Photography Articles

Article / Updated 09-19-2022

It's great to have a map to the buttons and controls on your camera, but it's not a lot of help if you can't remember which button to press when (and why). So here's a look at the functions of the most important controls. (Some controls have additional functions during certain operations, but the table lists the ones you'll use most often.) Note: This information concentrates on features available when you shoot in the P, S, A, and M exposure modes. A few controls also work in other modes. This control . . . performs these functions. Mode dial Sets the exposure mode, which determines how much control you have over picture settings. For the most control, choose P, S, A, or M. Press the unlock button on top of the dial before rotating. Release Mode dial Use to select shutter-release mode (single frame, continuous, self-timer, and so on); press the unlock button next to the dial before rotating. Movie-record button After putting the camera into Movie mode and engaging Live View, press to start and stop recording. ISO button Press to access the ISO setting, which affects the camera's sensitivity to light. Exposure Compensation button Press while rotating the Main command dial to apply Exposure Compensation, which adjusts exposure for the next picture or movie you shoot. A higher value produces a brighter picture. Playback button Toggles picture playback on and off. Delete button While reviewing pictures, press to erase currently displayed or selected photos. Menu button Opens camera menus. Menu items that appear dimmed can't be adjusted in the current exposure mode. WB/Help/Protect button During shooting, press to access White Balance settings. On any screen that has a question mark in the lower-left corner, press to display an information screen about the current function. During playback, press to toggle file-protection on and off. Qual/Zoom In button During viewfinder photography, press to access the Image Size and Image Quality settings. During Live View shooting and picture playback, press to magnify display. During movie playback, press to increase audio volume. Metering Mode/Zoom Out/Thumbnail Button During viewfinder photography, press to access the Metering Mode setting, which determines how the camera calculates exposure. During Live View shooting, press to reduce on-screen magnification. In Playback mode, press to cycle from full-frame playback to Thumbnail view and then to Calendar view. Info button During viewfinder shooting, turns Information screen on and off. When Live View is engaged, changes the type and amount of data displayed on the monitor. AE-L/AF-L button Interrupts continuous exposure adjustment, locking in the current settings as long as you hold down the button. When you use continuous autofocusing, also locks in current focusing distance. Main command dial Used to adjust a variety of settings, often in combination with pressing a camera button. Focus Selector Lock switch Locks or unlocks autofocus-point selection. Set to the L position to lock in the currently selected point; align with white dot to enable selection of any focus point. Multi-Selector/OK button During shooting, press outer edges up/down/left/right to navigate menus and select camera settings; press OK to lock in your choice of settings. During playback, press up/down to change the playback display mode; press left/right to scroll through pictures. i button Displays i-button menu, a mini-menu that offers quick access to options related to the task at hand (playback, movie shooting, Live View photography, or viewfinder photography). LV switch/button Rotate switch to set the camera to still photography or movie mode. Press the LV button in the center of the switch to turn Live View on and off. Flash button In P, S, A, and M exposure modes, press to use built-in flash. For exposure modes that offer flash, press button while rotating the Main command dial to change the Flash mode. Hold down the button while rotating the Sub-command dial to adjust flash power. BKT button Press to access settings for automatic bracketing of exposure, exposure and flash, Active D-Lighting, or White Balance. Lens-release button Press to disengage lens from camera lens mount so that you can remove the lens. Focus-mode selector Rotate switch to set the camera to automatic (AF) or manual (M) focusing. AF-mode button Press button while rotating the Main command dial to set the Focus mode; press while rotating the Sub-command dial to adjust the AF-area mode. Sub-command dial Used to adjust a variety of settings, often in combination with pressing a camera button. FN1 and F2 buttons During viewfinder photography, press Fn1 to add virtual-horizon display to viewfinder. During viewfinder or Live View photography, press Fn2 while rotating Main command dial to change the Image area setting. During movie shooting, press either button to add an index marker. Both buttons can be programmed to perform other functions through the Custom Control Assignment options on the Custom Setting menu.

