light of a flash. And I would occasionally find the ISO setting set too high that I get a lot of graininess in my photo.
So shooting in P mode allowed me to turn flash off and set the ISO to a decent level.
And putting on my #ConnectWritingChallenge hat on for a moment, besides talking about photography and the technical aspects of it, it would be interesting to see how it can be related back to taking photos as a Local Guide. So, for instance, how would shooting in P mode help a Local Guide take better food/indoor/outdoor/lowlight shots?
The only answer I could come up with is that it stops bad flash photos and forces LGs to seek out better natural lighting. Perhaps others have more thoughts on this!
As a non-trained but keen photographer, I am following your tips with eagerness.
I like taking baby steps when learning new things so I liked it when you said “You can use P Mode as the first step to get your camera off the Auto Mode”.
When you said shooting in P mode allowed you to turn flash off and set the ISO to a decent level, can I ask what criteria do you use to determine what ISO setting to use? My camera has a big range of ISO numbers and on my smartphone the ISO setting for some reason is greyed out so inactive.
Happy to hear the the post is helpful, dear friend @AdamGT
Thank you for your kind words…
“…get your camera off the Auto Mode…” YES, this is a difficult task, as the auto mode makes it simple, if you need only average shots. P Mode, will become more comfortable mode, once one practices a bit.
Although, when I am in shoot sessions, I practically use A Mode (Av, Aperture Priority Mode), mostly.
Thanks a Lot @TravellerG Sir for giving us tip of camera’s feature. It will be really helpful to all of us learners to understand & learn photography by our camera. Keep teaching & inspiring.
@AdamGT I’m probably the last person you should listen to for advice on technical information! In the past, I tried to read up on the technical aspects of photography and my brain was like a sieve; none of the information stayed in my brain cells!
As far as I could recall/understood (fellow LGs please correct me if I’m wrong), the lower your ISO level the better the quality of your picture (quality = less graininess/noise). In bright daylight shots, your photos should be fine with ISO 100. You can set to ISO 200-400 and it should cover most shots that have reasonable amount of light.
For low light, that’s when you set to ISO > 1000, but again try and get away with as low a figure as possible. However, I vaguely remember that to take a photo with a low ISO level in a low light environment, you need to be very, very stable. Any slight movement and you’ll get a blurry shot. To avoid the blurriness, you can increase the ISO level but you’ll also get more noise. For low light shots, you should always try to use a tripod anyway.
The easy way to learn, in my opinion, is to constantly switch between Auto and P mode, and let the camera ‘teach’ you. In Auto mode, when you focus on a subject (semi-depress the shutter button), your camera should show you some useful figures in the display (check your camera settings if nothing is showing) such as ISO level, shutter speed, F number, exposure compensation etc. This will give you an indication of what the camera perceives are the best settings to take the shot. So in a bright place, the camera will show a low ISO number and in a dark place, a high number. You can then use this as a starting point for when you switch over to P mode.
I shoot exclusively on a mobile phone these days … so in other words, I’m actually on Auto mode all the time now!! Lol!! You can find some mobile apps that lets you have more control over your shots. On Android, you can check out the Open Camera app; it’s got some good reviews and some manual controls.
Wow @AdrianLunsong there’s another good trick I’ve learned today! Set the camera to Auto and see what it thinks are the right settings and start there!!!
@TravellerG sit thanks for making informative post like this and motivating us with your tips to use camera in a better way to handle various parameters. I’m always interested to learn more and more from you sir .
Perhaps others have more thoughts on this!