What’s the big deal about shooting in manual?
You paid good money to buy that fancy camera so you could get really great photos. So why do you feel like you can’t break through the barrier from taking snapshots to creating works of art? And why do you still end up with photos where you’ve blown the sky, or the whole thing just looks dark, dull, and “meh?” The reality is, the camera is only as good as the person using it. (Kind of like Maverick’s claim to fame about the pilot sitting in the cockpit). If you have been frustrated more than once with the results on your DSLR or mirrorless, you are probably ready to start shooting in manual mode.
The unfortunate truth of photography is that composition alone doesn’t always create something noteworthy. You often want to capture the movement or the light in a scene to really feel the significance of the moment you’re photographing. And, more often that not, if you feel like the light is worth capturing, then it is dramatic, contrasty, and really difficult to deal with. It takes some finesse to tell your camera how to handle it.
Cameras are built to create a “perfect” exposure at what we call 18% gray. If you were to look at a paint chip, that is a gray somewhere in the top third of the chip. It takes in the whole scene from your viewfinder, and averages all the light it sees to spit out a “perfect” exposure at that pre-determined level. That works like a dream when you are shooting in a bright, overcast day with little variance in the light. But how often do we get to do that??? What happens when you’re shooting in bright white snow, or at dark cityscapes at night, or in trees when there is light coming in from behind? Even aperture and shutter priority modes aren’t equipped to deal with that. You can use exposure compensation, but often, it is just as easy to dial in the manual setting with just a little practice. And then you have complete control of what “gives” to achieve the exposure you’re looking for. When you throw up your hands and let the camera decide for you, it may choose to decrease the shutter speed 5 stops to let enough light in, and then you have another blurry photo.
I know that when I started, having complete control of every setting didn’t sound liberating. I sounded downright scary. I assumed that upgrading the camera would mean I could count on the machine to do that work for me. But jumping in to learn was the best step I ever took on my photography journey. Learning to master the settings has given me so much freedom and creative control. It allows me to evaluate a scene and ask myself, what do I want to do with this? What do I love? What would I like to draw attention to? It made me a photographer. If you just want to take the photo to get it on instagram, then manual might not be for you. But if you think photography could be your art, expression, meditation, or relaxation, then eventually you’ll have to take the leap.
If you’d like an intro into shooting in manual, check out my ebook here! If you would like to check out my class - including interactive zoom sessions, instructive videos, and feedback on assignements, you can find more info here. If you’re interested in mentoring with me to learn what is next, I’d love to connect with you here. Wishing you all the best on whatever you decide is your next step!
