# The #1 Photographer Tip! | How to shoot better photos with your DSLR!



## YoungPhotoGirl (Mar 8, 2018)

There's so many amateur photographers who are scared to take their skills to the next level.
I say scared, because it's not about the individual lacking the skills necessary- Skills are something you develop naturally as you practise.
FEAR is what stops you from trying, fear stops you from practising something new.
These types of enthusiasts tend to hover between AUTO mode, NO FLASH mode, and APERTURE-PRIORITY mode. They stay in these "safe zones", too afraid of failure to practise using manual mode. They either tried manual mode once, got disappointed with "how much they needed to learn" and quit forever, or sometimes hover back expecting to be much, much better (but having not practised manual mode in a year!) and feel inadequate so don't go back to manual for quite some time.
However, as an amateur, an enthusiast and especially as a professional- you MUST KNOW that your pictures are much, much worse due to staying in the safety of these "easy modes".

I'm going to be extremely honest with you. Experienced photographers make manual mode sound much more difficult than it is. I've often wondered why they do this (potentially to lower the amount of photographers in the industry with real technical knowledge, or they just don't fully understand the mode themselves). Here's some things you DON'T need to know that they will claim you do need to know:
- You DON'T need to know every single mathematical equation for ISO, APERTURE, SHUTTER SPEEDS, AND EXPOSURE.
- You DON'T even need to know 3 of these things off the back of your hand
- You DON'T have to buy flash equipment to assist you with manual mode

- You DON'T need to take courses or pay 4k for that new photography weekend away with your favourite photographer (and they likely won't even properly teach you manual mode anyway!)

Yes I know!....But hear me out...There's a reason why you haven't learned manual yet. THEY don't WANT you to learn manual mode.
It's the professional photographers secret saving grace. It changes EVERY SINGLE PICTURE to a drastically better quality. And also, Fear, as we mentioned earlier.
Here's what you DO NEED TO KNOW:
-How to read and understand your metering (that's the little funny dial on the inside of your camera when your looking through your eye piece)
-How to correctly change the settings in reflection to the metering.





The end. That's it. That's how you get started.
If the image is correctly exposed, it will be centred in the middle. If not, you adjust your aperture (if you don't mind it affecting your bokeh & focus), or more often than not, you adjust your shutter speed. How simple is that?
Seriously, go pick up your camera right now and try it. This blog is for amateurs, or enthusiasts only because obviously once you understand these basic changes there is a whole bigger world out there on what else you need to learn while using manual. But this is going to be a great jump start for you!
Here's some examples of the difference between AUTO MODE and MANUAL MODE (some of the auto mode images were actually aperture priority...so yes, APERTURE MODE is also not exceptional- but hands down better than AUTO.)

DON'T USE AUTO MODE!
Please note all the images below are RAW and unedited (we'll tackle raw another day, if you're not already using that!)




AUTO (Bit underexposed, dull and slightly more noise) ^




MANUAL (Exposed nicely, bright and sharp)^




 APERTURE MODE (Dull, too dark, Noisy)^




MANUAL (Much more light and much sharper. Easy to edit)  ^




AUTO (flash, harsh shadows, not very sharp or detailed) ^




MANUAL (smooth exposure, no harsh shadows, more accurate aperture, smooth for editing)^

Hopefully you can now see how important this is. Start practising manual mode and watch your photography get drastically better.
The main issue is not practising, so get out- flick that dial around to manual mode and instantly be a better more knowledgeable photographer from it! Don't forget to share this with someone you know doesn't use manual mode regularly, share the love!
Best of luck and don't be shy to leave questions!
Karissa Best


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## Ysarex (Mar 8, 2018)

"...so get out- flick that dial around to manual mode and instantly be a better more knowledgeable photographer from it!"





Joe

P.S.
"But hear me out...There's a reason why you haven't learned manual yet. THEY don't WANT you to learn manual mode.
It's the professional photographers secret saving grace."

I've been a professional photographer for over 30 years *and the real truth is:* the whole "manual mode" shtick is a reverse psych ploy we Pros have used for decades. We drop hints and make snide remarks all the time to get amatuers thinking they're inadequate and need to use manual. What we want is to confuse them and have them screw up trying to use manual so fewer and fewer of them will pose a threat to us. Like most Pros I use my cameras in semi-auto and Program modes almost exclusively -- only exception would be off camera flash. The semi-auto and Program modes let me work faster and more accurately.


