How to Shoot in Manual Mode: A Practical Guide

Shooting in manual mode sounds intimidating, but it’s really just making three decisions: aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. Once you understand what each one does and how they interact, manual mode becomes a logical, straightforward process. The Three Decisions Every exposure requires you to balance three settings: Aperture controls how much light enters through the lens and how much of the scene is in focus (depth of field). Wide apertures (f/1.