Ever felt like your DSLR camera is full of untapped potential and you’ll never ever be able to crack its code?
Believe me, the feeling’s normal. Many aspiring photographers struggle to move beyond automatic settings on their cameras – restricting creative flexibility and control.
But what if you could capture stunning imagery with precision and intent, instead of just crossing your fingers and hoping for a good shot?
Manually controlling the settings on your DSLR makes this a reality. It empowers you to bend light to your will and turn challenging situations to your advantage.
This is what today's article is all about. I'll teach you how to use manual mode on DSLR and become a pro photographer.
What is Manual Mode and Why Should You Use It?
Do you know what creates an image in the first place? The Exposure.
You can think of Exposure as the recipe for creating a photograph. Get the ingredients wrong, and the final output won’t match your creative vision. But when you mix them properly, magic happens!
The 3 key exposure ingredients are aperture, shutter speed, and IOS. (These exposure ingredients are often called the Exposure Triangle).
In manual mode, you manually control these settings rather than relying on your camera's automatic settings.
We’ll learn about these essential camera settings later on, right now let’s deal with what you might be wondering:
Why undergo the effort to learn manual settings if my camera's Automatic mode works fine already?
It's a fair question.
Here are 5 key benefits to shooting in manual mode instead of just letting your camera decide optimal settings:
1. Complete Creative Control - Take charge of exposure settings instead of letting the camera guess. This allows for creative flexibility not possible in auto mode.
2. Consistent & Predictable Results - Manual settings provide consistency for HDR, panoramas, and other multi-image scenarios.
3. Enhanced Low Light Capabilities - Manually controlling exposure unlocks superior low light performance compared to auto mode.
4. Flexibility for Different Situations - Auto mode falters in tricky lighting situations. Manual mode grants exposure fine-tuning to match your creative vision.
5. Mastery of Exposure Science - Understanding exposure fundamentals accelerates your photography growth tremendously.
If you're looking to put your skills to the test, participating in photography contests can be an excellent way to challenge yourself and gain recognition.
Essential Camera Settings in Manual Mode
Aperture
Think of the aperture as controlling the “size” of light flowing into your camera.
It’s measured in f-stops – counterintuitively, larger f-stop numbers mean a smaller aperture opening (less light gets in), while smaller f-stop numbers mean a larger aperture opening (more light gets in).
Aperture settings impact two important things:
Image brightness: Larger apertures (lower f-stop numbers) let in more light, making images brighter. Smaller apertures (larger f-stop numbers) let in less light, making images darker.
Depth of field: Depth of field refers to the area in front of and behind your focus point that appears sharp. Larger apertures (lower f-stop numbers) produce a shallow depth of field, perfect for portraits. Smaller apertures (larger f-stop numbers) produce a large depth of field, ideal for landscape images. Mastering depth of field is key to creating compelling images, whether you're shooting portraits or landscapes.
Shutter Speed
If the aperture controls the “size” of light coming in, the shutter speed controls the “duration” that light enters the camera.
Faster shutter speeds freeze action in images, while slower shutter speeds intentionally blur motion. Shutter speed is measured in fractions of a second.
For example:
1/500th sec = Very fast, freeze motion
1/60th sec = Capture ambient indoor light
5 seconds = Blur water movement
ISO
ISO controls your camera sensor’s sensitivity to light. Lower ISO numbers require more light to get a good exposure – but produce the highest image quality with the least noise/grain.
As you increase ISO, your camera needs less light to achieve proper exposure. But higher ISO introduces noise, color desaturation, and other image artifacts.
Here's a rundown:
ISO 100-200: Bright light, max quality
ISO 400-800: Overcast light, minor noise
ISO 1600+: Low light & indoor, increased noise
Balancing these exposure ingredients creatively is key for mastering manual mode. We’ll explore this more soon, but first...
Step-by-Step Guide to Using Manual Mode on Your DSLR
Even with exposure fundamentals under your belt, manual mode remains intimidating if you lack tangible practice using it in real-world scenarios.