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## tirediron (Mar 8, 2018)

So... that's all there is to it then?  Huh...  apparently I've wasted a LOT of time learning useless information!


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## YoungPhotoGirl (Mar 8, 2018)

Are you a noob? A beginner?  If not.... then I blatantly said I wasn't talking to you.  I'm talking to those who are too scared to use manual.


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## YoungPhotoGirl (Mar 8, 2018)

Ysarex said:


> "...The semi-auto and Program modes let me work faster and more accurately.


Fair enough... but you also lose a lot of control over the result. Kind of like driving an automatic car vs a manual.  Sure....its easier,  faster... but if you understand the equipment fully then manual will always be better.


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## 480sparky (Mar 8, 2018)

Um............ not everyone even NEEDS to learn to use manual.


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## YoungPhotoGirl (Mar 8, 2018)

Pretty much wondering why people even comment on here if they aren't going to actively help others.


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## snowbear (Mar 8, 2018)

You're on a public forum, so you are talking to _all_ of us.

I have a question . . . how can those be unedited raw photos when the raw format is not an image?  Oh, wait; so looking at the page source, these are actually JPEGs, which means the camera edited them for you, automatically.


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## YoungPhotoGirl (Mar 8, 2018)

480sparky said:


> Um............ not everyone even NEEDS to learn to use manual.


Ok... I'm trying to establish the purpose of your comment....


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## YoungPhotoGirl (Mar 8, 2018)

snowbear said:


> You're on a public forum, so you are talking to _all_ of us.
> 
> I have a question . . . how can those be unedited raw photos when the raw format is not an image?  Oh, wait; so looking at the page source, these are actually JPEGs, which means the camera edited them for you, automatically.


Converting to JPEG from RAW only affects the quality. last i checked i can't upload RAW to this forum.


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## dxqcanada (Mar 8, 2018)

I would be interested to hear from our nooby members that do not use manual exposure if it is because they fear using it.


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## 480sparky (Mar 8, 2018)

YoungPhotoGirl said:


> 480sparky said:
> 
> 
> > Um............ not everyone even NEEDS to learn to use manual.
> ...



You disagree with my comment, but don't understand it.

Well, I'd explain it to you.  But since you're in Auto-Disagree Mode with every response posted here, I'll move on.


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## YoungPhotoGirl (Mar 8, 2018)

dxqcanada said:


> I would be interest to hear from our nooby members that do not use manual exposure if it is because they fear using it.


Most,  if not all,  newbies that I've ever talked to say they have no idea how to use it. The purpose of this thread was to give them a head start on practising it. 
The negative feedback from supposed "professionals" has me more amused than anything. But yes... im interested to know why people don't think manual is important to learn. It most certainly is.


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## YoungPhotoGirl (Mar 8, 2018)

480sparky said:


> YoungPhotoGirl said:
> 
> 
> > 480sparky said:
> ...


I think it's rather the other way around lol. 
I wrote an entire explanation and you basically said NO and didn't explain yourself....YOU, were the one with automatic disagreement lol #gaslighting


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## YoungPhotoGirl (Mar 8, 2018)

Not to mention the negative feedback is from supposed "professionals" who don't even use manual. Hence my humour ...a lot of trolls on this site.... hopefully a decent person reads this and is happy for my free advice


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## Dave442 (Mar 8, 2018)

Karissa - I am sure you have good intentions with this post so I hope that it will get some photographers to give Manual mode a try if they have been reluctant because of fear.  The way your post is written makes it sound more like the lines from a lecture - I think it would come across better in a video. I will says the posting on your blog looks better with the formatting and images over how it is presented above.


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## YoungPhotoGirl (Mar 8, 2018)

Dave442 said:


> Karissa - I am sure you have good intentions with this post so I hope that it will get some photographers to give Manual mode a try if they have been reluctant because of fear.  The way your post is written makes it sound more like the lines from a lecture - I think it would come across better in a video. I will says the posting on your blog looks better with the formatting and images over how it is presented above.