Article / Updated 09-19-2022

It's great to have a map to the buttons and controls on your camera, but it's not a lot of help if you can't remember which button to press when (and why). So here's a quick recap of what you can do with each button. Note: This information concentrates on features available when you shoot in the P, Tv, Av, and M exposure modes. A few features also work in other modes. This Control . . . Performs These Functions Mode dial Sets the exposure mode, which determines how much control you have over picture settings. For the most control, choose P, Tv, Av, or M. Menu button Press to display and hide camera menus; rotate Main dial to cycle through menu pages. Info button During playback, Live View photography, and Movie shooting, changes the data display. During viewfinder photography, toggles between the normal information display and an electronic level. Live View/Movie record button Press to toggle Live View on and off. When the camera is in Movie mode, press to start and stop recording. Exposure Compensation button In P, Tv, and Av modes, press while rotating the Main dial to apply Exposure Compensation (adjusts image brightness). In M mode, press while rotating the Main dial to adjust the aperture setting. Q button Activates Quick Control mode, which provides fast access to shooting and playback settings. Press again to exit Quick Control mode. Set button/cross keys During viewfinder shooting, press to access the following settings: top key, White Balance; right key, AF Operation; bottom key, Picture Style; left key, Drive mode. When choosing options from menus and other screens, use the cross keys to highlight an option and then press Set to select that option. AF Area Selection button Press to display the AF Area Selection setting, which controls which autofocus point or zones the camera uses to set focusing distance. ISO button Press to display a screen where you can adjust the ISO setting, which determines how sensitive the camera is to light. DISP button During viewfinder photography, enables you to manually turn the monitor on and off. AE Lock/FE Lock/Index/Reduce button During shooting, press to lock autoexposure (AE) or to lock flash exposure (FE). During playback, press to cycle from single-image view to index (thumbnails) view. If the displayed image or live preview is magnified, press to reduce the magnification level. AF Point Selection/Magnify button During viewfinder photography, press to display the AF Area Selection screen. (You still must use the AF Area Selection button to change the setting.) In Playback mode, press to magnify the image on the monitor. In Live View or Movie mode, you also can magnify the display under certain circumstances. Wi-Fi button Press to display menu screen containing options for configuring wireless connections to a computer, smartphone, or tablet. Erase button While reviewing pictures, press to erase currently displayed or selected photos. Playback button Toggles picture playback on and off. Flash button Press to raise built-in flash in P, Tv, Av, and M modes. When the flash is up, press again to access flash-related menu settings. Depth-of-Field Preview button Press to temporarily set the aperture to the selected f-stop so you can see an approximation of depth of field in the viewfinder. Lens-release button Press to disengage the lens from the camera's lens mount so you can remove the lens.

Article / Updated 08-16-2022

You're no doubt familiar with self-timer mode, which delays the shutter release for a few seconds after you press the shutter button, giving you time to dash into the picture. Here's how it works on the D3400: After you press the shutter button, the AF-assist lamp on the front of the camera starts to blink, and the camera emits a series of beeps (assuming that you didn't disable its voice via the beep option on the Setup menu). A few seconds later, the camera captures the image. By default, the camera waits 10 seconds after you press the shutter button and then records a single image. But you can tweak the delay time and capture as many as nine shots at a time. Set your preferences by using the Self-Timer option, found on the Setup menu. Here's what you need to know about the two settings: Self-timer delay: Choose a delay time of 2, 5, 10, or 20 seconds. The selected delay time appears with the self-timer symbol in the Information and Live View displays. (Refer to the figure for help locating the symbol in the displays.) Number of shots: Specify how many frames you want to capture with each press of the shutter button; the maximum is nine. When you record multiple frames, shots are taken at 4-second intervals. Two more points about self-timer shooting: After the specified number of shots are captured, the camera resets the Release mode to Single Frame, Quiet, or Continuous. Turning off the camera also resets the Release mode. Either way, the camera selects the Release mode you used before self-timer mode. Cover the viewfinder during self-timer shooting. Otherwise, light may seep into the camera through the viewfinder and affect exposure. You can buy a cover designed for your camera for under $5; the Nikon part you need is DK-5. To use it, remove the rubber eyepiece that surrounds the viewfinder and then insert the cover in its place. As an alternative, you can just cover the viewfinder with a piece of cloth or card stock — even hanging the camera strap over the viewfinder can work if you're using a tripod.

