Program Mode Dial on a Nikon D5000
For a few months now, I have been shooting primary in manual mode and prior to that, I was using Aperture Priority mode. But there are many different modes that today’s powerful DSLR are able to shoot in. One that may be used by people getting used to their new cameras, before moving out of Auto and into more creative control, is the SCENE mode found on your camera dial.
I going to give a quick run down of some of the Scene Modes that are available to me on my Nikon D5000. Since there are so many different makes and models of cameras, you may or may not have all the modes that I list here.
Portrait — Use for portraits with soft, natural-looking skin tones. If the subject is far from the background or a telephoto lens is used, background details will be softened to lend the composition a sense of depth.
Landscape — Use for vivid landscape shots in daylight. The built-in flash and AF-assist illuminator turn off; use of a tripod is recommended to prevent blur when lighting is poor.
Child — Use for snapshots of children. Clothing and background details are vividly rendered, while skin tones remain soft and natural.
Sports — Fast shutter speeds freeze motion for dynamic sports shots in which the main subject stands out clearly. The built-in flash and AF-assist illuminator turn off.
Close up — Use for close-up shots of flowers, insects, and other small objects (a macro lens can be used to focus at very close ranges). Use of a tripod is recommended to prevent blur.
Night portrait — Use for a natural balance between the main subject and the background in portraits taken under low light. Use of a tripod is recommended to prevent blur.
Night landscape — Reduce noise and unnatural colors when photographing night landscapes, including street lighting and neon signs. The built-in flash and AF-assist illuminator turn off; use of a tripod is recommended to prevent blur.
Party/indoor — Capture the effects of indoor background lighting. Use for parties and other indoor scenes.
Beach/snow — Capture the brightness of sunlight expanses of water, snow, or sand. The built-in flash and AF-assist illuminator turn off.
Sunset — Preserves the deep hues seen in sunsets and sunrises. The built-in flash and AF-assist illuminator turn off; use of a tripod is recommended to prevent blur when lighting is poor.
Dusk/dawn — Preserves the colors seen in the weak natural light before dawn or after sunset. The built-in flash and AF-assist illuminator turn off; use of a tripod is recommended to prevent blur when lighting is poor.
Pet portrait — Use for portraits of active pets. The AF-assist illuminator turns off.
Candlelight — For photographs taken by candlelight. The built-in flash turns off; use of a tripod is recommended to prevent blur when lighting is poor.
Blossom — Use for fields of flowers, orchards in bloom, and other landscapes featuring expanses of blossoms. The built-in flash turns off; use of a tripod is recommended to prevent blur when lighting is poor.
Autumn colors — Captures the brilliant reds and yellows in autumn leaves. The built-in flash turns off; use of a tripod is recommended to prevent blur when lighting is poor.
Food — Use for vivid photographs of food. Use of a tripod is recommended to prevent blur when lighting is poor; the flash can also be used.
Silhouette — Silhouette subjects against bright backgrounds. The built-in flash turns off; use of a tripod is recommended to prevent blur when lighting is poor.
High key — Use to create bright images that seem filled with light when shooting bright scenes. The built-in flash turns off.
Low key — Use to create dark, somber images that bring out highlights when shooting dark scenes. The built-in flash turns off; use of a tripod is recommended to prevent blur when lighting is poor.