Thank you. For some reason it made the formatting not very good on here. 
Appreciate you checking out my blog too, I've only just started it so mind the lack of content


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## tirediron (Mar 8, 2018)

As someone who's very possibly been at this game longer than you've been alive, a few thoughts:  There's not a great deal of point in telling someone to do something a certain way if you're not going to tell them *why* they should do it. You also fail to mention that if all you're going to do in manual mode is 'zero the meter' there likely won't be an appreciable difference to images exposed used auto or semi-auto modes.  I have found that people who have learned a little bit about photography (just enough to be dangerous...  tend to tout manual mode as if it were a panacea.  The fact is, all four exposure modes have value and there are times when each one is appropriate.  

I think your intention was good, but I don't believe that your experience is sufficient to actually teach people.  There's a lot more to educating than simply regurgitating random pieces of information.  Explain WHY manual mode is beneficial, explain when it might be appropriate to use the 'semi-auto' modes, and when 'Auto' can be a life-saver.


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## YoungPhotoGirl (Mar 8, 2018)

tirediron said:


> As someone who's very possibly been at this game longer than you've been alive, a few thoughts:  There's not a great deal of point in telling someone to do something a certain way if you're not going to tell them *why* they should do it. You also fail to mention that if all you're going to do in manual mode is 'zero the meter' there likely won't be an appreciable difference to images exposed used auto or semi-auto modes.  I have found that people who have learned a little bit about photography (just enough to be dangerous...  tend to tout manual mode as if it were a panacea.  The fact is, all four exposure modes have value and there are times when each one is appropriate.
> 
> I think your intention was good, but I don't believe that your experience is sufficient to actually teach people.  There's a lot more to educating than simply regurgitating random pieces of information.  Explain WHY manual mode is beneficial, explain when it might be appropriate to use the 'semi-auto' modes, and when 'Auto' can be a life-saver.


I have an excellent idea.... instead of bashing my post which took me a great deal of time to write where i very much did state and show why manual mode is better in my opinion.... why don't you,  with your extensive know-how share your reasons and knowledge? 
Or is this just a site for people with failed businesses to bash others. I took time out of my busy life and day to write this. I simply don't have time to bother defending myself or my knowledge.  Years in the industry does not equal good work.... I'd love for you to post your most recent image
Plus.... no one has ever learnt it all. So i don't get why you so called pros are coming to the beginners section to read photography tips if you're so great


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## YoungPhotoGirl (Mar 8, 2018)

tirediron said:


> As someone who's very possibly been at this game longer than you've been alive, a few thoughts:  There's not a great deal of point in telling someone to do something a certain way if you're not going to tell them *why* they should do it. You also fail to mention that if all you're going to do in manual mode is 'zero the meter' there likely won't be an appreciable difference to images exposed used auto or semi-auto modes.  I have found that people who have learned a little bit about photography (just enough to be dangerous...  tend to tout manual mode as if it were a panacea.  The fact is, all four exposure modes have value and there are times when each one is appropriate.
> 
> I think your intention was good, but I don't believe that your experience is sufficient to actually teach people.  There's a lot more to educating than simply regurgitating random pieces of information.  Explain WHY manual mode is beneficial, explain when it might be appropriate to use the 'semi-auto' modes, and when 'Auto' can be a life-saver.


Nevermind.  I found a photo you took Photo "5212-Chennai_5x7_1Medium" in the album "tirediron's Gallery" by tirediron" 
I have to say I'm not surprised it's underexposed *at all. *Decent professional photographers wouldn't take time out of their day to bash an informative BEGINNERS tip thread lol


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## YoungPhotoGirl (Mar 8, 2018)

On another note....i do think i have enough knowledge to give beginners tips lol. 
Im a successful photographer who's been in business for 8 years now... I'm being published in a fashion magazine next month and I'm booked out.


