Manual Mode Photography Guide

Let’s talk MANUAL MODE! (Save this post for reference later and share it with your photography friends) Are you a little intimidated by manual mode? I’m going to give you a basic breakdown of the three settings in manual mode on your camera that you’ll need to know to master it. Let’s start with aperture! Aperture by definition is a hole that light travels through to touch your film or digital sensor. The size of this hole determines how much light is let through your lens and also how much of your subject is in focus. When adjusting your aperture know that a lower number means more light and less in focus and a higher number means less light and more in focus. Looking at this image, do you think the aperture was lower or higher? Second is shutter speed. Shutter speed by definition is how long your film or digital sensor is exposed to light. The lower the number the longer the sensor is exposed and the higher the number the less it is exposed. This setting will also affect the blurriness or stillness of a moving subject. The higher the number the faster the shutter is opening and closing making it easier to catch those crisp photos of a moving subject. Lastly is ISO. ISO is the sensitivity of your film or digital sensor to light. The higher the ISO the more sensitive the film or sensor is to light meaning you can capture more light in low light situations. The higher the ISO the more likely you are to see grain in your photos as well. Ideally this number is changed in low light situations like blue hour or when photographing the stars. If this still seems intimidating just start practicing. Practice with your pets, friends, siblings, or trees around where you live. Drop any questions into the comments! I’ll have blog up with more visuals to help you with this in the next few weeks! Do you use manual mode?