Using Program AE (Automatic Exposure) mode, known as P mode, is another step towards taking more creative control of your camera. In this mode you allow your camera to set both the aperture and shutter speed to yield a correctly exposed photo, which it will do most of the time, especially in bright even light and in scenes where there is no heavy contrast between light and dark areas. While your DSLR is busy worrying about exposure, you can take the time to learn about some of your camera’s other amazing features, like the metering modes, exposure compensation, white balance, adjusting ISO manually, the autofocus modes and manual focusing, and AF point selection. You can focus on composition techniques and play with and come to understand how light works.
The neat thing about P mode is that you can override your camera’s setting choices at any time using a program shift feature (consult your DSLR instruction manual for specifics). Let’s say that you wish to freeze motion and you know you will need a faster shutter speed than what the camera is indicating. It’s time to swap stops or fractions of stops—just flip the dial to the right to increase shutter speed, and the camera will widen the aperture accordingly. Increasing ISO speed will also increase shutter speed. Tip: In P mode, the built-in flash will not automatically fire, so you get to decide when you want it to flash. That’s good news for your photos.
P mode can be very useful when you don’t have time to fuss with your camera settings and need to take spontaneous photos. I am a fan of using this mode for street photography as I never know when that photographic moment will present itself as I stroll along, and I must be ready for it. Also, as you walk about the streets, the light changes, sometimes drastically, so allowing the camera full control in this situation is not a bad idea. There is always a chance that the shutter speed will get too slow for a handheld shot. So you either have to keep an eye on the ISO or set it to a faster speed initially.
Let’s dig right into Chapter Two, where we discover some more camera features you can explore while in P mode.
I spent the morning at a coffee shop, my camera on the table within arm’s reach, set to P mode and at the ready to shoot any interesting passersby. That’s how I got this spontaneous shot of those quintessential Maine mud boots paired with a fancy outfit. I knew the shutter speed would be slow in this low-light situation, so I rested my elbows on the table to stabilize my camera. 75–300mm f/4–5.6 lens at 75mm, ISO 800, f/4 for 1⁄32 sec.