Use your camera’s manual mode like a pro

Control aperture, ISO and shutter speed on your camera for beautiful exposure and amazing photos.

“The Advanced Level is Mastery of the Basics”- Ray Mancini

Manual mode gives you complete control over your camera so you can be more creative with your photoshoots. When photographers switch from automatic to manual mode, it's like discovering a whole new world.

Shooting in manual takes some practice so follow these tips to improve your photography and become more familiar with your camera.

Aperture controls focus

In manual mode, you can adjust the aperture, one of the most important aspects of photography. Aperture refers to the hole located at the back of your lens. You can adjust your aperture with your camera’s f-number. F-numbers control the brightness and depth of field.

A wide aperture and a low f-number will provide more exposure. The foreground or subject will become sharp, and the background will remain blurred.

To reduce exposure, use a narrow aperture and high f-numbers. By doing this, you can get a beautiful, sharp picture with both the foreground and background in focus, but you will need more light to make it work.

Adjust ISO to play with light

Manually adjusting ISO lets you control light sensitivity. A higher ISO value will result in more exposure and vice versa. Even though high ISO can be useful in low-light conditions, stick to lower ISO values for less grain and noise – especially if you're shooting outside.

For creative effects, master shutter speed

Shutter speed can be adjusted in manual mode, so your pictures can be taken at different speeds. Slow shutter speeds hold your shutter's door open longer and allow more light in than faster ones. The slower you go, the more prone your shots are to camera shake so it’s always a good idea to take a tripod with you.

Reducing your shutter speed can result in motion blurs and light trails, especially if you shoot at night. Conversely, you can speed up your shutter to get a crisp, clean image. 4

Discover more tips for shooting in manual to really get the most out of your camera.

When you’ve finished your photoshoot, don’t forget the final piece of the puzzle – editing. Get creative with Lightroom and discover all the ways you can bring your photos to life.