I’ve encountered many people over the years who seem afraid of Manual mode. They worry their pictures will be all screwed up. Don’t be scared! Every picture you take comes down to a single aperture/shutter speed combination.

It doesn’t matter if you arrive there in Program or Auto mode or Manual. A shot at 1/125th and F11 in Program mode is the same as a shot at 1/125th and F11 in Manual mode. Manual mode just requires a little more work on your part.

In Manual mode your camera will have some sort of indicator to show if your exposure is good or bad. There will be a Zero in the middle and Plus and Minus on either side. Your camera may use a needle or LEDs or display a scale with blocks. (Consult your camera manual to see what you’ve got.) Your goal is the change the aperture OR shutter speed to move the indicator to Zero. Simple!

I use Manual mode for some of the following reasons.

• Consistent exposures – the settings are locked in
• I can intentionally under or over expose
• Excessively bright or dark subjects fool the meter
• My OCD kicks in occasionally

When you use Manual mode you need to check your settings when the lighting conditions change. I suppose that’s why many people use some sort of Auto mode. Manual mode requires that you engage your brain a lot more.

We’ve been discussing Manual Exposure mode. It is independent of your Focus mode. You can still use Autofocus when shooting in Manual mode, or any other exposure mode. If you really want to be old school, you can go manual focus and Manual exposure. If you do, I’ll be so proud.