A Manual Photography Guide For Dummies

Digital cameras come with all kinds of settings and most photographers tend to prefer to auto setting when taking pictures. However, the manual setting allows you to have more control over what the final result will look like. You can switch to the manual mode via the main menu of your camera and adjust different settings to capture a unique photograph.
manual photography for dummies
It is important to familiarize yourself with the different settings you can manually adjust. You need to have a basic understanding of how these settings will impact your photograph but you need to do some tests with these different settings to gain some experience and learn to determine which settings need to be adjusted to get the effect you are looking for.


Aperture is a concept that can be difficult to master for beginners but you will learn to work with this setting as you gain more experience. The aperture of your camera refers to the size of the window through which the light gets in. A wider aperture will let in more light and a narrow aperture will only let in a small quantity of light when you capture the photograph. You can adjust the aperture to create different effects. A wider aperture will let in more light but will also create a more shallow depth of field while a narrow aperture will let in less light and will create a deeper focus for your photograph.

Shutter Speed

Shutter speed is a very important concept, especially if you are taking pictures of people or objects in movement. The shutter speed is the amount of time for which the aperture will remain open. A lengthier shutter speed means more light will have time to be captured and a blurry effect will appear if you are taking pictures of objects or people in movement. On the other hand, a shorter shutter speed will allow you to capture movement without this blurry effect.


ISO is a setting that was created to mimic the effect of film speed in traditional cameras. Adjusting the ISO will impact how crisp the photograph looks like. A higher ISO, or higher film speed means the film is more sensitive to light and will capture more details and brighter colors. On the other hand, a lower ISO will capture less light. Increasing ISO is not necessarily a good thing since the photograph will pick up more noise, which can result in a grainy effect. Higher quality cameras tend to pick up less noise when you increase ISO. The ideal ISO setting really depends on current light conditions.

These are the three main settings you can adjust when taking photographs in manual mode. In most cases, you can get interesting photographs without adjusting the ISO as long as your default ISO setting is adapted to the light conditions. You can create many different interesting effects by adjusting the aperture and the shutter speed.

The best way to get used to manual settings is to experiment. The best settings really depend on the time of day, exposure to light and on whether or not the object or person you are taking a picture of is in movement. You should test different settings to see the different effects you can create and find your own style. Testing different settings is the best way to learn about them and to understand how they impact what the final result will look like. You will find that switching to manual mode can be challenging at first but you will take some photographs that are a lot more artistic.

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Reasons Why Everyone Should Use that AF-On Autofocus Button

Reasons Why Everyone Should Use that AF-On Autofocus Button


Photography is practiced for varying reasons. Either for leisure, business or any other reason, getting quality shots remains the key factor in the undertaking.  AF-On button is among the latest technological advances in the field that enhances focusing on moving objects. This makes it an ideal choice for wildlife and sports photographers who require constant shots on objects in motion.

The reasons why everyone should use that AF-On autofocus are many. With cameras being used on different platform, there is need to embrace a camera that comes with AF-On button. The button is located on the back side of the camera with clear usage settings made available on the LCD screen. Among the benefits the come with the button use includes the following:Getting The Perfect Shot

Ease in Shooting Moving Objects

Game and sports photographers get a rough time getting the right image. Unpredictable moves make it harder to capture the desired images. This button allows to focus on the moving objects and shoot the desired incidences without the option of missing out on any event.
Traditional cameras needed refocusing every time the object or the photographer moved. However, in using this new feature, this is no longer required. Focus on the object is always constant irrespective of the movements that may arise. This acts as an ideal feature that will allow the photographer to capture the best and most important moments.

Fast and Speedy Shots

AF-On button allows the focus to lock on the object even when it is in motion. In this way, chances of wasting time trying to get the right focus are avoided. More to this it also allows the photographer to get more shots within a short period of time.  No time is lost focusing when the object moves from one spot to the other.
When shooting photos of moving objects, it is impossible to tell when the best moment will arise. Capturing multiple shots is the only deal way to ensure that an outstanding instance in the game can be captured. With the auto-focus locked, the photographer can take multiple shots as the object moves and then choose the best of the captured shots.

Extended Battery Life

Another great reason on why everyone should use that AF-On autofocus is that it extends the battery-life. This is through the fact that constant focusing involves engagement of the vibration reduction system.  With this enhancement, there is no need to keep focusing meaning battery usage is reduced effectively.
This makes a perfect choice for game and sport photographers who need to have their cameras running for long.  Such photographers will require to keep their cameras running for the entire period of the game.

Reduction of Shooter’s Fatigue

Long period of photo shooting causes fatigue to the photographers. Having to shift focus, press the shutter and seek for the best moment for a shot. All these are the moments that a photographer will have to ensure. However with AF-On button, the focus is always set and this means that the photographer only needs to have the fingers on the shutter waiting for the right moment for a shot.

Getting The Perfect Shot

Combined Focus Settings

AF-On button comes with continuous settings. They allow the photographer to combine multiple focusing features without the need to maneuver through various buttons on the camera. Getting portraits and detail shots is also enhanced when this feature is activated.



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With many asking why everyone should use that AF-On autofocus button, it is apparent that it offers a perfect experience in photography. It gives the users an opportunity to work with ease while capturing the best moments and events. The button is available in most of camera models and its usage is similar and the results as well.