Photography 101: Shutter Priority mode explained

Entering the world of photography with a DSLR or mirrorless camera can be both exciting and overwhelming. Modern day cameras are loaded with a plethora of functions and capabilities that can take time to learn and understand. 

One of such functions is Shutter Priority mode. Shutter Priority mode allows you to choose the shutter speed for a given scene, leaving the camera to automatically determine the aperture and ISO to create a balanced exposure. You can think of it like a semi-automatic mode on your camera. You control one part of the exposure, but your camera does the rest of the work for you.

Below, we’ll take a deeper look at Shutter Priority mode, including how and why to use it, as well as some limitations to be aware of.