Episode Eight: Why aperture priority is best and how to do it

In the eight episode of BBC Wildlife Magazine's Photography Masterclass, presenter Mark Carwardine discusses why shooting in aperture priority is best and explains how to do it.

The series will consist of ten videos in total, released weekly on Thursdays from 15 April. For each episode, free fact sheets are available to download from Mark Carwardine’s website.

About the presenter

Zoologist Mark Carwardine is a widely published wildlife photographer, an award-winning writer, a TV and radio presenter, a best-selling author of more than 50 books, and an outspoken environmentalist.

He was also Chair of the Judging Panel of the prestigious ‘Wildlife Photographer of the Year’ competition for seven years and was selected as one of ‘The World’s 40 Most Influential Nature Photographers’ in Outdoor Photography magazine.

[d]

Manual exposure with auto ISO is now my only shooting method and very happy with it. It works for most every thing I shoot.

[murphyorama]

I used to shoot aperture priority for the reasons you mention but now find that manual setting and auto iso is far more useful. Especially as I don't have the luxury of a 400 f2.8 or 500 or 600 f4 lens.

[robertwells]

After watching hours of videos on photography Modes, you have made much more sense in 11 minutes. Thank you

[robertdavis]

Thanks for sharing your experience...I am only a hobbyist & still learning photography at 78 yrs old.... your comments will help me a lot, so I appreciate your video... cheers 😀

[Andy]

" By the time you finished fiddling with it, your poor subject would have died of old age" hahahah! Well said! 🤣

[mikeyb]

The excellent Steve Perry (US Wildlife Photographer/YouTuber) taught me Manual with Auto ISO - couldn’t be easier. Choose your preferred aperture and shutter speed, ISO does its own thing within parameters you set. I’d shot mainly Aperture Priority for years but, wouldn’t change back now. Thanks for this series of videos, I’ve really enjoyed them.

[garybrown]

This one of the best videos I've ever seen

[Earthling]

As you said, we are getting sensors better at dealing with noise and there is software to lower the noise, it is impossible to adjust motion blur in post production.
This makes manual + auto ISO (with a limit matching your camera and taste) the way to go, in my honest opinion.

[genemcloud]

Wow. How could it be any clearer! Thanks for the excellent logical explanation.

[carlyculmstock]

This was a breath of fresh air for me. Amateur bird photographer struggling with exposure as shooting in shutter priority and missing the subject as they have gone for lunch by the time I’m ready or greatly underexposed! I ant wait to get out and try this. Thank you.

[julianmclean]

Well done Sir!; absolutely brilliant explanation; will make my Camera life a lot simpler !!!

[don]

Great video. Best explanation why aperture priority is a good choice. Up til now, I have been shooting manual, but I think I will start trying aperture priority. Thanks!

[CanonEurope]

We're mainly here for the penguin shot at 8:29 🐧. Lovely explanation though Mark! 👍

[constantin]

Very good video!! Iam shooting in aperture priority too

[remesank]

I understand the importance of aperture priority mode from this video. Thanks ❤

[pbb]

A very nice explanation, well done. When I was a beginner, Aperture priority made a lot of sense but after shooting wildlife for a while I came to understand that 1/2000 - 1/2500 freezes most birds in flight quite well and a cheetah hun really needs about 1/4000 so there is no longer a need to leave that setting to chance by having the camera try to decide that for me and probably get it wrong at the ultimate moment.

I rather fix the shutter speed in Manual mode and just leverage the auto ISO. At full zoom I'm dealing with 5-6f, if I use a TC then I'm at 7f. So I am already shooting wide open by force and I think the majority of photographers fall in that category because 2f lenses are pricey and out of reach.
That's why I think manual with auto ISO will end up being the most practical option for photographers especially those who have been shooting long enough to know the required shutter speed for the type of animal or action.

[doncoombez]

Brilliant - and superbly explained, I'm changing my technique! Now I just need to figure out how afford an f4 600mm lens :)

[CruisingWithChooChoo]

I loved this video! And I love your humour! Ha ha ha! Yes if I had to use manual mode my subject would have died of old age or simply flown away! 😅 I always use AP but in auto ISO. I will start trying to use manual ISO for different lighting situations? Thank you so much!

[CamillaI]

Started with Aperture priority for Landscapes but moved on to Manual with auto ISO mainly for wildlife ! Particularly difficult exposures last week with a little Dipper in and out of shadows with white fast flowing water, really no alternative with this one ! Great examination of the various modes ! 👍😍

[EdwardKilner]

Really well presented. Back in 1971, I shot slides and almost always used shutter priority. Around 2012, I turned mostly to aperture priority mostly to control depth of field. Still, I did not think it through as rigorously as you have done. Thanks.