Making manual mode work for YOU!
The camera is only a tool, you are the operator.
I had a friend reach out last week asking me what settings to use for an evening maternity shoot she was going to do for a friend. Let me insert here, I am one of the coolest people I know, but when I got to explaining my steps to achieve proper exposure to her, I know I sounded like Charlie Brown's teacher. wahhhnnn waahhnn waaahhnn. Total technical nerd. I am sorry girl!!!
I thought to myself, of all the education I had on exposure and still learning on each and every shoot I do, I could share a little bit of what I do and what I know.
Today, everyone has a camera in their pocket, but photography is quite different. Sure, there is auto mode on a camera and that can be the equivalent of the "pocket camera" of today, but when learning and mastering photography, the creative value is in manual mode.
Here are the basics of photography's exposure triangle.
When I get to location for a shoot, I capture test shots to correctly expose while the client warms up to me and gets comfortable. A few things go into this fine tuning. It depends on your camera's abilities, and the situation you are capturing.
What are you capturing? Location, Subjects....
Is is fast-paced?, Is it super bright sunlight?.., Is there a whole family?.. One subject, a moving subject?...
Exactly what I am capturing is where I begin when exposing.
If I am capturing a fast-paced action shot, I start on the shutter speed of the triangle and adjust the ISO and aperture from there.
Let's say I am capturing one model in the city, well... I start with the aperture and adjust triangle from there.
There are cheat sheets for settings all over the web, and they are helpful for learning. However, you still have to fine tune for each situation and your camera's ability. You still need to learn the basic terms.
Learning your camera and its settings is the first step in creating images to express your artistic creativity and to provide your clients with stunning captures. Eventually, your hands will become muscle trained to the specific camera, no different than a game controller or a keyboard remembering where your shutter speed and ISO are located.
Here is a beautiful website to admire and learn further about the exposure triangle and photography basics. It has beautiful wildlife imagery to admire.
I hope these basics helps you along the way in learning photography. Get out there and capture something. Even is its with your "pocket camera" :)
xo Vonnie