Shooting in manual mode can be terrifying and beyond frustrating, especially when you are a new photographer. Before you begin shooting in manual mode, it is important to be aware of basic exposure terminology. All of the following definitions affect how much light comes into the camera.

• Exposure- how much light hits the camera’s sensor; aperture, ISO, and shutter speed make up the exposure triangle.
• Aperture- also known as f-stop, is the size of the hole on your camera; aperture decides how much light is coming in there; operates in a series of full stops with 1/3 stops in between the full stops.

f/2.8- full stop

f/3.2- 1/3 stop

f/3.5- 2/3 stop

f/4.0- full stop

• ISO- affects how much light hits the sensor; determines how light or dark an image is ; the higher the ISO the more sensitive your camera is to light and the lower the ISO the less sensitive your camera is to light. 

ISO’s- 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600.

• Shutter Speed- how long the camera’s hole stays open; like aperture, the shutter speeds operates in 1/3 stops too.

1/200- full stop

1/160- 1/3 stop

1/125- 1/3 stop

1/100- full stop

It is essential to remember that your camera is your tool. You, the photographer, should be the one to tell your camera what to do. It should not be the other way around. This is why manual mode is so important. Manual mode allows you to have more control. YOU are the one to tell your camera what to do. YOU get to make all the decisions. When you are a beginner, choosing your settings seems more like a chore. Trust us when we say, with practice, choosing your settings becomes second nature. It actually becomes FUN. The more comfortable you become, the more creative you can be because you are less worried about your settings and are thinking more about composition and different poses. You get to be the artist!

Just know, it’s impossible to learn how to shoot in perfect exposure overnight. It takes lots of practice. In fact, we are still learning. We learn more each time we pick up our camera. I don’t think we will ever reach a point where we know everything. If we do, then that is a problem. There is always something new to learn.

Thanks for reading, Friends!

-Chelsea and Hannah

 

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