anotherview Loc: California

The general approach still guides: Learn composition, exposure, and the importance of subject.

These three topics cover everything to do with photography, with composition the most important. So pay the utmost attention to it.

One can use the Auto setting on the camera while gaining valuable experience. As with any other craft, photography requires learning from one's mistakes and successes. This process has few if any shortcuts. One must practice photography to learn it.

joseph premanandan

there is nothing like that you have to stick to one mode.i am still an amateur photographer and i will continue to be one till i hit the grave.there are times you use manual mode and yet there are times you use aperture or shutter mode.nothing is cast in stone.

srt101fan

"Subject" is more important than "composition"......

aschweik Loc: NE Ohio

I shot for probably 25 years in auto mode. Four kids and a busy life so that was fine for me. A year ago I decided I now have the time so I need to finally get out of auto. I read tons of books, watched videos, read stuff online (including the Hog...thanks for all the help)! The most important part for me was learning the exposure triangle and shooting a zillion different ways until it made sense. I never used aperture or shutter priority until after I learned manual. As I speak (type) my camera is working for me, taking a 40 minute time lapse of the sunrise at the beach. So sometimes it’s still good to make your camera do all the work while you just sit with your coffee, watching the sun come up over the ocean! :)

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Definitely! Using a consistent method is a very good way to do almost anything, especially getting a camera setup right. As for this "digital film" is that something new?

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

In all reality, other than shutter speed, aperture, ISO, and WB no other adjustments or settings, or presets are needed. I know they are never used on my camera.
--Bob

wteffey Loc: Ocala, FL USA

I believe the two most common causes of photo failure are poor composition and poor focusing, not poor exposure. Poor exposure can be mitigated by good PP work, composition and focus not so much. If my camera can help obtain proper exposure and allow me to concentrate on composition and focus, I am grateful for the help.

I do have a problem with "experts" telling learners that the only way to learn photography is learn manual. An option, yes, but a requirement, no. Do not spoil the joy of photography be insisting that learners master something that may not really be essential. After realizing a basic understanding of exposure use whatever technique gives the best results. Learning composition, focusing techniques and even PP might be a better use of one's time.

Boris Ekner Loc: From Sweden, living in Guatemala

Learning full manual mode isn’t that difficult. Here’s how I was taught to do it.

Set your camera in Auto.
Set your ISO in full auto, i.e. no restrictions.
Set white balance to auto.

Note the cameras aperture, shutter speed, and ISO values on a piece of paper.

Now,
1. with the camera in full manual mode set it up with the aperture, shutter, and ISO values from your notes. Keep white balance in auto for now.

2.
Change one setting value at the time. Take test shots of the same object to see and compare the effect the different values has.

3.
When your happy with your result - change the white balance to see what it does to your picture.

Ballangrud Loc: Vermont

I totally agree. I received my first camera in the mid-60's. Shot manual back then...primarily B&W. I also was the high school newspaper photographer. I had my own darkroom set-up in our kitchen at night. After High School, and working my way through college, I worked in a hospital and was able to have access to research darkroom working alongside a very special person who taught me about darkroom techniques. Learning the fundamentals about all of the key variables that go into taking a photo makes a very versatile photographer.

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

When I taught photography 101 in semester classes I insisted no pictures be taken the first 2 weeks of class. Instead we studied composition and what to look for in a good photograph and then how to create a good photograph. Then when I allowed them to take their camera's out it was still a very strong emphasis on composition , I instructed my class to use automatic mode. After a few weeks of hard work on looking for a good shot and composition we slowly got into Shutter Speeds, ISO, and F stops. After about 10 weeks of drill of the exposure triangle we finally got into manual mode. My emphasis was to bring my students around to manual through a series of successes. It worked for me and my students.

Hammer Loc: London UK

Your valid comments are aimed at normal people ! I wish I was normal ! Thought I was once but my shrink laughed .

Skiextreme2 Loc: Northwest MA

Practice using different settings till you are able to set the camera and get what you want on the first try. Seeing the setting in aperture or shutter mode will help you understand what settings to use for many different scenarios. Using those settings in manual mode will help you learn to use those settings for different scenarios. Once you learn to set up in manual mode for different scenes (lighting, distance, etc.) you will have gained the knowledge to use manual all the time. Compensating by using manual is the end result.

Aperture and shutter mode are good in many situations but in some situations (bright lights, bright backgrounds) they can be off. Being able to use manual all the time means you will have the knowledge to set the camera (compensate) for these situations with slightly different settings than what aperture and shutter mode would call for.

Experience is the best way to learn. Try this - go out using manual only and take 12-24 photos and record your settings on a pad, then go home and look at them on your computer. Figure out how you could have made each shot better (wider or more closed aperture, faster or slower shutter speed, different white balance etc.). This is how some of us learned when using 35mm cameras. Doing it this way tends to make most people retain the info better.

If you post a few images you can't figure out you here, (NO post processing), you will get the experience of others on what settings you could/should have used (wider or more closed aperture, step up or down shutter speed, higher or lower white balance etc).

Skiextreme2 Loc: Northwest MA

Exactly

anotherview Loc: California

If not composed and exposed to good effect, the subject may become nothing worthwhile.

ggenova64

HedgeHoggers

I have been shooting for quite a while in Manual. One Day it Clicked... I now check out the settings in Aperture Priority and use those settings in Manual Mode & tweak.

"Photographic Trinity". That is, ISO, Aperture and Shutter Speed". I still don't understand this Trilogy. What to Change, ISO, Aperture (aka F-stop) or Shutter Speed.

Then you throw in How to Shot, Shallow Depth of Field, Blur Background etc... I just want to get a good photograph! I understand Composition, Rules of Photography!

But lucky for me, I have a mentor who is a very good photographer who offered to teach me these fundamental principles of Photography. Met at a Meetup!