Tips For Shooting In Manual

With the warmer weather nearly here, there will be more opportunities for us to practice our photographic technique.  With that in mind, I want to encourage you all to step outside your comfort zone and attempt to become more comfortable with your camera's settings.  I think you can all go cold turkey and try your hand at Manual but there are other, less overwhelming options if you're a bit nervous. Being able to play with light is a gift in the summer months.  Make sure you are comfortable with the exposure triangle to be able to make any light situation work for you!

Source: My Three Boybarians, Tips for Shooting Manually

Examples (indoor, natural lighting from sliding door)

The difference between these two photos is the direction of the light source (and thus, the difference in contrast).  One was behind, one was looking toward it.  In the photo of my son, I had to crank the ISO up to 800.  In my daughter's photo the ISO was only at 200 (probably because it was midday).  They both were shot at f/2.8, and both had fast shutter speeds (over 1/200 sec).  If I had wanted to, I could have decreased his ISO and slowed down my shutter since he wasn't moving. In both I wasn't willing to sacrifice my shallow depth of field so I would have had to change something else.  Also, in both, selecting my focal point was key to keeping the focus on the eyes.

In both photos, using the flash would have been disastrous.  I encourage you to try not to use your flash at all--use the exposure triangle to help add more light to your shot.  Also, the photo of my daughter would have been much more difficult if I had not been metering for her face.

Another bonus of shooting in Manual is the control over your depth of field.  Be sure to keep your f/stop in mind when shooting on various planes.  If need be, switch to Aperture Priority to have more freedom with your aperture if you're not ready to switch to Manual.  In this photo, my aperture was f/2.2, shot with a wide angle 35mm lens.  Since they were sitting side-by-side, I could have a larger aperture (to bring in more light), but note that the window and the blanket are out of focus.

This was shot at f/10.  If I had had important subjects in the foreground I would have had to go smaller (higher number) if I wanted to keep the pier crisp.

There is a rule called the "Sunny 16" Rule.  One a sunny day, shoot at f/16 with a shutter speed of 1/ISO (so 1/100 at ISO 100).  For overcast days, the rule is "Cloudy 8."  Start at f/8 with an a shutter speed of 1/ISO.  I don't like this rule because it requires too much thinking and I generally like a wide open aperture for a blurred background, although sometimes I luck into it.

f/10, ISO 320, 1/400 sec

I do like the f/stop rule, though: f/stop = # of people in shot + 2.  I broke the rule in this photo, though--I kept my aperture at f/3.2 because they were all mostly on the same plane.

Same family grouping, different composition and perspective, different aperture (f/2.2).  This one uses fill your frame as a composition tool to help tell the story.

So mastering depth of field and being able to select your focal points will help you achieve the photo you have in your mind.  Often, that will not be the case with automatic settings where the creative functions are usually out of your control.

Conversely, you can also shoot in Shutter Speed Priority if your subject is moving or if you want to blur motion.  Remember kids and pets will probably blur below 1/125 or even 1/200 sec.

ISO 160, f/2.8, 1/1000 sec.  Note the shallow depth of field and how it keeps the chairs in the background from being distracting.  Would that have been the case in Shutter Speed priority?

Whatever you choose, now is the time to branch off Automatic settings and try your hand at mastering all the glorious light these upcoming seasons will bring.  Don't be held back by your camera when your knowledge takes you to the next level!  Time to push yourself as a photographer and trust that you know what to do.