focal length: 50 mm
shutter speed: 1/50
aperture: f/1.8
ISO: 800
flash: not fired

I like to look back at photos I’ve taken in the past to analyze, learn from and improve. I took this photo in March of last year. A year ago, I was shooting in Aperture Priority mode, which is where I set the aperture and ISO while the camera determines the shutter speed for me. I used to prefer picking up the camera and taking a shot right away, without having to meter and adjust my settings. I would always leave my aperture wide open and ISO as low as possible. It was quick, easy and I was able to shoot right away. However, by not metering the scene myself and choosing my own settings, more often than not, the shutter speed would be too slow for the low ISO I was using (the shutter has to stay open longer to compensate for the low sensitivity of the sensor). Result? Blurry pictures. Then, I’d have to increase the ISO until the shutter speed was fast enough (at least 1/80 with a 50 mm lens on a crop sensor camera). So, in the end, my first few shots would be too blurry and by the time I increased the ISO the moment might have gone anyway.

I was lucky my ISO was high enough to take the image above and my hand was steady enough to prevent camera shake. However, I don’t want to rely on luck anymore to get a sharp image at the right moment.

Now, with practice, I can set my settings fairly quickly allowing me to capture the image I want with my first shot, as it happens. It took time to get used to shooting manually but well worth it.

Where were you, with respect to photography, a year ago?

Laura is a Vancouver wedding and portrait photographer. Visit laurahana.com.