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## YoungPhotoGirl (Mar 8, 2018)

For comparison. Here's my latest work


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## tirediron (Mar 8, 2018)

YoungPhotoGirl said:


> I have an excellent idea.... instead of bashing my post which took me a great deal of time to write where i very much did state and show why manual mode is better in my opinion.... why don't you,  with your extensive know-how share your reasons and knowledge?
> Or is this just a site for people with failed businesses to bash others. I took time out of my busy life and day to write this. I simply don't have time to bother defending myself or my knowledge.  Years in the industry does not equal good work.... I'd love for you to post your most recent image
> Plus.... no one has ever learnt it all. So i don't get why you so called pros are coming to the beginners section to read photography tips if you're so great


To respond in no particular order:  As a moderator part of my job here is to review posts and ensure that they comply with forum rules.  As an interested forum member and photographer, I am always looking to learn more, and I don't think that the forum a post is placed in should prevent me from possibly learning something.

I'm not aware of anyone here with a failed business; we have several retired professionals, a few working photographers and many hobbyists of varying skill levels.  

Things that I think should have been included in your post are:  The relationships and effects of aperture and shutter speed on an image (depth of field, freezing movement, etc), when and why you might want to over or under-expose from '0' on the meter (backlit subject, snow scene, deep shadow...) where it might be appropriate to use semi-auto modes (sporting events, low light...) and the effect that metering modes can have on metering...

Not my most recent, but the newest I had conveniently to hand:


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## YoungPhotoGirl (Mar 8, 2018)

tirediron said:


> YoungPhotoGirl said:
> 
> 
> > I have an excellent idea.... instead of bashing my post which took me a great deal of time to write where i very much did state and show why manual mode is better in my opinion.... why don't you,  with your extensive know-how share your reasons and knowledge?
> ...


I didn't want to overwhelm people starting out in photography. 
Again,  it's unpleasant to talk about oneselfs skills as if you are much better than all. I don't claim to be the best photographer in the world. But I'm certainly at the stage of being able to give beginners tips... that was horrendously insulting. Its clear you're not the absolute best in the world either. Take the tips, or if they don't suit you... then don't. 
It was a place for beginners to start testing manual mode out without being scared. 
I dont see how my tips ended up warranting you to insult my level of knowledge. That's just plain rude.
Just because it's the internet does not mean manners should disappear.


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## zulu42 (Mar 8, 2018)

Oh my god. That tattoo. It's...I don't know what to say. That tattoo is exceedingly amazing to me.


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## Ferrarimx5 (Mar 8, 2018)

Manual, semi automatic, fully automatic.  
Sniper, officer, battlefield.

Respect, passion, devotion, inspiration, instruction, kindness, thoughtfulness.

Listening, learning, tolerance, sharing.
There are merits and demerits.
Some are cumulative.

Reflect, regroup, grow and inspire.
Proactive, reactive and community effort.
Uplifting.. Beneficial, tone and openness.

Composure..

Breathe
Review, reboot, reshoot, recompose, improve.
Sharpen the image, blur the background.
Sit back and enjoy your work.
Not everyone will, but some will.

Pushing, pushing back, pulling up, pulling back.
Not putting down, but putting up.
Not with fists, but with gentle hands.
Inspire and grow..

Or, just words on a page...


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## ac12 (Mar 9, 2018)

*There is no one mode that fits all needs.   *The old saying *"a jack of all trades, is a master of none."*
Auto,P,S,A and M modes all have their place. 
The skill is in learning when to use which modes, and that is the WHY.

I will choose a specific mode for a specific reason.
The gig/event/game/location/etc. all have a factor in which mode one will choose.
Heck even scene modes would be appropriate for some people.
M mode would flat out not work in some situations.

BTW, like some of the others, I grew up on M, before there was the M mode.  Back then, there were no automatic anything SLR.  None of the cameras needed a battery to be used.  So I understand and appreciate the value that automation brings to the table.  And personally, I would NOT want to go back to a Manual camera as my primary camera.  

Here are some of my WHYs:

I do NOT use Auto, because I want control over what the camera will focus on. So I use P instead of Auto.

I will not select M when there is constantly changing lighting on the subject.  That would drive me nuts, to be constantly adjusting the exposure for the changing light.  P,S or A work much better.  And I/you cannot physically change exposure as fast as the lighting on the subject may be changing, and still concentrate on the subject and the framing.  

