Next part in the camera training is the manual configuration on the camera (mode M). If you’re shooting for some time, you will recognise that AV and TV limits your creativity. That’s when M comes into play. In this mode you have full control of the camera. This means you can set the shutter speed and the aperture as you need. This mode is mostly used when you have time to take your image. If you are at a sports event and you have to capture moments which are gone fast, it makes more sense to use aperture mode (AV).

Let’s say you are hiking, having a break and enough time to capture the scene in front of you. Where nothing changes in a short period of time. That’s the best scenario to figure out how manual mode works. It can also be in your garden. You just need a scene where not much happens and you can take the shot several times for maybe one hour without the scene changing. As you have used AV and TV mode before, you already know with which aperture or shutter speed the camera would capture there scenes approximately.

Set the ISO to 100 for minimum noise. You take a shot and have a look. if the picture is too dark, bring the shutter speed down. If the picture is too bright, bring the shutter speed up. That’s what manual mode is for. Maybe you want your picture darker than the TV mode is taking it. Or maybe you want it brighter than TV mode is taking it. Manual mode leaves you free to express yourself and take the picture the way you want to make it look like!