Digital Camera Modes

-->Most people use the automatic mode of their camera and it takes good shots in most situations. It is often very helpful though to let the camera know what type of shot you're trying to take. This allows the camera to select the best settings for that particular image.
This can be done by changing to a different camera mode. In today's tip, we'll explain each of the different modes, when to use them, and what decisions the camera makes for each mode.

Full Auto / Green Mode
This is the mode that I recommend you start out with. It provides fully automated 'point and shoot' operation. All you need to do is frame the image and press the shutter!
Basic ModesWhen it's time to experiment with other settings, try using the basic modes first. Choose the mode appropriate for the image you want to take, and start shooting!

Landscape Mode
Use Landscape mode to take photos of mountains, scenery or cityscapes. Anytime where the whole image - both the foreground and background - needs to be in focus. Setting Landscape Mode will tell your camera to select a small aperture which will give a large depth of field and ensure the whole image is in focus.

Portrait Mode
Select Portrait mode when you want to take a shot of a person - usually showing their face. The best portraits are where the subject is in full focus, but the background is out of focus, so the camera increases the aperture in this mode to get a small depth of field. This places only the subject in focus.

Sports Mode
Sports mode is perfect for fast action shots. It ensures the camera uses a fast shutter speed so you can take photos of moving subjects without motion blur. Also, on some cameras the continuous shooting mode is enabled so the camera keeps taking shots as long as you depress the shutter.

Macro Mode
Close up shots of flowers, insects and the like require the camera to focus on an object that's really close to the lens. Macro mode provides just that setting by using the macro lens of the camera.

Night Mode
Use Night Mode at night, or at dawn or dusk. This is where you want to make best use of what little light is available. The camera will choose a slow shutter speed and turn off the flash. Try to place your camera on a tripod or keep it steady some other way when using this mode to ensure your images stay sharp.

Beach and Snow
Some cameras provide a "Beach and Snow" mode. This mode is for use when shooting highly reflective scenes - like at the snow. The camera will compensate for the bright scene and ensure the image is exposed correctly.