This document provides an overview of key digital photography concepts for using a camera in manual mode. It defines common terminology like exposure, shutter speed, aperture, ISO and discusses how they work together to control the amount of light. It recommends starting settings for different shooting situations and explains how settings like focus mode, white balance and flash can impact photos. The document emphasizes learning through practice and encourages photographers to experiment with adjusting shutter speed, aperture and ISO in manual mode to understand exposure.

1. Digital Basics
Capture Light
Manual Mode

2. TERMINOLOGY:
• Exposure: combination of Shutter & Aperture & ISO
• Exposure Reading: light meter reading of your shutter & aperture combination
example: ( 1/125 @ f11 )
• Exposure ZEROED: EV scale is centered ( balance of Shutter + Aperture )
• EV: exposure value – measurement of light
• Shutter: curtain that opens allowing light to expose sensor- 1/sec.
• Aperture: bladed diaphragm in lens that opens and closes
• ISO: sensitivity of your camera to record light
• Over Exposure: to much light creating bright photographs
• Under Exposure: not enough light creating dark photographs
• Density: the amount of light detail in your photographs
• Shadow density: the darkest area in your photograph
• Highlight density: the lightest area in your photograph
• Depth of Field: the focus distance in front and behind subject
• Shoot (shooting): slang for taking picture
• Scene: the total area in your view finder
• Subject: the area in your photography that is your point of interest
• Ambient or Available Light: the existing light in your scene indoor or outdoor

3. Manual Mode: understanding exposure and
camera functions
1. You control all camera functions and exposure

4. Camera settings: shooting setup
• Manual Mode: use for total control
• ISO: indoors start at ISO 400 – outdoors start at ISO 200
• WB: set to AWB ( average or auto white balance )
• Quality : High JPEG ( RAW for advanced )
• Focus target: center ( AUTO FOCUS not MANUAL FOCUS )
• Meter Mode: center weighed ( spot for advanced)
• Flash: turn flash on, locate flash compensation

5. Shutter Speed: designated by 1/125
• WHERE IS YOUR SHUTTER CONTROL
• Controls subject movement and camera blur
• Control for stopping action (higher your ISO the faster you can shoot)
• Shutter speed refers to fraction of a second
1/15 – 1/30 – 1/60 – 1/125 – 1/250 – 1/500

6. Aperture: designated by f/numbers called f/stops
• WHERE IS YOUR APERTURE CONTROL
• Allows light to enter camera by the size of the diaphragm
• The larger the f/number the smaller the diaphragm allowing less light into camera
• The larger the f/number the more DEPTH of FIELD ( range of sharpness)

7. Aperture DEPTH of FIELD:
• Determines the range of sharpness in front and behind subject
• The larger the APERTURE the more depth of field and sharpness
f5.6 f16
( Less Depth of Field ) ( More Depth of Field )

8. DEPTH of FIELD: SAMPLES
f5.6 f22
f5.6 f22

9. Camera LIGHT METER:
• EV ( exposure value ) bar scale in finder
• Meter scale explanation: under, over and center point

10. Light Meter Reading : simplified
• Exposure is always balance of SHUTTER + APERTURE + (ISO)
• When metering adjust your SHUTTER & APERTURE till exposure is ZEROED
• Rule of Thumb: when you adjust one control you need to adjust the other
( example: NORMAL exposure -1/125 @ f11 : 1/250 @ f8 )

11. Flash: photographers best friend!
• Adds light to your dark areas
• Stops subject movement
• Flash power is controlled by f/stop & TTL capabilities thru lens
• USE FLASH OUTDOORS and INDOORS ( BALANCE TO AMBIENT )
shadow exposure background exposure FLASH exposure

12. • Lets Take some FOTOS •
1. Team up for OUTDOORS: Canon/Nikon
• Normal EXPOSURE in sunlight
• Normal EXPOSURE in shadow
• Normal EXPOSURE with flash

13. ISO: controls the light sensitivity of your camera
• ISO choices range from ISO 100 to ISO 6400
• The lower your ISO the better overall quality
• Increased NOISE is common with higher ISO’s
• Rule of Thumb: Indoors you want a high ISO 400 & above
Outdoors you want a low ISO 200 & less
• The higher your ISO the faster you may shoot

14. Image Quality: based on how many PIXELS you use
• PIXEL: picture element
• Rule of Thumb: determine what size your final image will be printed or
viewed. Standard printers use a 300 dpi setting for their print quality.
If you multiply 300 dpi x both sides or your print size, you will get the
correct Pixel count for that size of reproduction:
( example: 8x10 print - 300 x 8” = 2400 ppi & 300 x 10” = 3000 ppi )
• File format determines maximum image quality: RAW or JPEG

15. Focus Mode: Manual or AUTO
• Remember when focus is in Manual Mode your shutter will release
whether you are in focus or not
• Auto Focus normally chooses the closest subject in your target
• Auto Focus also relies on contrast or the lightest value in your target
• You will always have more control with focus on your subject if you
set your focus mode to SINGLE or ONE Shot Mode

16. WB (white balance): color temperature of light
• AWB: auto white balance uses camera default for proper color
• Two distinct color balance that are widely used: Daylight & Tungsten
• Proper application of your CUSTOM WHITE BALANCE will give you
the best WHITE BALANCE of your digital images
• RAW does not allow for CUSTOM WHITE BALANCE

17. FLASH: auxiliary light source
• Your FLASH can be your savior in difficult light situations
• Your FLASH will save those photographs with horrible shadows
• The trick to applying your FLASH is always balance your FLASH
exposure to match your AVAILABLE light in your scene
• Your FLASH also is your tool to stopping action
• Remember that your f/stop controls the power output of your FLASH
PRACTICE ! PRACTICE! PRACTICE!