Specific example.  Soccer/football/lacrosse player running down the field, which is in broken shadow from trees.  The player is going from sun, to shade, to sun, to shade, to sun.  All my concentration is on tracking the fast moving/running subject and keeping an eye on the ball.  I do not want to be distracted by also having to adjust the exposure.  Maybe a 16 year old kid can multi-task like that, but not me.

I use M when I want to eliminate the metering effect of extraneous light (scoreboard or sign), or a really dark background, with subject moving around in constant lighting.  The light sources or dark background confuses the meter to incorrectly exposing the subject.  So I determine the correct exposure, then lock it down with M mode.

In constant daylight lighting, I might use M so the meter won't adjust just because the reflectivity of the background is changing.  Sunny 16 rule.
I use M with my shoe flash, because I have _the flash auto adjusting its light output_ based on the scene.  I've used fully manual flashes before, and trying to manually adjust the aperture as the distance to the subjects is constantly changing is not easy nor fun to do.
I would use M in a studio type environment, where I have control over the subject and lighting.
I use A, to force the camera to use the largest aperture, in changing lighting.  This forces the camera to use the fastest shutter speed for that lighting and ISO setting.
Others use A to force the camera to a specific aperture, to control the depth of field, regardless of changing light.

I use S, if I want to lock in a certain shutter speed, so the camera can't adjust itself too slow for the situation.  Sometimes I want a specific shutter speed, and I don't really care about the aperture.
BTW your manual transmission analogy is also flawed.
I can drive a manual transmission car, but I choose not to.  An automatic transmission is much more convenient and practical, for where I live, and how I drive.  
Being in heavy traffic for 1-1/2 hours with a stick will result in a very sore left leg.  
I have talked to more than one stick driver that HATES driving a stick in heavy commute traffic.​


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## Ysarex (Mar 9, 2018)

YoungPhotoGirl said:


> Ysarex said:
> 
> 
> > "...The semi-auto and Program modes let me work faster and more accurately.
> ...



Not at all. I lose zero control over the result. You are wrong and it's easy to prove that. But since you're the one clicking the disagree button so much you go ahead prove your claim that I lose control. The fact that you don't understand this means you don't know how a camera works yet and that's the problem here.



YoungPhotoGirl said:


> Kind of like driving an automatic car vs a manual.  Sure....its easier,  faster... but if you understand the equipment fully then manual will always be better.



I do understand the equipment fully; I probably understood the equipment fully before you were born. Manual is fine and has it's place but you're assertion that manual will always be better is flat out wrong and because we want beginners to get appropriate help here it's important to say that you're flat out wrong.

So instead of just clicking disagree you could take the time and trouble to find out why you're wrong and learn something or prove otherwise. Explain your claim that I lose control using Program mode. 

Joe


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## Vtec44 (Mar 9, 2018)

YoungPhotoGirl said:


> tl;dr



IMHO, it doesn't matter which mode you use as long as you get the photos you need.  Some of the automatic modes can be very useful in certain situation especially moving in and out of different lighting.   People get fixated on manual mode.  It's not the answer to become a better photographer.

Also, metering without specify which metering mode and where to meter is leaving out major critical parts of getting the correct exposure.  Matrix metering mode of a high contrast scene will give you a totally different reading vs spot metering of highlights vs center weighted of mid tone.  A general understanding of the exposure triangle is an important part of becoming a better photographer, and it will help you to effectively control your images in manual mode.

When you blog from a position of knowledge,  you need to make sure you cover all your bases because it is an invitation to be scrutinized by other professionals especially on an open forum.  The negative tone against other professionals in the blog doesn't help either.

My humble opinion...

Wait did someone say post some work?? 


 


 


 


I'm decent with off camera flash too...


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## Ysarex (Mar 9, 2018)

YoungPhotoGirl said:


> tirediron said:
> 
> 
> > YoungPhotoGirl said:
> ...



I disagree. You are not at the stage to be able to give beginners tips. Your tips are incorrect and misleading. I understand your feelings are hurt and I apologize for my earlier sarcasm, but moving on, you need to learn more and understand more before trying to help beginners. Maybe it's too late now with your hurt feelings to patch up and take a positive turn but the people on this site, Tirediron and myself included, can help.

