‘Manual’

All good photographers use ‘Manual’, right?

Sit down. I’m about to tell you something that might come as a shock: shooting in ‘Manual’ (M) is a waste of time.

Still there? OK, I’ll explain. Unlike ‘Shutter Priority’ and ‘Aperture Priority’, when using ‘Manual’ you’re in control of shutter speed and aperture and ISO.

In ‘Manual’ your camera is still telling you what it thinks is the ‘correct exposure’, in exactly the same way that it does in every other mode. But instead of making the changes for you, you have to do it all yourself.

Often people use ‘Manual’ and simply adjust the shutter speed and aperture to match what their camera is telling them. By doing this they’re effectively shooting in ‘Program’ (P), and taking a lot longer. Trust me, ‘Manual’ adds nothing to the picture!

When you’re trying to get familiar with all the technical stuff, using ‘Manual’ slows you down, adds confusion and, worst of all, means you risk missing the shot.

That said, there is a situation in general day-to-day shooting when you could opt to use ‘Manual’. It’s when you want to override what your camera is telling you and intentionally under- or overexpose your picture. But rather than using ‘Manual’, I’m going to show you a much faster and easier method of getting the same result.