Article / Updated 08-16-2022

Your choice of exposure mode determines how much control you have over picture settings, including options that affect exposure, color, and autofocusing features. Set the exposure mode via the Mode dial shown here. For the most control, switch to P, S, A, or M mode. Exposure Mode Description Auto Completely automatic photography; the camera analyzes the scene and tries to choose settings that produce the best results. Auto Flash Off Same as Auto, but with flash disabled. Scene Offers options for capturing specific types of scenes: portraits, landscapes, sports photos, and so on. U1 and U2 Custom user modes that you create, storing all the settings you like to use for a particular shooting situation. Effects Enables you to add special effects to pictures and movies as you shoot them. P (Programmed Autoexposure) Camera selects both the f-stop and shutter speed to ensure proper exposure, but you can choose from multiple combinations of the two settings. S (Shutter-priority Autoexposure) You set shutter speed, and the camera selects the f-stop that will produce a good exposure. A (Aperture-priority Autoexposure) You select f-stop, and the camera selects the shutter speed that will produce a good exposure. M (Manual Exposure) You control both the shutter speed and f-stop.

Article / Updated 08-16-2022

Your choice of exposure mode determines how much control you have over picture settings, including options that affect exposure, color, and autofocusing features. Set the exposure mode via the Mode dial shown here. For the most control, switch to P, Tv, Av, or M mode. Canon refers to those modes as Creative Zone modes; the others are Basic Zone modes. Exposure Mode Description Scene Intelligent Auto Completely automatic photography; the camera analyzes the scene and tries to choose settings that produce the best results. Auto Flash Off Same as Auto, but with flash disabled. Scene Automatic modes for capturing specific types of scenes. Four scenes (Portrait, Landscape, Close-up, and Sports) have their own setting on the Mode dial. Set the dial to the SCN position to access additional scene types. Creative Auto Provides a bit more control than Scene Intelligent Auto, enabling you to adjust the amount of background blurring and a few other picture characteristics. Creative Filter Enables you to add special effects to pictures and movies as you shoot them. P (Programmed Autoexposure) Camera selects both the f-stop and shutter speed to ensure proper exposure, but you can choose from multiple combinations of the two settings. Tv (Shutter-priority Autoexposure) You set the shutter speed, and the camera selects the f-stop that will produce a good exposure. Av (Aperture-priority Autoexposure) You select the f-stop, and the camera selects the shutter speed that will produce a good exposure. M (Manual Exposure) You control both the shutter speed and f-stop.

Article / Updated 08-16-2022

Your choice of exposure mode determines how much control you have over picture settings, including options that affect exposure, color, and autofocusing features. Set the exposure mode via the Mode dial shown here. For the most control, switch to P, Tv, Av, or M mode. Canon refers to those modes as Creative Zone modes; the others are Basic Zone modes. Exposure Mode Description Scene Intelligent Auto Completely automatic photography; the camera analyzes the scene and tries to choose settings that produce the best results. Auto Flash Off Same as Auto, but with flash disabled. Scene Automatic modes for capturing specific types of scenes. Four scenes (Portrait, Landscape, Close-up, and Sports) have their own setting on the Mode dial. Set the dial to the SCN position to access additional scene types. Creative Auto Provides a bit more control than Scene Intelligent Auto, enabling you to adjust the amount of background blurring and a few other picture characteristics. Creative Filter Enables you to add special effects to pictures and movies as you shoot them. P (Programmed Autoexposure) Camera selects both the f-stop and shutter speed to ensure proper exposure, but you can choose from multiple combinations of the two settings. Tv (Shutter-priority Autoexposure) You set shutter speed, and the camera selects the f-stop that will produce a good exposure. Av (Aperture-priority Autoexposure) You select f-stop, and the camera selects the shutter speed that will produce a good exposure. M (Manual Exposure) You control both the shutter speed and the f-stop.

