Manual Mode

So you have mastered Aperture Priority mode, Shutter Priority mode, and you know how to properly select your ISO for the lighting ... Well, now you are ready to step into the world of full Manual mode!

The short...
You will need to use what you learned about shutter speed, and what you learned about aperture settings and how they affect DOF (depth of field). You will also need to learn how to read and use the light meter that is built into your camera to select the proper ISO, shutter speed, and aperture.

The long...

Shutter

The shutter is the hole that allows light to enter your camera. If it is held open for a long time lots of light gets through the hole - if it is held open for a short amount of time less light gets through the hole. We discussed this, in depth, in the Shutter Priority mode blog entry. Basically, having a fast shutter speed will allow you to freeze fast action such as sporting events, splashing water, racing, and so forth. There is, however, a drawback to using a fast shutter speed. The faster the shutter speed the less light enters the camera. Conversely, you might want to use a slow shutter speed to compensate for low light situations because the longer the shutter is held open the more light enters the camera. Unfortunately, there is also a drawback to using a short shutter speed. The slow shutter speed is more likely to cause motion blur if you or the subject move while the shutter is open.

In Auto Mode, Program Mode, and Aperture Mode the camera decides what shutter speed is needed. Sometimes the result is what and sometimes it is not because the camera does not know if you want to freeze fast motion or capture a low light portrait. The only thing the camera knows is whether the correct amount of light is entering the camera to produce a proper exposure. However, with the camera in Manual Mode you control the shutter speed to get the shot you want.

Aperture
Although the aperture does open and close which affects the amount of light entering the camera, the main purpose of the aperture is to control the depth of field. Again, the larger the aperture is open the more light gets in and the smaller the the aperture the less light enters. Also the larger the aperture opening the shallower the DOF and the smaller the aperture opening the deeper the depth of field is. To read more about the setting the aperture read the Aperture Priority Mode blog entry.

In Auto Mode, Program Mode, and Shutter Priority Mode the camera decides the aperture setting. The camera only knows how to get a properly exposed photo so with the camera in Manual Mode you can control the aperture setting.

ISO
In Auto Mode ISO is automatically selected for you, but in Aperture, Shutter, and Manual Modes you must select the ISO setting of your camera. ISO is what sets the sensitivity to light of your camera. The higher the ISO the more sensitive the camera is to light which in turn allows you to shoot pictures in lower light situations. To read more see the ISO blog entry.

So to sum it all up Manual Mode puts you in complete control of your camera from the shutter speed to the aperture setting to the ISO setting you get to choose how your picture turns out. My only suggestion is if you have not yet tried out Aperture Priority Mode and Shutter Priority Mode you should try those out first to get a feel for setting the aperture or the shutter. Again this is an advanced mode and you should learn how to properly use the features of you camera before using this setting to produce pictures. This is not what I consider a "safe" setting. Please practice with this setting before using it to take important pictures. Other than that go out and give Manual mode a try!