Kenny took us through the how’s & why’s of shooting in manual mode.
The how’s consist of the 3 basic camera settings: aperture, shutter speed & ISO. When NOT shooting in manual mode, the camera decides one or more of these settings so it’s important to understanding how it is making those decision. There are situations in which the camera will get it “wrong” for the shot intended by the photographer. This is when you need to know how to use manual mode to make all of the decisions yourself.
Some of the why’s that Kenny explained are:
- Take full creative control
- Better to deal with tricky lighting
- Consistent exposures
- Exposure can be set for the subject with no regard for the background
- Makes you slow down and think about what you’re doing
When manual mode is necessary:
- Anytime you want consistent exposures
- Panoramas
- When the background light is changing
- Night photography – stars, Milky Way, Moon, cityscapes
- Creative Techniques – long exposures, in camera movement, i.e. intentional blue
