Shooting in Manual Mode

Diarmuid — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 22:00:37 +0000

Cameras today do just about everything automatically except jump out of your bag and take the shot themselves, of course the technology is there to do that too! But with all this automation the full creativity and control of exposing an image can be lost. This is why at School of Photography, especially in our Basic Photography Course, we advise our students to use the Manual Exposure Mode when possible. Using it teaches a better understanding about exposure and used correctly, will yield much better results then any automated exposure system.

The Manual Mode setting.

Manual Mode is far from the easiest way to take a photo and it is slow to use. However Manual mode can be used quite quickly and efficiently once you create a routine for setting up and taking the photo. For example if you are taking all your photos under the same lighting conditions, you may only need to set your exposure once through the “session”. Only briefly checking the meter reading and maybe adjusting only the shutter or aperture slightly to fine tune the exposure. You will notice the lack of a need for changing the exposure most when shooting on an overcast or dull day.

Normally when you are about to take a few photos, you have a subject in mind. Therefore you can initially decide whether you need a fast shutter speed or maximum depth of field, etc. For example if it is a few sports photos, most likely there is action involved requiring a fast shutter speed. Simply adjust the Aperture to the smallest f-number, take a meter reading and then adjust the Shutter Speed until the meter reads correctly. If you feel the shutter speed is still not fast enough, then increase the ISO.

Likewise if depth of field is an issue, adjust the shutter speed to a minimum handheld shutter speed or slower if using a tripod. Then adjust the Aperture to higher f-numbers until the meter reads correctly. Again ISO can be adjusted if the Aperture value is insufficient.

Manual Mode is not one to be used all the time as it is slow to use. But it does have its advantages when there is time allowed to take good quality images. Also when used regularly, the photographer, especially beginners, gain a much better understanding of their camera and how a particular camera reacts in certain lighting situations.

So next time your out with the camera, get a bit of fun out of it in just trying to perfect that exposure using your own knowledge and initiative, you will find the reward in bagging a good image even better.

To learn all there is to know about exposure and the Manual Exposure Mode, enroll in our Basic Photography Course.

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Shooting in Manual Mode