Into the Wild

Our cameras have four main shooting modes: Program, Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority and Manual. But the question that most students I mentor always ask is which priority should I shoot in, especially if it's like an eagle that's soaring above tree tops?

I like to choose my shooting mode based on the subject and the environment that it's in and how quickly the light will change. Take for example this shot of this young buck. I was out on a hike one day and this young fella came walking through. I ducked down, because I didn't want to startle it, and grabbed my camera, which already had my 40-70mm lens on it, f/5.6 the aperture set at 1/250, and the iso set at 200.

There's no right or wrong answer here though; you will find the best settings as you continue to play around with the different settings to get that extra crisp, detailed picture that you're looking for. I typically always shoot either in manual mode with an auto iso enabled or on full manual most of the time. The best photos come from being able to adapt to your surroundings, fast moving subjects and changing weather patterns. Lighting has a great deal of play to take into consideration as well as whether or not if you'll have to adjust +/-.

For me, I rely on manual and set my iso at 200 (it's just a really good iso to have your camera set at); it's not too low and it's not too high. Sometimes I will set my camera to full manual for specific reasons, mostly because I want to have full control of my camera.

You will find out that not every camera will offer a manual mode with auto iso and exposure compensation. Most newer camera bodies will though. Being able to control these two parameters will have the biggest effect and feel for the final image shot. You can do this rapidly with just one finger on the command dial for shutter speed and the iso will follow automatically to maintain its proper exposure. A photographer's experience and judgement are still required though to properly expose the image, and that's where exposure compensation comes into play.

Most people fear shooting at high isos and ask if they should set the iso to its highest limit. A lower iso is always best as it will bring in more detail of what you're shooting. Most modern cameras have really remarkable high performance iso performance, so it will be a judgement call on what you're shooting, the environment and the lighting to get the best picture possible, especially if it's out in the wild and you want to be able to count the hairs on it's back. However though, if you hit the max iso, you can underexpose the picture significantly, so you might risk an unrecoverable shot.

What I would recommend is that you keep an eye on the iso through your viewfinder. If it goes higher than what you would like, open the aperture and slow your shutter speed, if the situation allows. Every time you cut your shutter speed in half, your iso will decrease by a factor of two. So try shooting at shutter speeds as low as 1/10 of a second. When I shoot with auto iso, my exposure is damn near as close to perfect almost all of the time.

My pro tip from what I have learned from my experience is that manual with auto iso and exposure compensation will shine where your subjects are erratic and can start and stop on a dime. I choose where light levels are always changing. So rather than always adjusting iso for each frame, auto iso does the adjusting for you and does it faster.

When trying to take pictures of birds in flight in front of a changing background, mountains, trees, clouds... auto iso can cause inconsistent exposures and will, in the end, result in several different exposures of the birds. The bird will either be underexposed against brightness or overexposed with a mountain in the background, depending on the bird's tonal value and the lighting. Try holding an exposure lock button switching to full manual to simplify this. You can expose the bird in manual mode to ensure a consistent exposure for the bird and the varying backgrounds.

If you can afford a mirrorless camera, go for it. With that technology, even beginners can shoot in complex lighting without having to guess the exposure compensation or learn complex metering. Mirrorless cameras make exposing pictures and often difficult scenarios a breeze.

In conclusion, regardless of which mode you should shoot in or exposure mode, principles of light, composition, and story, the more you can focus on your experiences in and with the wildlife that people will love and buy from you, the better.