How to Shoot in Manual Mode on your Camera

Shooting in manual mode is the best way to gain full control over the look of your photos. Choosing the right settings is more than just properly exposing your photo. By adjusting the shutter speed, ISO, and aperture, you can creatively affect the look of each photo.

Every image comprises a shutter speed, aperture, and ISO.

Simply put, the shutter speed controls how long the camera's sensor is exposed to light. The longer the shutter speed, the more light hits the sensor, and the more motion blur can be captured. Shorter shutter speeds are generally used to freeze motion.

The aperture controls how open or closed the lens blades are while shooting. Opening your aperture (lower number) allows more light to hit the sensor and also increases background blur. This is ideal for things like portraits and product imagery, where you'd want the subject to stand out from its surroundings. On the other hand, closing the aperture down (higher number) will increase the depth of field, allowing you to achieve an image that is sharp from front to back. Generally, landscape photographers like to close their aperture down to achieve more of their image in focus.

Lastly, the ISO controls how much (if any) light is added to the image. The higher the ISO, the more light is added. However, this has a drawback: You'll experience increasing noise levels as you raise the ISO. It is generally recommended to leave your ISO at your camera's base ISO (usually between 64 and 125) unless you absolutely must raise it.

Balance these three settings, and you'll be taking the perfect exposures in no time!

#landscapephotography #naturephotography #photography #photographytip #improvephotography #learnphotography #camerasettings #photographygear

[rickwilliamsphotography]

Noise is a function of low signal (light). High ISO only amplifies noise, but does not cause noise.

[DSG]

Manual mode by itself is great, however, throwing in auto iso for dynamic situation shooting may be one of the best overall ways to go.

[GullyBinga]

This is an EXTREMELY helpful explanation. Smart commenters as well, I’ve learned a ton. Thanks for making it simple and plain.

[MichaelOrtega]

“Leave your ISO at 100” the problem is my camera doesn’t allow me to shoot anything below 800 if I’m using S-Log settings for color correction. Just wanted to point it out that there’s more than just those three things you need to account for if you want a professional image and there’s definitely definitely ratios to follow.

[manibelanggala]

I'm now 51 and just started photography, thank you for this 🎉❤, Smart comments too😮😅

[marcofreitas]

After dealing with advices like this one, having your iso always at 100, I've missed opportunities of taking photos with the settings I wanted, like a faster shutter speed..so, now use auto iso almost all the time. It's better a grainy photo than the photo I could not shoot with the aperture or shutter speed I wouldn't want. Just remove noise in post processing in lighroom or Dxo.

[stevenqirkle]

I really don't agree with the advice of leaving ISO at 100. Sure, if there's plenty of light shoot at the lowest ISO possible. But in situations where there isn't as much light, I'm definitely happy to live with some noise to be able to stop action or get more of the image in focus when needed.

[robertsundermann]

The ISO 100 rules is kinda confusing for most people at first. Alright you can get more details etc but when learning photography I think it’s best to first understand aperture and shutter speed.
I recommend manual only for special types of scenes or for some cool effects. Aperture or shutter speed priority combined with auto ISO are pretty reliable and most cameras will drop to ISO 100 when there’s enough light.
And keep in mind that each sensor reacts differently to ISO noise and most of the newer once get great details even on ISO 800-1600.
In short: if you can shoot at ISO 100 do it, but it isn’t a must in my opinion😉

[liangwei]

Perfect for basic things. Great shorts

[Batch]

Just a little nerdy correction. ISO doesn't "digitally add light" it makes the sensor more sensitive to light. There is more noise because the sensor becomes sensitive enough to pick up errant photons bouncing around the environment. As long as the shot is well exposed you won't notice that much noise. For that reason, even in manual mode, you're better off leaving ISO in auto because it only affects the exposure and not the artistic presentation of the image (doesn't affect motion blur, DoF etc.)

[Re-BornFree]

You have the best shorts for photography in the game

[basedclubofficial]

This is all somehow useful advice, however ine of the interesting thing you can learn is that even noise can be used for creativity and doesn't need to get eliminated at all costs

[i_like_birbs]

There is also saturation, contrast, skin tone, warmth, sharpness, af points, af mode, and file type, all of which are controllable manual, though some might have others, or less.

[FairPlayerEN]

Well actually when you are shooting in a low light you should use higher iso. Through the daylight I usually shoot at 100-200 but when its a bit darker I tend to use iso 400-800 so I can get more shutter speed for my photo to be more stable

[lightningjet]

I knew what shutter speed and ISO did but I didn’t know Aperture increases the amount in focus. I thought it was just an increase or decrease in light overall. Thanks man, this will help when I’m using a macro

[sli]

Most cameras nowadays handle higher ISO pretty well. Especially when you couple in more sophisticated software for denoise

[athmaid]

For most cases it makes more sense to shoot with auto ISO and use exposure compensation if the camera gets the ISO wrong. Using base ISO comes from the days of early digital cameras with CCD sensors which usually don't handle high ISO well. DXOMark says the Sony a6400 (which I think represents mid range mirrorless cameras quite well) is perfectly usable up to ISO 1431. Beyond that you can just remove the colour noise in post, maybe add some more noise reduction and you're good. Noise is better than not taking a shot because ISO 100 turns out to not be enough. ISO 1600 is perfectly fine on most cameras. With the camera he's using (Sony A7R IV) you can go up to ISO 3200 with basically no noise

[themeditation]

Dear Maual mode only about aperture and shutter speed...you can have to deal iso differently...With M you can have Auto Iso..

[rokpodlogar]

base ISO is not always the choice. check your camera's signal to noise diagram, but yes, in general, you won't see significant difference on small screens/prints.

[stopplecone]

generally a lower iso is better, but ive shot pictures with iso of up to 2000 (because i needed to freeze my subject) and sure, they do look more grainy than what i would like,
but that grain wouldve been there and might have been much worse if i was shooting with a lower iso of say 640 and added the light later on in a photo editing program

(plus i wouldn't have seen my subject if it were that low or lower)