Joe



YoungPhotoGirl said:


> that was horrendously insulting. Its clear you're not the absolute best in the world either. Take the tips, or if they don't suit you... then don't.
> It was a place for beginners to start testing manual mode out without being scared.
> I dont see how my tips ended up warranting you to insult my level of knowledge. That's just plain rude.
> Just because it's the internet does not mean manners should disappear.


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## YoungPhotoGirl (Mar 9, 2018)

Vtec44 said:


> YoungPhotoGirl said:
> 
> 
> > tl;dr
> ...


Lovely work


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## SCraig (Mar 9, 2018)

I have news for you.  The "M" on the mode dial doesn't stand for "Magic" and simply "Centering The Meter" is going to yield photographs that are no better than when using one of the automatic or semi-automatic modes.  All a person is doing in that situation is mimicking what the meter wants to do and forcing themselves to randomly spin dials until the meter centers.  I would expect a "Professional" to realize that.

In reality it actually IS important to understand ISO, aperture, and shutter speed, and how they relate to one another,  since until one does the settings they choose, whether in manual or one of the semi-auto modes, are likely not the most optimum for the photographic situation.  Why use 1/2000 second to photograph grandma in her rocker when the depth of field is razor thin?  I would expect a "Professional" to realize that.

I would also expect a "Professional" to realize that there is more to a photograph than proper exposure, which is ALL that the mode can adjust.  Framing, composition, background, and more all contribute as much to the final photograph as the exposure does.

Additionally, I find it ironic that most of the people you are arguing with learned to use a camera when ALL WE HAD was manual mode.  There were no built-in meters or mode dials or any of that.  We couldn't even change the ISO (we called it ASA back then) from shot to shot since it was based on the film we had in the camera.  We got the exposure right through our knowledge and intuition or we got nothing.

I'm quite sure this will garner me another "Disagree" but that's fine to.  Any time I get a "Disagree" from certain people it simply means that I was right.


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## zombiesniper (Mar 9, 2018)

I'm not going to get into which mode is best since they ALL have their place.

However to the OP, you're walking a really tight line of getting this thread shut down or worse.
You've disliked almost every post that didn't agree with your post. We all don't have to agree to get along, it's part of being an adult.



YoungPhotoGirl said:


> why don't you, with your extensive know-how share your reasons and knowledge?


You may want to read up a bit. He's helped more people than you have.



YoungPhotoGirl said:


> Or is this just a site for people with failed businesses to bash others.


Personal bashing of someone is not normally a welcomed behavioural trait.



YoungPhotoGirl said:


> Decent professional photographers wouldn't take time out of their day to bash an informative BEGINNERS tip thread lol


Unless YOU are a professional then YOU have no idea what a professional would or would not do.

You have written an article from YOUR point of view. Own it but do realize NOBODY has to agree with you. You are making some pretty large assumptions with no evidence to support it i.e. why people don't use manual, why pro's try to keep others from using manual.

Lastly, when someone takes issue or doesn't agree with something you have posted:
a) Try and see it from their point of view and see why they see it that way.
b) Try not to take it personally
c) Don't make it personal by attacking others since if a member can show a history of this you can be banned as per the forum rules.


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## astroNikon (Mar 9, 2018)

I try to tell people to use Manual when *you* want "specific" control over Shutter (speed for sports vs studio) and Aperture (for depth of field).   In Semi-Auto modes too you can set low and high limits (may vary based on camera) for Shutter / Aperture values.  You can also throw in Auto-ISO with limits into the mix in M and Semi-Auto.

So many potential ways of using the camera.  But one really should understand the Exposure Triangle concepts first in order to start playing with M/Semi-A modes otherwise they'll still get, for example, blurry images.

But I understand the concept presented to get a newbie to venture into a Manual mode. Using the exposure bar to get the right exposure balance.  May not be "right" but helps a newbie to start learning more.



zulu42 said:


> Oh my god. That tattoo. It's...I don't know what to say. That tattoo is exceedingly amazing to me.


I thought it was pretty cool too !!