Fear not! I’ll walk you through getting started via an easy 5 step process:
Step 1: Switch to Manual Shooting Mode
First, locate and activate manual (“M”) mode on your camera. DSLRs empower switching between shooting modes via a physical dial.
On Canon DSLRs, turn the dial to align the “M” with the indicator mark. Nikons feature a similar dial organization.
Once set to “M”, your camera will not automatically choose any settings - aperture, shutter speed, and ISO control now lies in your hands!
You’ll notice your viewfinder & LCD overlay now display current aperture, shutter speed, and ISO values. This info provides real-time insight into your exposure settings as you adjust them.
Step 2: Select an Aperture for Depth of Field Intent
We discussed earlier that aperture controls the depth of field and brightness.
Since aperture directly influences depth of field (area of sharp focus), it makes intuitive sense to set this first based on your creative goals:
Portraits: Shoot wide open at low f-stop numbers like f/2.8 or f/4 to blur backgrounds.
Landscapes: Choose narrower apertures (higher f-stop numbers) like f/11 or f/16 to maximize depth of field.
Refer to your lens or User Manual if unsure of available apertures. Many lenses display the current f-stop directly on the barrel.
Step 3: Choose a Shutter Speed
Now determine the desired shutter speed:
Do you want to freeze action (faster shutter)?
Or show movement via motion blur (slower shutter)?
If Unsure, start the shutter speed around 1/100th sec. range. This delivers sharp handheld shots in most conditions.
Faster shutters to freeze motion can be 1/500th to 1/2000th sec. Slower shutters from 1/15th down to several seconds display appealing motion blur if you have a tripod.
Step 4: Check the Exposure Level & Set ISO
At this point in the process, check your exposure level and set ISO as needed:
Press the shutter halfway and glance at the light meter in the viewfinder. Does it lean left (underexposed), right (overexposed), or sit evenly at zero (properly exposed)?
If underexposed, raise ISO to amplify light sensitivity until the meter hits zero. If overexposed, lower ISO to restrict light intake accordingly.
Start at your camera’s native ISO (usually 100 or 200) for maximum quality, then get exposure dialed via ISO adjustment in combination with tweaking aperture or shutter speed settings until everything looks evenly lit.
This ISO dance counterbalances your other settings selections, completing the Exposure Triangle equilibrium!
Step 5: Review Photos & Adjust Settings Accordingly
Once exposure looks even per the light meter, take some test shots and review images on your LCD screen (zoom in!). Evaluate brightness, motion freezing, and depth of field - does reality align with creative goals?
If photos look incorrectly exposed or intended motion/DOF effects miss the mark, modify settings & continue shooting until satisfied.
For example: overexposed beach shots mean narrowing the aperture, boosting the shutter speed, and possibly lowering the ISO. Or action came out blurry? Speed up the shutter!
That’s the beauty of manual mode: direct cause-and-effect relationships between adjustable settings and real-world results.
With practice, you'll intuitively know how to translate photographic vision into aperture/shutter/ISO technique.
How to Balance the Exposure Triangle
Let’s walk through how to wield each setting for creative impact while maintaining overall exposure equilibrium:
Controlling Depth of Field with Aperture
We discussed earlier that aperture controls:
Brightness
Depth of field zone (sharp area)
This dual impact makes the aperture a useful creative adjustment if you want greater control over the depth of field.
For example, selecting a wide aperture opening (low f-stop number) creates that coveted blurry dreamlike background portrait look.
Stopping down the aperture by increasing the f-stop number keeps distracting backgrounds crisp & defined. Great for product shots or landscape images!
Freezing or Showing Motion with Shutter Speed
As explored previously, faster shutter speeds freeze subjects in motion, while slow shutter speeds create artistic blur.
The effect can be profound. Consider these examples:
Fast shutter (1/2000th sec): Crystal-clear hummingbird wings frozen mid-flap
Slow shutter (2 seconds): Misty light trails racing along a highway at dusk
Knowing this creative linkage enables you to match the desired shutter speed to your photographic vision.
