OneShotOne18

I have too many pots on the fire. Or as the saying goes: jack of all trades, a master of none. At 75, I stay busy. I'm learning about shooting off auto. Albeit slowllly! I'm wondering why can't I just shoot in auto? Then I'll do all the great for looks on my post processing program( On1Raw)? I have been reading posts here and most everyone seems to shoot off auto. Can I get a great photo after pp that was shot from auto mode? Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.THX!

lsimpkins Loc: SE Pennsylvania

You may shoot any way you wish, from full Auto to full Manual and any mode in between. However, in so doing you are ceding most creativity to the camera and its programmers. To fully take advantage of any camera, control of aperture for depth of field, shutter speed for freezing or blurring action, and ISO for noise is desired by many users. However, if you like the results you get consistently on Auto, that's what matters. Yes, you can get great photos on Auto, but only if the Auto settings agree with your vision or intent for the photo. Post production can only go so far to making an image better. It can't generally change depth of field, focus point, slow shutter blur, or composition.

OneShotOne18

Ty 4 the quick reply. All I can say is ah schucks! LoL I was really hoping to take the easy road. Guess I will have to do the ol trial and error methods until " I get it."

JD750 Loc: SoCal

Nobody or nothing says you cannot shoot in Auto. Processing software can help with correction to exposure, to a degree. But the best images start with GIRITC, which includes good exposure and focus, and composition.

Mac Loc: Pittsburgh, Philadelphia now Hernando Co. Fl.

I agree with JD750, GIRITC as much as possible.
I also agree with lsimpkins about giving up creative control by shooting in full auto

You may find the book "Understanding Exposure" by Bryan Peterson to be helpful in moving away from full auto. He also has a book "Exposure Solutions" that can be helpful as well.

anotherview Loc: California

QUESTION: "Can I get a great photo after pp that was shot from auto mode?"

ANSWER: Yes.

Modern digital cameras can take very good to excellent photographs done in the Auto mode, depending on the skill of the photographer. Post processing then can bring out the potential of these photographs.

Concern yourself more with effective composition and an interesting subject than with the camera setting of Auto.

As you gain experience and confidence, you could then try other camera settings. Doing good photography takes practice over a span of years.

You may wish to attend a workshop or two for learning the basics of composition, exposure, and subject.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

It is an often stated widely repeated but just as widely misunderstood that using a camera in auto lets the camera make creative decisions. It doesn't. It merely follows your instructions - based on camera settings, camera profile, and picture controls. You are always in control, and choosing auto everything is a creative choice.

Part of using manual adjustments for all of the camera settings requires a solid knowledge of what the camera does for each setting.

Lets take a look at metering mode - most cameras have the following settings - average, center weighted, evaluative/matrix, and spot. Understanding which one to use and when to use it is where many people get stuck. So, as an example you are taking a picture of three dogs - a brilliantly white Samoyede, Black Poodle, and a a Grey Pit Bull - and these are all in the same light. One approach would be to set the meter to spot mode, which will measure a small part of the image - usually the center 1% to 15% of the entire frame. If you measure the grey dog, yo'll get one reading, if you measure the white dog it will reflect more light and you will get a different reading, and if you read the black dog, which will reflect less light you'll get yet another reading. Which one is correct? Well, all of them. You can probably use the reading off the grey dog, and both the white and black dogs will be properly exposed. But if you use the reading from the white dog, the white dog will turn out grey, the grey dog will be black, and the black dog will be without much detail. Camera meters are set up to produce a correct exposure for middle grey. The camera doesn't know what the tonal value is of your subject, so no matter what you are reading the result will produce a nice middle grey.

Your experience as a photographer will suggest that if you read the white dog, you'll need to make it brighter than grey, which you will do by raising the ISO, using a longer shutter speed, or using a larger aperture in the lens - or a combination of all three. In it's most basic form, this is manual exposure.
This explains how meters work.

http://www.digital-photo-secrets.com/tip/2879/which-is-best-spot-center-weight-or-matrix-metering/

Many photographers who shoot digital will also record their images as raw files, which allow for more control over the results - since nearly everything that you can set up in the camera you can set up in a raw editor - but the best part is you can have a custom set of adjustments that are specific to each image. Many shooters that do not opt for raw will "set it and forget it" and often not make subject specific adjustments.

ggenova64

What is GIRITC?

Pablo8 Loc: Nottingham UK.

Get it right in the camera. Now let's see if someone will contradict that.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Yes, you can shoot in Auto mode, but under certain conditions, the results could be less than perfect. Making the image right will require considerable processing. If you have special conditions that require adjustment of ISO, aperture, or shutter, you will get better results and have to do less processing. Shooting in raw will allow more leeway in processing.

One advantage of Auto is speed. Point and shoot. If you have to take the time to think and then adjust the camera, the scene could be gone.

wteffey Loc: Ocala, FL USA

Composition, focus and timing are the keys to a good photo. While some cameras might attempt to help with grids, auto focus and high speed bursts, these essential elements are still mostly dependent on the skills of the photographer. Exposure is mostly a mathematical exercise and can be usually be accomplished well by computer. I always try to concentrate on the things the camera does not do well, and let it handle the computations. I always shoot in RAW, and find that I have enough latitude to fine tune exposure later if need be.

mborn Loc: Massachusetts

Many excellent answers have been given. Practice makes perfect. Understand the exposure triangle.

bobmcculloch Loc: NYC, NY

I suggest you try either aperature or shutter priority, semi auto if you want to say, works for me.

ggenova64

That is ISO, Aperture (AKA F-Stop) and Shutter Speed!

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Shoot in what mode with what method that works best for you.
Other modes come in handy for their intended purpose, but are NOT mandatory!