For those just starting out in the wonderful world of photography, switching to manual mode — and the world of aperture, shutter speed, and ISO — can understandably seem a little daunting at first. But rest assured: it's well worth mastering the basics.
If you really want to improve your photography, becoming comfortable with key photographic settings is crucial. Not only will shooting in manual mode enable you to produce sharp, well-composed imagery, it will also help you gain a stronger understanding of the inner workings of your camera, opening up a whole world of opportunities to learn, experiment, and extend your skills for years to come.
What Is Manual Photography?
So, you've bought (or rented) a lovely new or secondhand DSLR or mirrorless camera — that's brilliant! If you're like most new photographers, you've probably been shooting in auto or standard modes, which is more than fine to begin with. But soon enough, you're going to start wanting to push your skills further.
Manual photography allows you to tell the camera exactly what you want, giving you greater control over your final product with zero of the surprises caused by automated settings.
The Exposure Triangle Explained
To begin mastering the magic of manual, there are three key settings you should know:
- Aperture
- Shutter Speed
- ISO
Together, these make up the exposure triangle. Once you understand what they mean and how to use them at a basic level, you will be well on your way to becoming an infinitely better photographer. Each of the three settings will affect the look of an image in a unique way — so if you want more control over the appearance of your photographs, manual mode is your new best friend.
The goal of manual photography is to have these three settings arranged in a manner that results in a well-exposed image — meaning the image is of an acceptable level of brightness without highlights being blown out or shadows lacking detail.
Aperture
Aperture refers to the size of the hole in your lens which is responsible for letting in light. A smaller number, such as f/1.4, is actually a larger hole — letting in more light in darker conditions and producing a shallower depth of field, meaning less of your image is in focus. To understand how to use this creatively, explore our beginner's guide to depth of field.
A larger number, such as f/16, creates a smaller aperture, letting less light through and creating a greater depth of field. At this setting, more of your image will be sharp and in focus — ideal for landscape photography.
Shutter Speed
Shutter speed is the length of time that the shutter is open when taking a photograph. The longer the shutter is open, the more light is let in. Slower shutter speeds also mean that moving subjects will come out blurry — often a desired effect for blurred waterfalls or highway traffic shots — but will usually require a tripod to avoid camera shake. If you don't already own one, our guide to the best tripods for photos and video will help you find the right option.
Faster shutter speeds, such as 1/500s or faster, are often used to freeze sports and wildlife subjects in motion. Our beginner's guide to shutter speed goes further into choosing the right speed for every situation.
ISO
ISO refers to how sensitive your camera is to light. A lower ISO, such as 100 or 200, is suitable for shooting in bright outdoors, while a higher ISO, such as 1600+, is a good choice for shooting indoors and at night.
Setting a high ISO allows you to use a more manageable shutter speed even when conditions are dark. On the downside, the higher the ISO, the more noise or grain will be present in your image. For a deeper dive into how this setting works, our complete guide to ISO in photography covers everything from ASA equivalents to real-world shooting scenarios.
How They Work Together
Now it's time to combine all three settings to get the high-quality, professional-looking photos you're after! Changing any one of the three settings will usually require you to tweak the other two as well to achieve correct exposure.
To help with this, your camera will likely have a built-in light meter, which measures the overall look of your image and gives you a readout of what it's likely to look like. If your light meter is in the "+" range, your image is overexposed. If it's in the "−" range, your image is underexposed. Your goal is to get the light meter right in the middle, lined up with 0.
How to Shoot in Manual Mode: Step-by-Step
Start by setting your camera dial to M. From there, you control three settings: aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. A good starting point for most daylight situations is ISO 100, aperture f/8, and shutter speed 1/125s — often called the "Sunny 16" baseline. Use your camera's built-in light meter (the bar shown in your viewfinder) to guide your adjustments: if the meter reads underexposed, open your aperture wider, slow your shutter speed, or raise your ISO. Shoot a test frame, review, and adjust.
These fundamentals apply whether you're shooting on a Canon, Nikon, Sony, or Fujifilm — the mode dial and the exposure triangle work the same way across every brand. If you're new to manual, try changing just one setting at a time so you can clearly see its effect, and shoot in RAW format for extra flexibility to correct exposure in post. The key is repetition — the more you shoot manually, the faster your instincts develop across any camera you pick up.
Your Manual Mode Cheat Sheet: Aperture, Shutter Speed & ISO Chart
Having a visual reference makes it far easier to understand how each setting interacts. Here's a simple starting-point guide for common conditions:
- Bright daylight: ISO 100 | f/8–f/11 | 1/250s
- Overcast/cloudy: ISO 400 | f/5.6 | 1/125s
- Indoors (natural light): ISO 800 | f/2.8 | 1/60s
- Low light/night: ISO 1600–3200 | f/1.8–f/2.8 | 1/30s or slower
Think of these as starting points, not rules. If you can't get a pleasing exposure and you're in the "−" (underexposed) zone, raise your ISO. If you're overexposed, try a faster shutter speed or lower your ISO. Every scene is different, and learning to read the light is what separates a good shot from a great one — bookmark this chart and keep it handy while you practise.
Never Stop Learning
And that's it! Once you're able to adjust these settings to capture a well-exposed photograph, you can get more creative with your choices to produce higher-quality images. Just keep experimenting, testing, and learning — you'll be a pro photographer in no time!
For more advice, tips, and photography workshops, head to your local Ted's Cameras store, where our expert team will be happy to help.