Amplifying Light Sensitivity with ISO
ISO allows for enhancing your camera’s light sensitivity. Need to shoot a dim stage performance? Crank ISO to 3200! Shooting sports action on a bright day? Set ISO down to 200 for best quality.
Here are some common use cases:
Concerts & Events: ISO 1600-3200
Cloudy outdoor days: ISO 400
Bright sunlight: ISO 100-200
Just be mindful that as you amplify ISO, more digital noise creeps into your images. It’s the classic image quality vs light sensitivity tradeoff.
Common Shooting Scenarios: Matching Manual Exposure to Different Situations
Having the confidence to quickly translate imagined photos into tangible shots only comes one way – practice!
Let’s explore some common shooting scenarios along with appropriate manual exposure approaches for each:
Shooting Landscapes
Landscape images demand generous depth of field to maintain sharpness from near foreground elements to distant backgrounds.
Manual exposure settings like f/11, f/16 aperture, shutter speed around 1/100th sec, and ISO 100 help maximize landscape image clarity.
Of course, rules always allow for exceptions! Consider intentionally slowing the shutter speed to blur clouds or water for a mystical effect.
For those interested in honing their landscape photography skills, exploring competitions specifically for landscape photographers can provide valuable inspiration and feedback.
Shooting Portraits Outdoors
Unlike landscapes, portraits rely on shallow depth of field to softly blur backgrounds - drawing viewer attention towards the key subject.
Open up the aperture to f/2.8, f/4, and dial shutter speed & ISO to properly expose the face. Avoid light falling off dramatically towards image edges.
If you're looking to specialize in portrait photography, consider learning the best camera settings for capturing stunning portraits.
Photographing Sports & Action
Freezing split-second action requires fast shutter speeds upwards of 1/500th sec or quicker. Widening the aperture can further shorten the required shutter duration.
Continuous adjusted Servo AF tracking keeps moving athletes sharply in focus between shots.
Night Sky & Astrophotography
Capturing stars and galaxies where no light exists? Slow shutter speeds allow gathering precious photons spanning 30 seconds or longer.
Mounting the camera steady via a tripod prevents star trail smearing during the long exposure. Increase ISO to 6400 and beyond if necessary to further boost dim signals.
Shooting Events Indoors
Grab footage of concerts, weddings, or shows where lighting varies unpredictably? This scenario pushes ISO capabilities upwards of 6400 expandably to 12,800 and beyond depending on the camera model.
Wider aperture lenses around f/2.8 maintain fast shutter speeds to combat handshake and blur - while maximizing dim light intake for clean images.
As illustrated by these examples, manually controlling exposure empowers adapting settings to match wildly varying lighting conditions.
Automatic mode can’t stretch capabilities across such diverse environments with equal aplomb; you'll achieve noticeably better image quality going manual.
For those interested in event photography, learning how to become a wedding photographer can be a great way to apply your manual mode skills in a professional setting.
Common Manual Mode Shooting Mistakes
Easing the frustrations beginners encounter when first shooting manually means pointing out predictable pitfalls:
Bracketing Helps Finding the Right Exposure
Fear over "wasting shots" trying to set ideal manual exposure paralyzes many rookies. They meticulously overanalyze settings, yet still half the images come out too dark or too light!
The problem? Not bracketing.
Bracketing simply means taking 3 or more shots at slightly different exposures, centered around your best guess for proper settings.
Review results on your LCD afterward - photos too bright or dark? Adjust settings towards properly exposed frames and repeat.
After just 1-2 rounds of shoots & inspection, your manual settings should nail ideal exposure!
Forget to Pre-focus Before Shooting?
Nothing stings worse than reviewing what could have been an awesome perfectly composed shot, only to discover your focal point landed WAY off base. Argh!!
Avoid this misery by simply half-pressing your DSLR shutter beforehand to pre-focus on the money, then finish holding the button fully down to take the shot.
Not Monitoring Exposure Over Time
Dialing initial exposure settings manually takes care but doesn't guarantee properly exposed photos an hour later! Lighting conditions evolve, sometimes dramatically.
