Camera Modes and Exposure

For most landscape photography, you will want the entire scene in focus. As you recall from Chapter 2, you will need to use a small aperture (such as f/16, for example) to increase your depth of field and pull more elements of your image into focus (Figure 6.4). While you could always set your camera to Aperture Priority (Av) mode and then use an aperture of f/11 or f/16, the camera would choose your shutter speed for you, which may not give you the look you are trying to capture. To prevent this, consider using Manual mode.

Figure 6.4. This image was photographed with a small aperture to ensure that both the foreground and background were in focus.

With Manual mode, you have full control over all the exposure settings. While this can be daunting at first, the freedom it provides is well worth it.

While most landscapes are photographed with great depth of field, that doesn’t mean you always have to photograph your images the same way (Figure 6.5). Remember that photography is a form of art, which means there are no rules. Feel free to get creative and try something new.

Figure 6.5. I used a wide aperture and focused on the wheat field in the foreground to give the image shallow depth of field.