What is Program Mode?

Photographer: Al Jurina
Reader Q&A

Almost all camera's these days have an automatic mode. It's that "green" setting on the dials of mos t cameras. Even professional cameras have an automatic mode. The modes on a camera pretty much communicate to the camera how much control you want them to have. Automatic mode says to the camera, "You take care of everything, and I'll just frame the shot.". The camera then determines exposure, white balance, even when your flash turns or or not.

Program Mode, however, gives you a little more control. Program mode leaves the exposure settings up to the camera, but let's you determine other features, such as when the flash fires, what the white balance is set at, the ISO settings, and some other features too. In other words, it's like a more flexible version of automatic.

I strongly urge those of you who are reading this to begin to experiment. Muster up whatever courage you have and try shooting in Program Mode. Try changing your settings and see what it does. To make this easier, don't choose a critical photo time to do this, but when you have time to experiment. If you only bring the camera out for critical shots, then you will never learn it, because you will never be able to experiment. Program mode is the first step in allowing yourself to take control of your camera. Go for it!

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