Periodically chimp a couple of test shots on your rear LCD, verifying settings still deliver even exposure over time.
Assuming Higher ISOs Guarantee Low Light Success
Pushing ISO in dim conditions helps counteract dull lighting, but goes too far and image quality dissolution ruins everything. Know your particular camera model's upper limits before noise gets out of hand.
Additionally, wider aperture lenses collect more light requiring less extreme ISO increases. Invest if low-light shooting is common for you!
Mastering Manual Settings + Auto AF/AE Hybrid Shooting
A wonderful bridge helping bootstrap the transition from fully automatic into manual mode involves letting your camera automatically handle focusing and metering exposure settings at first.
Here’s how it works...
First, set your shooting mode dial to aperture priority ("A" mode) or shutter priority ("S" mode). Then, manually dial in the setting you want granular control over:
Aperture Priority: Manually set the desired aperture (depth of field), camera selects the matching shutter speed automatically.
Shutter Priority: Manually set the desired shutter speed (freeze/blur motion), camera selects the matching aperture automatically.
In both cases, your camera uses metering to determine appropriate brightness paired against your manually configured key setting, just like the full manual!
But you save brain power previously devoted to locking continuous focus on a moving subject. Plus as the lighting shifts, the camera gracefully balances everything without intervention.
This hybrid workflow vastly simplifies juggling all the exposure elements simultaneously. Yet you still enjoy manual setting benefits where they matter most for your creative vision.
As your photographic powers continue growing, you can graduate into full manual confidence. But in the meantime, aperture/shutter priority modes provide a nice stepping-stone buffer.
Additional Manual Shooting Tips & Tricks
Let’s finish off with some rapid-fire manual mode tips guaranteed to accelerate getting hooked shooting manually!
Use Prime Lenses - Swapping that kit zoom lens for affordable primes like the nifty 50 or 35 1.8 forces getting more intimate with manual adjustments. No more zooming with your feet!
Learn Your Camera’s Button Layout Blindfolded - Since much manual shooting happens holding the camera up to your eye, memorize physical button locations through muscle memory. You don’t want to miss shots fumbling!
Customize for One-Handed Shooting - Further optimize accessory dial access by moving ISO, metering, focus modes, etc to easily reached spots. Customizable bodies like the Canon 80D excel here.
Shoot in RAW - RAW Images contain far more editable headroom than compressed JPEGs. Great for recovering highlights or shadows that your manual exposure wasn’t perfectly dialed in on!
Enable Mirror Lockup - Cut camera motion blur on long exposure shots by mechanically separating mirror raise noise from the eventual shutter fire. Useful for extreme telephoto work too.
Don’t Fear Learning Manual Focus - Hone precision further by manually focusing, especially during challenging scenarios like astrophotography or macro work.
Develop a Consistent Style: As you become more comfortable with manual settings, you'll likely start to develop your own unique style.
This individuality is crucial, especially if you're considering entering photography competitions. Learning how to stand out in photography contests often comes down to presenting a cohesive body of work that showcases your distinct perspective.
Key Takeaways
That wraps up this epic deep dive into mastering manual mode shooting on DSLR cameras!
Let’s recap key takeaways:
Manual control empowers limitless creative possibilities compared to letting your camera make automated exposure decisions
Balancing aperture, shutter speed, and ISO constitutes the core Exposure Triangle craft of manual shooting
Matching settings to different shooting scenarios takes practice, but grants superior photographic mastery rewarding the time investment
Hybrid auto/manual focusing & metering modes offer a gentle path toward full manual shooting
Armed with this knowledge, you now have no excuse avoiding the creative liberation turning that mode dial to “M” unleashes! I encourage setting a goal to shoot exclusively in manual mode for your next 2-3 upcoming photographic excursions.
Expect a learning curve at first. But before long, aperture/shutter speed/ISO symbiosis will click.
That’s when suddenly a whole new realm of creative possibilities opens up to you - taking your photography to the next level.
So set down your kit zoom lens, grab a fast prime, flip to manual mode, and explore this exciting frontier side of photography. Your inner artist will thank you!
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