Article / Updated 08-08-2022

Have you ever looked through the photos you shot during a vacation or important family get-together and wished you had better pictures to frame, share online, or use in a photo book? For example, that really cool picture you took of your husband in front of the Eiffel Tower? Not so cool after all. You can’t really see him; he’s way too small in the frame. And in another shot, he has horns sticking out of his head because of some strange, unidentifiable object in the background. It's frustrating when you end up with less-than-ideal pictures. But you can improve your photo-taking skills by incorporating a few simple techniques. Give the following tips a try. Pay attention to the whole frame As illustrated above (the horns), it’s important to pay attention to the entire frame of your photo when you’re getting ready to click the shutter button. Whether you’re using a smartphone or something fancier, what’s around your main subject and in the background matters. You might have to change your position, your camera angle, or wait a few seconds, but it will be worth the trouble. Fill the frame This tip is related to the first one because it’s also about paying attention to the entire frame of your photo. One of the best pieces of advice for better photos is to get closer to your subject and fill the frame with it, or them. The photo below shows an example of this. The photographer moved up close to the woman and filled the frame with her and the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. Identify your focal point and compose around it Before you snap a picture, first, identify your focal point, or main subject. It could be a person, a fountain, a tree, a building , or anything you’re interested in. Then, compose your shot with that focal point in mind. Even in scenes where a main subject isn’t obvious, try to identify something. For example, in a busy outdoor market, is there an interesting person or eye-catching tapestry you could use as your focal point? In the photo below, the photographer noticed the wacky shaped, bright-colored peppers and chose them as the focal point. If the photographer had stood way back and shot more of an overview of the scene, with nothing in particular as the main subject, the result would have been a much less interesting picture. In this shot, the photographer also chose a fairly shallow depth of field to blur the background. This further emphasizes the focal point, while also showing the environment. Dummies.com has many articles and books on photography, including lots of books on specific cameras. Use the rule of thirds Often, if we don’t take a moment to consider composition, we end up placing our main subject right in the center of the frame. The result, most of the time , is a boring photo. You can significantly improve your photos by using the rule of thirds when you compose your shot. The rule of thirds is a method of composition. Imagine a grid (see image below) over your viewfinder (on many cameras and smartphones, this is an option you can actually turn on) and place your subject along one of the lines or at a point where the lines intersect. As you can see in the image of the golden retriever below, the dog’s head is near one of these intersecting points, and it results in a beautifully balanced shot. This photo would be far less dramatic if the dog was placed right in the center of the frame. Keep in mind, the rule of thirds is a guideline. There are many examples of beautiful photographs featuring the main subjects in the center of the frame (like the next photo featured in this article). This decision, like so many aspects of photography, is an artistic one. Where is the light coming from? Take note of where the light source is, whether you’re indoors or outdoors. For example, if you take a photo of a person with the sun coming from behind them, it’s likely their face will be darkened and they might appear silhouetted. This is because your camera’s light meter is trying to simultaneously deal with the very bright and very dark areas in the scene. That’s not to say that shooting toward the sun is wrong. Many photographers do this intentionally for artistic effect, which requires a bit of technical know-how and some experimentation. Also, pay attention to whether there are harsh shadows falling across your main subject. Try changing the angle of the shot by moving yourself or the subject, if possible. Meter the light on your main subject Digital single lens reflex (DSLR) cameras, and others, include different ways to measure light coming into the lens to ensure a good exposure — meaning the picture will not end up too dark or too light. Make sure you are measuring the amount of light on your main subject. Even smartphones allow you to do this by tapping a specific area of the image on the screen. The point on the screen you tap is where the phone’s camera will measure the light. It will then adjust the exposure for that point rather than trying to balance the exposure for the entire scene, which can result in your main subject looking too dark or light. Try playing with this on your phone, and you will soon understand how to make it work for you. Keep your camera level and hands steady This tip may seem obvious, but we all sometimes forget to do these two simple things when we’re shooting photos. You can easily ruin what would have been a great shot by not holding steady and making sure you have your horizon straight. Look for leading lines and patterns In photography, leading lines are shapes in the scene that help lead a viewer’s eyes to your focal point. These could be train tracks, a line of trees or lampposts, a fence, buildings, or even shadows. In the photo below, the planks and rails of the pier lead your eyes out to the clouds and mountains beyond. You can also look for other elements, such as shapes and colors, that make patterns in a scene to add interest to your photo. Frame your subject Many times, if you look carefully, you can find ways to frame your main subject with other elements in the scene. For example, a rowboat just offshore in a lake could be framed by the trees on the shoreline. In the photo below, the photographer saw an opportunity to frame the subject with the arched window. Try a different angle For fun, try framing your subject with a different angle. In the photo below, a different perspective, shooting up toward the statue’s face, and using the architectural elements on the walls to frame the head, creates a much more interesting picture than it would have been just shooting this static subject from farther back and straight on. (Photo credit: Home page image by Dylan Hargraves, Unsplash.com)

