Learning to shoot in manual mode gives you greater control over your photography and helps you understand how to adapt to various lighting conditions. Mastering this skill is particularly valuable for outdoor portraits using natural light since you have to constantly adjust settings to match changing circumstances.
Coming to you from Julia Trotti, this practical video provides clear examples of how to use the three fundamental camera settings—shutter speed, aperture, and ISO—to achieve the desired exposure and artistic effects. Trotti begins by explaining shutter speed, demonstrating how to select a faster setting, like 1/1,000th of a second, to capture sharp images of fast-moving subjects. Conversely, slower shutter speeds, such as 1/30th of a second, introduce motion blur, which can add a dynamic element to your photos. Trotti emphasizes experimenting with different speeds to find the look you prefer, especially when photographing movement.
Trotti then moves on to aperture, illustrating how different f-stops affect both exposure and depth of field. Using a lens like the 35mm f/1.4, she explains how a wide aperture (f/1.4) creates dreamy, blurred backgrounds, enhancing the subject’s prominence. She contrasts this with smaller apertures (f/5.6), which keep more of the scene in focus, suitable for portraits where details throughout the frame are important. This section is particularly helpful because Trotti uses visual aids and straightforward explanations to clarify the often confusing relationship between aperture size and f-stop numbers.
An important section covers ISO, the sensitivity of the camera's sensor to light. Trotti explains that lower ISO settings (like ISO 100) yield cleaner, sharper images but require more ambient light. Higher ISO settings (ISO 6400), essential in low-light situations, introduce noise and can reduce image sharpness. Understanding this trade-off is crucial for making informed decisions about your camera settings, ensuring the highest possible image quality for each scenario.
Trotti doesn't just explain settings theoretically; she applies these concepts directly in real-world portrait scenarios, showing how each setting impacts the resulting image. Whether adjusting to bright sunlight, dealing with limited lens capabilities like a kit lens at f/5.6, or navigating challenging lighting situations, she walks through her thought process step by step. You see firsthand how quickly adjusting settings, especially shutter speed and ISO after setting aperture, achieves the perfect exposure without sacrificing creative intentions.
Trotti also highlights why manual shooting is beneficial even if automatic modes are simpler. Manual mode ensures consistent exposures, which streamlines the editing process later. Additionally, understanding manual controls allows quicker troubleshooting if automatic modes aren't delivering the results you expect. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Trotti.
