Without a doubt, the palm among the most popular photography modes would go to the "auto" mode, which is usually indicated by a vigorous green color on the camera body, as if inviting you to capture every moment you live without hesitation. As a result of such a photographic "fast food", a good half of the pictures, unfortunately, go to the basket. True “gourmets” of photography prefer to use another mode, modestly labeled with the letter M, which requires a thoughtful approach, but can bring brilliant results.
The main assistants of the photographer
There is nothing mysterious in the designation of one of the photography modes with the letter M. M - means manual, that is, manual or, in more Russian language, manual. However, this mode raises enough questions, especially for novice amateur photographers. Some of them do not even try to understand the peculiarities of this method of shooting, thereby depriving themselves of a lot of opportunities to express themselves creatively in photography. The manual mode allows you to customize the camera "for yourself", thanks to which you can not only calmly create (without worrying about the fact that the flash may fire at an unnecessary moment, for example), but also "squeeze" the maximum out of the technology that it is capable of.
Perhaps the main thing that makes the manual shooting mode good is the ability to set any shutter speed and aperture value that the photographer needs. In the case of using a digital camera, photosensitivity (ISO) is also added to this tandem. These parameters affect the amount of light and the rate at which it hits the matrix. And since "photography" is literally translated from Greek as "light painting", it becomes clear why shutter speed, aperture and photosensitivity are so important in photography.
How to use shutter speed
Exposure, as you might guess from the name, denotes the time during which the camera matrix (or film) absorbs light at the moment the shutter is released. The slower the shutter speed, the brighter the photo will be. Accordingly, in the dark in the manual shooting mode, you should set high shutter speeds. They are designated in fractions of a second: 1/125, 1/60, 1/30 and so on. The shortest time in this case will be 1/125, the longest - 1/30.
Long exposures (1/30 and longer), which give a lot of light, have a catch, ignorance of which can play an unpleasant joke with the photographer. Even in auto mode, shooting at night is most often unsuccessful, because the subjects are blurred in the pictures. This is because the "smart" mode, when there is a lack of light, just automatically turns on long exposures. In this case, you only need to photograph with a tripod and do not run in front of the camera, otherwise an indistinct ghost may appear in the picture instead of a person. However, you can show your imagination and scare your friends with mysterious shots with "ghosts", photographing in the dark with long exposures.
How to use the diaphragm
The diaphragm, from the Greek - “partition”, is located in the camera lens and, with the help of special sheets, covers the path of the incoming light. Accordingly, the more the aperture is open, the more light enters the matrix. It is designated as f2.8, f3.5, f8 and so on. The smallest value corresponds to the most open aperture. If the light source is too strong, cover the petals and the picture will be balanced. When using this technique, remember that a greater depth of field, that is, a clear picture in both the near and far shots, can be obtained with the aperture closed, which is useful when shooting landscapes. Conversely, when shooting a portrait, open the aperture, then the face in the frame will be clear, and the background will be blurred (if you close it, all objects will be relatively clear).
Light sensitivity
Light sensitivity was originally the main characteristic of photographic film. The box labeled ISO 100 denoted low-sensitivity film, ISO 800 - very high. The higher the value, the more light the film can perceive: at the same shutter speed and aperture, the photo taken at ISO 100 will be darker than at ISO 200, and at ISO 1800 the difference will be enormous. In digital cameras, the matrix is designed in such a way that at certain values of light sensitivity, it reacts in the same way as if it were a film.
It would seem that a high ISO value should be the salvation of the photographer at any time of the day - in night shooting it will allow you to take a relatively bright frame, but if the light is already too bright, you can reduce the shutter speed and cover the aperture. But with high light sensitivity, you can see the so-called "grain" in the pictures, as with interference on a TV. The most modern technologies can improve this figure, but in any case, a low ISO will give a cleaner frame.
How to use manual mode. Hints
Bright daylight, portrait: lower ISO, open aperture (f2.8, f3.5), shorten shutter speed (1/125, 1/500 and below).
Bright daylight, landscape: lower ISO, close aperture (f5.2, f8), shorten shutter speed. If the frame is dark, slightly increase the ISO (from 100 to 200-400), slightly lengthen the shutter speed (up to 1/60, otherwise you will have to use a tripod or some other support), but do not touch the aperture if possible.
Low light, portrait: raise the ISO (ISO above 400-600 on many cameras can give a strong "grain"), open the aperture (f2.8, f3.5), slow down the shutter speed (after 1/30, you will have to use a tripod).
Low light landscape: Raise the ISO, close the aperture, slow down the shutter speed - in most cases, a tripod is indispensable.
And one more little useful tip. If you click on the photo file and select "Properties" - "Details", you can see not only the values of shutter speed, aperture and sensitivity at which the frame was taken, but also some other useful characteristics.