Article / Updated 08-04-2022

Your Canon EOS Rebel T8i/850D is capable of amazing close-ups. For great close-up shots, start with the basic capture settings. Then try the following additional settings and techniques to take great close-ups on your Canon camera: Check your Canon EOS Rebel T8i/850D owner’s manual to find out the minimum close-focusing distance of your lens. How “up close and personal” you can be to your subject depends on your lens, not on the camera body. Take control of depth of field by setting the camera mode to Av (aperture-priority autoexposure) mode. Whether you want a shallow, medium, or extreme depth of field depends on the point of your photo. For the scene shown below, for example, setting the aperture to f/5.6 blurred the background, helping the subjects stand out from the similarly colored background. But if you want the viewer to clearly see all details throughout the frame—for example, if you’re shooting a product shot for your company’s sales catalog—go the other direction, stopping down the aperture as far as possible. Remember that zooming in and getting close to your subject both decrease depth of field. Back to that product shot: If you need depth of field beyond what you can achieve with the aperture setting, back away, zoom out, or both. (You can always crop your image to eliminate excess background.) When shooting flowers and other nature scenes outdoors, pay attention to your Canon’s shutter speed. Even a slight breeze may cause your subject to move, causing blurring at slow shutter speeds. Experiment with adding flash for better outdoor lighting. As with portraits, a bit of flash can improve close-ups when the sun is your primary light source. You may need to reduce the flash output slightly, via your Canon camera’s Flash Exposure Compensation control. Remember that turning on the built-in flash limits the maximum shutter speed to 1/200 second, however, and that mixing sunlight with flash light may affect image colors. When shooting indoors, try not to use flash as your primary light source. Because you’re shooting with your Canon at close range, the light from your flash may be too harsh even at a low Flash Exposure Compensation setting. If flash is inevitable, turn on as many room lights as possible to reduce the flash power that’s needed. To get really close to your subject, invest in a macro lens or a set of diopters. A macro lens enables you to focus at a very short distance so that you can capture even the tiniest of critters or, if you’re not into nature, details of an object. A 90mm macro lens was used to snap an image of the ladybug below just before she got annoyed and flew away home. Notice how shallow the depth of field is. The extreme background blurring is due to the long focal length of the lens and the short distance between the lens and the subject. An f-stop of f/10 was used, which may seem high when you’re going for a shallow depth of field. But because the focal length and subject distance already combined for a very shallow depth of field, a higher f-stop was needed to keep the entire subject in the focus zone. Unfortunately, a good macro lens isn’t cheap, regardless of which Canon camera you’re using; prices range from a few hundred to a couple thousand dollars. If you enjoy capturing the tiny details in life, though, it’s worth the investment. For a less-expensive way to go, you can spend about $40 for a set of diopters, which are like reading glasses that you screw onto your lens. Diopters come in several strengths — +1, +2, +4, and so on — with a higher number indicating a greater magnifying power. With most sets, you can stack one diopter on top of another for increased power. The downside of a diopter is that it typically produces images that are very soft around the edges, a problem that doesn’t occur with a good macro lens. Want to learn more? Check out our Canon EOS Rebel Ti8/850D Cheat Sheet.

