Hello Jim1938,

If you don’t mind I would like to explain to you how people that shoot in manual mode do it or at least, this is how they should do it. First of all back when I use to do everything with film I used Canon F1 cameras with a motor drive attached to it because I use to do a lot sports, later I change that for the Canon EOS 1V, exceptional cameras. The F1 has been my favorite camera to use because of the simplicity that now is lost in cameras. Back then whatever film I used in the camera I would always cut the ASA in half for better exposure. My prefer film was Tri-X Pro which had an ASA of 320 and I use it at 160. This of course would allow me to have every negative overexposed by one stop. The F1 had several features but I use it all in manual mode this way.

1. Set the ASA in half of the normal ASA.
2. Set the shutter speed to 1/1000 of a second (My preferred shutter speed whenever possible)
3. Used all prime lenses with maximum apertures of f/2.8 or faster. By the way, back then, I use fixed focus length lenses and no zoom, they are always faster.
4. Always make sure to follow the light meter by changing the apertures of the lens only.
5. Focus and shoot. Very simple!

Of course things have change now with these digital wonders that they make now days. So now shooting in manual mode it means to use everything in manual and not in auto anything. It means that you know enough of photography to create the images with the knowledge you have in photography and not the people that programmed the camera for the user. It’s just a matter of pride by doing everything yourself. So, my camera of choice nowadays is Canon 5D Mark III, I set it up this way.

1. Mode, Manual or shutter speed priority.
2. ISO never higher than 400, if you know what you are doing there is no need, even at night.
3. White balance, Daylight to capture the color of light the way it really is. This allows me to get a cinematic look in my photos.
4. Focusing in AI Servo, my eyes are not what they use to be.
5. Picture styles, Landscape for better contrast.
6. File type, always RAW

As you can see, in digital cameras is a bit more to set up but no one has to do this every time. To take the pictures all I have to do is to set an aperture or shutter speed, depending on the situation, and use the other to set the correct setting in the light meter. Taking pictures in manual mode is very easy for anyone if the person takes the time to learn it. Again, decide what is important for a particular shot, aperture or shutter speed, set it in the camera and just use the other to control the light meter. No big deal.
Again, some people just want to have total control. In my case I take a lot of photos in the studio and out of the studio and I like to teach all of it to my students.

Cheers Jim.

It’s really great to have someone tell us this how everyone should be doing it.

Yes, I know a lot of professional photographers that are very good at what they do and they all work differently and none of them say “this is the way you should do it”. Great, you shoot in manual, I used to do it all the time. It was the only option for me. I still do it sometimes in special situations, but I tend to use aperture priority most often and sometimes M with auto ISO. Shooting in manual only might give you an air of superiority in your own mind, but it doesn’t make you superior. Knowing all the technical aspects doesn’t make you a photographer. For all we know you might just be a technically adept shooter.

It’s interesting that you say that, of course you don't know who I am so, its okay. In fact I have been a professional photographer since 1982 when I open my first photo studio. I also started a school of photography as part of Triangle Camera in Chicago in the mid 80's, I have photograph for many corporate clients. I also have been teaching photography at Truman College in Chicago for the last 25 years. Do I feel superior to other people that only talk a lot in groups like this? Yes! Because I have photograph anything and everything for many years and I have the photos to prove it. What about you? Do you have photos to prove that you are a photographer? The fact is that now I have slowdown a bit and I have time to share what I know. If people with soft feelings feel offended, oh well, it just means that you take everything personal even when no one is talking directly to you.

Yada, yada, yada ... that’s great, but many of the assertions you made are not signs of a good instructor. It’s like giving step by step instructions without imparting knowledge. No decent instructor I’ve had would say “this is the way you should do it” and give a list of settings. Those settings may be fine for a particular kind of shot, but don’t take into account what kind of shot you’re going for. I like to shoot musicians playing in clubs with ambient light. Your “this is how you should be doing it” wouldn’t work at all.
Also, if I was taking a college photography class I would expect the instructor to know the difference between “focus” and “focal”

`

Manual means "by hand". This is not just
rhetorical or academic. It means that any
control that is set MANUALLY will stay as
it's set, unchanged, until someone's hand
alters the setting. The "any control" in the
case of camera use would include:

aperture size
exposure duration
ISO speed
placement of focus plane
color rendering
contrast rendering
framing of scene/subject
moment-in-time of exposure

Everything on that list has been relegated
to non-manual control at some time on
some camera. Everything. But acoarst not
any singular camera that I can recall does
ALL those things. Some come very close !

Soooo, "manual shooting" means close to
nothing at all. "Manual control" only means
anything if a particular control is specified.
Any of the above listed controls can either
be manually controlled or can be machine
controlled.

Again, manual control means nothing will
change, unless it is changed "by hand".
HOW the hand decides what changes it
might make is a whole different story :-)

.

`

Manual means "by hand". This is not just
rhetorical or academic. It means that any
control that is set MANUALLY will stay as
it's set, unchanged, until someone's hand
alters the setting. The "any control" in the
case of camera use would include:

aperture size
exposure duration
ISO speed
placement of focus plane
color rendering
contrast rendering
framing of scene/subject
moment-in-time of exposure

Everything on that list has been relegated
to non-manual control at some time on
some camera. Everything. But acoarst not
any singular camera that I can recall does
ALL those things. Some come very close !

Soooo, "manual shooting" means close to
nothing at all. "Manual control" only means
anything if a particular control is specified.
Any of the above listed controls can either
be manually controlled or can be machine
controlled.

Again, manual control means nothing will
change, unless it is changed "by hand".
HOW the hand decides what changes it
might make is a whole different story :-)

.