Most people don’t want to mess with their digital camera’s settings. The rest of us may not understand what they are for and what they can do. Camera manufacturers realize this and are making it easier to take great photos. It is done through a feature called scene modes. Scene modes are mini-programs designed to automatically adjust your camera’s settings that are best suited for the situation. By merely twisting a knob or pushing a button a few times, you are able to quickly and easily adjust your camera to get a great shot nearly every time.
Here are some of the more common scene modes and what they do:
Backlight – eliminates dark shadows when light is coming from behind the subject or when the subject is in the shade.
Beach/Snow – this mode is used when photographing beach, snow and sunlight water scenes. Exposure times and white balance are set to help prevent the scene from becoming washed out looking.
Fireworks – shutter speed and exposure are set for shooting fireworks: pre-focusing and the use of a tripod is highly recommended.
Landscape – this mode is used to take photos of wide...