Article / Updated 08-04-2022

When you select an Image Quality setting on your Canon EOS Rebel T8i/850D that results in a JPEG image file—that is, any setting other than Raw—also experiment with the Auto Lighting Optimizer feature. Unlike Highlight Tone Priority on your Canon, which concentrates on preserving highlight detail only, Auto Lighting Optimizer tries to improve underexposed, low-contrast, or high-contrast shots by adjusting both shadows and highlights. The adjustment is made as the image is captured by your Canon camera. In the Basic Zone exposure modes, you have no control over how much adjustment is made. But in P, Tv, Av, and M modes, you can decide whether to enable Auto Lighting Optimizer. You also can request a stronger or lighter application of the effect than the default setting, which is Standard. The following image offers an example of the impact of each Auto Lighting Optimizer setting. Given the level of improvement that the Auto Lighting Optimizer correction made to this photo, it may seem crazy to ever disable this feature on your Canon camera. But it’s important to note a few points: The level of shift that occurs between each Auto Lighting Optimizer setting varies depending on the subject. This particular example shows a fairly noticeable difference between the High and Off settings. But you don’t always see this much impact from the filter. Even in this example, it’s difficult to detect much difference between Off and Low. Although the filter improved this particular scene, at times you may not find it beneficial. For example, maybe you’re purposely trying to shoot a backlit subject in silhouette or produce a low‐contrast image. Either way, you don’t want the camera to insert its opinions on the exposure or contrast you’re trying to achieve. Enabling Auto Lighting Optimizer may slow your shooting rate. That slowdown occurs because the filter is applied after you capture the photo, while the camera is writing the data to the memory card. In some lighting conditions, Auto Lighting Optimizer can produce an increase in image noise. Noise becomes more apparent when you enlarge a photo. It also tends to be most visible in areas of flat color. The corrective action taken by Auto Lighting Optimizer can make some other exposure‐adjustment features less effective. So turn it off if you don’t see the results you expect when you’re using the following features: Exposure compensation. Flash compensation. Automatic exposure bracketing. You can’t use this feature while Highlight Tone Priority is enabled. In fact, as soon as you turn on that feature, the camera automatically disables Auto Lighting Optimizer. You can view the current Auto Lighting Optimizer setting in the Quick Control and Live View displays; look for the icon representing the setting in the areas labeled below. Notice the vertical bars in the graphic—the number of bars tells you how much adjustment is being applied. Two bars, as you see above, represent the Standard setting; three bars, High; and one bar, Low. The bars are replaced by the word Off when the feature is disabled. By default, the Auto Lighting Optimizer level is set to Standard for the P, Tv, and Av modes. In M mode, the feature is disabled by default. You can adjust these settings in two ways: Shooting Menu 2: Choose Auto Lighting Optimizer, as shown on the left in the image you see next, to display the settings screen shown on the right below. Here, you can select the level of adjustment you want to apply. Just below the four adjustment-level symbols, notice the check box next to the Info label. This is the option that determines whether Auto Lighting Optimizer is applied in the M exposure mode. By default, the box is checked, as in the image above, telling the camera not to make the adjustment during manual exposure. If you do want to add the adjustment, tap the check box or press the Info button to toggle the check mark off. Tap Set or press the Set button to return to Shooting Menu 2. Quick Control method: You also can adjust the setting using the Quick Control method. After pressing Q or tapping the Q symbol to shift to Quick Control mode, highlight the Auto Lighting Optimizer icon and press Set (or just tap the symbol). You’re presented with the same options screen you see in the image above. If you’re not sure what level of Auto Lighting Optimizer might work best or you’re concerned about the other drawbacks of enabling the filter, consider shooting the picture in the Raw file format. For Raw pictures, the camera applies no post‐capture tweaking, regardless of whether this filter or any other one is enabled. Then, by using Canon Digital Photo Professional, the software provided free with the camera, you can apply the Auto Lighting Optimizer effect when you convert your Raw images to a standard file format. If you want to learn more about your Canon EOS Rebel T8i/850D, check out our Cheat Sheet.