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## pixmedic (Mar 9, 2018)

I agree that you dont need to know mathematical formulas. i sure dont. I dont math well. 
I agree you dont HAVE to buy flash equipment to learn manual. I didnt, that came later when i learned portraiture.
i absolutely agree you dont need to spend $4k on courses. i didnt do that either.
and I certainly agree that learning proper exposure is the *beginning* of learning good photography. 

what I kinda disagree with is the assertion that "professional" photographers are somehow keeping manual mode a closely guarded secret. 
the pros on this site push manual mode literally all the time. there are a bazillion free online courses as well as youtube videos with professional photographers teaching you how to use pretty much any mode your camera has, as well as lighting, posing, editing...everything. 
tons and tons of "pros" trying to teach newbies how to properly use their camera. (we invited forum members that wanted to learn wedding photography to come second shoot weddings with us..how is THAT for opportunity?)
its certainly possible that some pros are hoarding their knowledge out of fear that someone will take business from them, but I honestly have not experienced that myself, nor have I seen it on this site.  with that in mind, I feel its a bit disingenuous of you to use "they" and "professional photographer" in such a broad and encompassing manner when you can clearly spend just a few minutes on the internet and see that there are plenty of professional photographers willing to share their knowledge. you being one of them, for example. 

i shoot almost exclusively in manual. I use a lot of OCF, which are also all in manual. 
I rarely "center the needle".
for my portraiture work, the scene is always "underexposed" according to the camera because of the flashes. 
for everything else, I learned ETTR loooooong ago, and i still basically use it today. it works well for me. 
admittedly not necessarily newbie material, but I think it bears mentioning in a blog dedicated to getting people to start using manual mode that "centering the needle" is only the very beginning of learning exposure, and learning more advanced techniques like high key, low key, and flash photography necessitate purposefully rendering an overexposed or underexposed scene.


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## otherprof (Mar 9, 2018)

YoungPhotoGirl said:


> There's so many amateur photographers who are scared to take their skills to the next level.
> I say scared, because it's not about the individual lacking the skills necessary- Skills are something you develop naturally as you practise.
> FEAR is what stops you from trying, fear stops you from practising something new.
> These types of enthusiasts tend to hover between AUTO mode, NO FLASH mode, and APERTURE-PRIORITY mode. They stay in these "safe zones", too afraid of failure to practise using manual mode. They either tried manual mode once, got disappointed with "how much they needed to learn" and quit forever, or sometimes hover back expecting to be much, much better (but having not practised manual mode in a year!) and feel inadequate so don't go back to manual for quite some time.
> ...


Those professional photographers with their secret handshakes make me sick! Who would have thunk it? Conspiracy theories come to "auto-no-flash".


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## SoulfulRecover (Mar 9, 2018)

You got it set to 'M' for Mini when it should be set to 'W' for Wumbo. Come on! You know... I wumbo, You wumbo, He she me... wumbo? Wumbo, wumboing, we'll have the wumbo, Wumborama... Wumbology, the study of wumbo? It's first grade!


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## Rafterman (Mar 9, 2018)

I always thought that MASP stood for:

*M*aniacal
*A*rrogant
*S*nooty
*P*ompous

I use Arrogant mode when shooting people and places. This mode is especially good for use with people, because it helps them realize that I'm a Pro and they should respect me. Arrogant mode works best when using as large and obtrusive a lens as possible. This adds to the "wow factor" and really impresses folks when they can see how big my "gear" is.

I use Snooty mode when I'm shooting birds/animals, in conjunction with Auto ISO (*I*mperious, *S*mug, *O*verbearing) to keep shutter speeds high. Wildlife photography doesn't benefit as much from Arrogant mode. Critters aren't impressed by my huge glass, or by my presence at all, for that matter. Frankly, I think they all hate me.

Pompous mode is for when I'm feeling lazy and just need to project an overall confidence in my master-level skills as a photographer. It's the best shooting mode for self-defense situations, such as when being challenged by a fellow photog who is calling my abilities into question.

As for Maniacal mode, no one talks about that. It's only for the truly crazy among us. I personally don't think cameras should even have that mode. It scares the hell out of me.


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## Overread (Mar 9, 2018)

PEOPLE (ALL) 
Lets try to remain respectful toward each other. Even if we don't all agree, lets at least remain mature about it. 



YoungPhotoGirl said:


> If the image is correctly exposed, it will be centred in the middle. If not, you adjust your aperture (if you don't mind it affecting your bokeh & focus), or more often than not, you adjust your shutter speed. How simple is that?



