Manual Mode
Manual mode is about as tricky as you can get with your camera. You have the power in this mode to set both the aperture priority and the shutter speed of the camera, as well as the ISO speed of course. You can also use a manual shutter to take extra long exposures of stars or other very low light sources using bulb mode. The photo below was taken over about a minte to allow enough time for the light to penetrate the sensor at the back of the camera.
Remove moving objects such as people through multiple exposures
There are several other uses for manual mode. If you want to take multiple exposures of a scene with lots of people and edit out the people, you will need exactly the same exposure settings for every photo. Setting your camera up in manual mode is essential for this as the influx of people into your shot could otherwise cause slight changes in exposure if aperture priority mode is used.
Manual mode can also be used when taking stitch shots as again, a consistent exposure will probably be desired to ensure smooth blending of each frame.
I would add that as a habbit I would always put the camera back into aperture priority mode after shooting in manual mode. This is because you can quickly grab that camera, point and click if you see something without time to prepare the camera settings. If you have set up the previous shot in manual mode you will more than likely find your shot is over exposed or too dark if the lighting has changed.
Digital SLR Tutorial
Ever wanted to get a simple introduction to using a digital SLR? Follow these lessons for improved pictures.
- AUTO Function
- Using a Flash
- Exposure
- ISO Speed
- Aperture Function
- Shutter Mode
- Manual Mode
- Using a Tripod
- Examples to share
Photo Editing
Digital photos rarely turn out perfectly. Here are some photo editing tips to make your shots look like they are from a magazine!
- Crop and Rotate
- Removing Dust
- Levels and Shadows
- Brightness, Contrast
- Colour Balance
- Vignette Effect
- Saving Pictures
- Some Examples