Learning to use my DSLR - In Manual Mode
I have had my DSLR for a couple of months now and am becoming more confident every day. But I am still using the auto settings on the camera instead of choosing the settings myself, something that I am now ready to change.
I am here to announce that I am going to go... FULL MANUAL! lol
(Unsplash.com)
If you have any tips on how I should start, please comment below. I am always open to learning!
I have read that the best place to start is to ensure you have a low ISO so that it reduces the noise in the photo's you take. So I am setting my ISO fairly low and leaving it be.
For my Macroshots using my macro lens, I am trying to get as much detail as possible, so I will set my F stop higher to get a better depth of field.
These are my starting points. I don't want to mess about with too many settings at once. I want to be able to absorb the information that I am learning so that it stays with me and becomes muscle memory.
Wish me luck!
Thanks for reading.
Much love, @beautifulbullies xx
My first tip? Why not go NOT FULL manual?
start with spending an entire week shooting Aperture Priority (A on your camera.) Learn to control the Aperture. Let the camera do all the other math.
Next week, spend the week shooting Shutter (S on your camera)
Learn what the different shutter speeds do to an image. Let the camera do all the other math.
Spend some time shooting in both modes, but playing with different ISO settings. How does ISO affect an image?
Then, after a few weeks experimenting with Aperture, and with Shutter Speed, you can start a week full manual.
Otherwise, you may miss what the meaning of each setting is.
BTW, does the camera have a +/- button on top?
That lets you make slight adjustments, to exposure, add or take away some exposure, from what the camera thinks is right.
Use this +/- exposure Compensation for tricky shots, like a scene with lots of Snow, or lots of bright sand, etc.
Since the camera is only doing an exposure based on Average inside the shot, this compensation allows you to override and set exposure for what you want as the priority.
yes it does have the +/- button. Going Full Manual straight away, are you crazy!! lol I see what you are saying though, I just struggle to take in too much info all at once, but I guess the way you have explained it is a great idea :D thanks @bluefinstudios, you have far too much faith in me! lol
I see AWESOME images from you so far.
It's not faith if it is backed by evidence.
And your images are wonderful evidence of talent.
You are too kind :)
tell my daughters that...
... well, tell them that 5 years ago, when they were in High School.
Back when they thought I was an idiot!
haha xD
Ahhhhh. The big plunge. I cheated when I did so. I took a class at skillshare and got all the basics in about an hour. I go back to it from time to time to refresh my memory.
Good luck with it, there is a whole new world waiting for you!
That sounds like a good plan actually! There is a local community college course I can sign up to, I think I'll have a look at that! :D
@beautifulbullies, take the advice of the Bluefin, I couldn't have explained it better :)
This brings back memories. The first time I touched a DSLR I already had read almost everything regarding the functions of every button.
And when you master shooting in Manual, you feel like a Jedi...Enjoy the journey!
Thank you! I really am having so much fun with this learning journey! :D
Three main setting that you need to adjust in a better way to click a good picture is
To be a master in it you should try to adjust all three of them differently and click pictures. This would be so much helpful to and this is how ever I started at first .
Hope you like my suggestion 🙂🙂
Thank you for your suggestion! :) I like your methodical approach
I don't have any tips as I transitioned into phonetography, all the best though!
thank you @kathtea! :D
Woo have lots of fun and make lots of trial and errors!
Thanks @vincy! :)
Hello @beautifulbullies. It's a bold step right direction you're taking. In other for you to understand your camera perfectly take it as a human eye. The key to taking a nice shot revolves around 1. ISO 2. shutter speed 3. Aperture.
ISO: It has to do with the sensiti ity of the camera body's sensor. How sensitive it is to light. Raising the iso makes the sensor more sensitive to light hence letting in more light but has a side effect of making the pictures or footage noisy or grainy
Shutter speed Deals with how fast or slow the camera shutter opens and closes. Determines how much light is captured. Fast shutter speed equals less light and slow shutter speed equals more light....
Fast shutter speed equals capturing fast moving objects and actions plus no image blur....
Slow shutter speed equals image blur and long exposure images
Aperture is a lens function. Opening up the aperture means opening up the lens to let in more light
So aperture doesn't have to do with the frame of the camera Closing the aperture means less light. Also it controls the depth of field.
Closing aperture helps you capture all in the frame...an aperture of f22 will capture both fore ground and background. But opening up aperture like f1.4 helps to create a shallow depth of field. Hence isolating both foreground and background to focus on the object you want. I can see someone becoming a pro. Photographer :) oh also shooting on raw gives you the ability to do what ever you want in post processing and still retain the detail of the image. You know we're using the same camera right?
Thank you @Fona! No, I didn't realise we have the same camera, that is awesome! haha I don't think I am anywhere NEAR becoming a Pro photographer yet lol but thank you for the positive encouragement :D
Really like your photos! Took me also a while to get used to manually use my DSLR. Now I got myself a drone and I forgot about my DSLR :D But I love the photos so much with the drone hahha
thank you! :) Glad you like them! Yes, I have to admit drone photography is awesome, I love to see it, in fact I am heading over to your blog now to check out some drone photography! :D
I'm so in love with it, going to Indonesia in August and I have to carry my DSLR and drone + extras every day around :D that's the annoying part of photo equipment, freakin heavy! I appreciate it ;)
They aught to invent a drone that can fly carrying it's own equipment lol that would be awesome!
hahahaha that's one great idea! But only if the battery is good enough... Drone batteries only last 30min, so I would have to carry another drone after 30min :D
dear friend hello,
You are right about ISO. it always makes sense to reduce noise.
When in the dark, you must increase the ISO.
The smaller the value of "f" numerically, the greater your depth of field :)
and provides more light you get. and in this case you may need to increase the shutter speed for a sharp picture. You started to learn from a good point. Practice is very important. you should try continuous shooting. when you take the same object with different light settings, you will be well aware of the difference!
Thank you @artizm! That is a good idea. I notice there is a button that takes 3 shots with different exposures, I may have a play with that too! hehe. This is soooo much fun! xD
Bracketing
This feature let's you pick say, one F-stop, but will adjust slightly over and slightly under for the shots bracketed. The 3 burst bracket let's you get a shot with a stop either side, or a shutter speed either side, etc.
awesome! I guess that is where you lend them afterwards? Is that right?
lend Do you mean blend? Usually, one uses bracketing for one of two things:
If you are doing #1, then, set the plus minus on bracketing to be .25 stops, ro something small.
If you are doing #2 HDR (High Dynamic Range), then set the difference to be a full stop.
Sorry yes that was a typo I meant blend! I need to start a notebook for all these tips lol thanks again! :D
BTW, the bracketing feature can be for 3 multi image Aperture, or 3 multi image Exposure.
You decide. Spread the Aperture? or Shutter Speed?
I guess you will have to experiment with settings yourselfs.
yes, that is exactly what I am doing :)