Article / Updated 08-04-2022

Aperture and shutter speed give you refined control over your Canon camera pictures. Which Creative Zone exposure mode on the Canon EOS Rebel T8i/850D you choose determines your level of control over aperture and shutter speed and also determines the method you use to adjust those settings. Here’s the scoop on adjusting aperture and shutter speed on your Canon Rebel. P: You can choose from different combinations of aperture and shutter speed, but have no direct control over either. To view the camera’s recommended combination, compose your shot and then press the shutter button halfway. To select a different combination of the two settings, rotate the Main dial. Tv: You control shutter speed; adjust that setting by rotating the Main dial. After selecting the shutter speed, frame your shot and press the shutter button halfway to initiate autoexposure metering. The displays then show the aperture setting that the camera selected to expose the picture at your chosen shutter speed and the current ISO. Av: The opposite of Tv mode, Av mode enables you to set the f-stop while the camera selects the shutter speed. Rotate the Main dial to set the aperture setting you want to use. Then frame your subject and press the shutter button halfway. The camera then displays the shutter speed it selected. Even though you’re in aperture-priority mode and so concentrating on the f-stop, always check the shutter speed that the camera selected for you. If the shutter speed drops so low that handholding the camera or capturing a moving subject won’t be possible, you can either open the aperture (choose a lower f-stop number) or dial in a higher ISO setting, which will enable the camera to select a faster shutter speed at your preferred f-stop. M (manual exposure): You set both aperture and shutter speed. Use these techniques: Adjust shutter speed. Rotate the Main dial.In M mode, you have access to Bulb mode, which keeps the shutter open as long as you keep the shutter button pressed fully down. To get to the Bulb setting, go one step past the slowest possible normal shutter speed (30 seconds). Adjust aperture. Rotate the Quick Control dial. Be sure to use the Main dial to lock in your setting when working in the P, Tv, or Av modes. In those modes, rotating the Quick Control dial applies an exposure adjustment called Exposure Compensation. In the Av, Tv, and M exposure modes, you also can adjust the exposure settings on your Canon camera as follows: For viewfinder photography, use Quick Control mode. After pressing the Q button or tapping the Q touchscreen symbol, highlight the setting you want to change and then rotate the Main dial. The Quick Control method doesn’t work in Live View mode, unfortunately. In Live View mode, use the touchscreen. Just tap the setting on the touchscreen to display a screen that offers the available values for that setting. A few more words of wisdom related to aperture and shutter speed for the Canon EOS Rebel T8i/80D: Check the meter for guidance in M exposure mode. Of course, you don’t have to follow the camera’s guidance—you can take the picture using any settings you like, even if the meter indicates that the image will be under‐ or overexposed. In Live View mode, keep an eye on the Exp Sim symbol. The live monitor preview updates as you adjust exposure settings to show you the change in image brightness. But if the camera can’t display an accurate preview, the Exp Sim symbol in the lower-right corner of the screen appears dimmed. (This happens, for example, when you use flash.) In P, Tv, and Av mode, the shutter speed or f‐stop value blinks if the camera isn’t able to select settings that produce a good exposure. If the problem is too little light, try raising the ISO or adding flash to solve the problem. If there’s too much light, lower the ISO value or attach an ND (neutral density) filter, which is sort of like sunglasses for your lens—it simply cuts the light entering the lens. (The neutral part just means that the filter doesn’t affect image colors, just brightness.) Say “nay” to Safety Shift. If you dig into the Custom Functions warehouse found on Setup Menu 5, you find Custom Function 4, Safety Shift. This feature, when enabled, gives the Canon camera permission to fiddle with your chosen f-stop in Av mode or shutter speed in Tv mode if it thinks that you’re headed for an exposure disaster. The option is disabled by default, and that’s how you should probably leave it. The recommendation is based on a couple of assumptions. First, if you’re using Av or Tv mode, it’s because you want to be the one controlling the f-stop or shutter speed. If you wanted the camera to stick its nose into your business, you’d shoot in Scene Intelligent Auto or P mode. Second, the camera does alert you to impending doom by blinking the f-stop or shutter speed value in the displays, as mentioned earlier. If you pay attention to those signals, you can decide how you want to solve the problem. You—not the camera. Finally, if Auto ISO is enabled, the camera is already free to adjust ISO as an exposure assist—although, granted, it may not be able to choose an ISO low enough to avoid overexposure or high enough to prevent underexposure. On some higher-end Canon models, you can give the camera a couple of options for how it responds when it senses exposure peril in Av or Tv modes. But on the T8i/850D, you either can say “yay” or “nay,” which means that you don’t really know how your settings will be adjusted. So for most, Safety Shift is a no-brainer: Keep it turned off. You can adjust the exposure results that you get in the P, Tv, and Av modes. When you use these semi-automatic exposure modes, the settings that the camera selects are based on what it thinks is the proper exposure. If you don’t agree with your Canon camera, you have two options. Option one is to switch to manual exposure (M) mode and simply dial in the aperture and shutter speed that deliver the exposure you want. Or if you want to stay in P, Tv, or Av mode, your other option is to try using exposure compensation. Want to learn more? Check out our Canon EOS Rebel T8i/850D Cheat Sheet.