I want you to read this back to yourself a few times over.
What you've done is a very classic couple of mistakes in teaching

1) You have simplified a more complex situation into a very limited number of very specific steps. You have actually simplified it to the point where the above will only work within a limited range of situations.
This is not a good way to teach beginners because you're assuming that they are even shooting in the same conditions you are in. Last week it was snowy here, ice and snow everywhere the landscape was  a blanket of white. A beginner following your advice and stepping outside and getting that meter reading on the middle would have got a shot underexposed by quite a noticeable margin.
Similarly if they decided to take a photo of their child/pet running or even were in dim lighting indoors then they'd get a very blurry shot as you've left the shutter speed to the side almost as if its not important.

These are all things you already know; indeed you likely know them so well you don't even much think of them. But in your short comment you've provided instruction that will fail for some, will sort of work for others and will work for a handful who are in conditions that favour that approach.

2) You've presented what is basically a very simple introduction to a subject on its own. What you've posted above would work perfectly fine if you crafted it within a case-study situation (eg photo of a product on a table whilst camera is on a tripod).
It would also work perfectly fine as the beginning of a longer article (yes more writing) where you'd steadily take each concept and present it other beginner so that they can start to understand each point before adding them all together.

You've essentially presented the very basics of metering, but your working and presentation have given it a false message which is what many in this thread are trying to make you aware of.


Most of the community here of professionals/experienced amateurs etc... are more than keen to help others and many take their free time to do so. What they see in you is a person eager to do likewise, but who has taken off on the wrong foot in a big way - hence why there's a lot of unified effort ot try and make you aware of this and to get you to change your approach. This is in the view of helping you to help others in a better way.




Photographic skill is actually NOT all that important in this situation. We aren't talking about photographic skill but Teaching Skill.


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## Ferrarimx5 (Mar 9, 2018)

This forum is quite forgiving, understanding and uplifting.
A place to grow, share, and prosper.
The fruit that grows on a tree, is not for the tree.
The tree, no matter how harsh the environment may become, can not feed from its fruit.
The fruit is for others to enjoy.
Be fruitful.
The fruit contains seed.
Enjoy the fruit and plant the seeds,


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## dxqcanada (Mar 9, 2018)

I think the issues here about the tutorial have to due primarily with the tone is it presented ... Professional Photographers are evil ... and the statements about not having to really know what the controls do.
There have been many discussions about utilizing manual control in this forum, so I don't think we (experienced manual exposure users) are trying to hide this function as some secret handshake.

... and there are many photographers that use automatic modes very effectivity to obtain their "correct" exposure.


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## pixmedic (Mar 9, 2018)

Sent from my LG-H872 using Tapatalk


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## Vtec44 (Mar 9, 2018)

dxqcanada said:


> I think the issues here about the tutorial have to due primarily with the tone is it presented ... Professional Photographers are evil ...



Yeah that kind of rubbed me the wrong way to be honest.  Photography has been around for over 150 years and that information is not new or even a secret.  To present it such a way that some how professional photographers are trying to keep the information away from people and it's THE secret to better photos.  I think it is down right deceptive.  That's just my personal opinion, obviously.


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## DanOstergren (Mar 11, 2018)

YoungPhotoGirl said:


> THEY don't WANT you to learn manual mode.
> It's the professional photographers secret saving grace. It changes EVERY SINGLE PICTURE to a drastically better quality.


Ok this is the funniest thing I've ever seen here. Are you trolling the forum? Because you're very good at it. Absolutely hilarious.


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## DanOstergren (Mar 11, 2018)

Ysarex said:


> I disagree. You are not at the stage to be able to give beginners tips. Your tips are incorrect and misleading. I understand your feelings are hurt and I apologize for my earlier sarcasm, but moving on, you need to learn more and understand more before trying to help beginners. Maybe it's too late now with your hurt feelings to patch up and take a positive turn but the people on this site, Tirediron and myself included, can help.


More fact in this statement than in the entire blog post.


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## espresso2x (Mar 11, 2018)

OP lol.


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## terri (Mar 11, 2018)

I think this thread has outlived whatever usefulness it offered.    Closed.


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