How to Shoot in Manual Mode on your Camera

Shooting in manual mode is the best way to gain full control over the look of your photos. Choosing the right settings is more than just properly exposing your photo. By adjusting the shutter speed, ISO, and aperture, you can creatively affect the look of each photo.
Every image comprises a shutter speed, aperture, and ISO.
Simply put, the shutter speed controls how long the camera's sensor is exposed to light. The longer the shutter speed, the more light hits the sensor, and the more motion blur can be captured. Shorter shutter speeds are generally used to freeze motion.
The aperture controls how open or closed the lens blades are while shooting. Opening your aperture (lower number) allows more light to hit the sensor and also increases background blur. This is ideal for things like portraits and product imagery, where you'd want the subject to stand out from its surroundings. On the other hand, closing the aperture down (higher number) will increase the depth of field, allowing you to achieve an image that is sharp from front to back. Generally, landscape photographers like to close their aperture down to achieve more of their image in focus.
Lastly, the ISO controls how much (if any) light is added to the image. The higher the ISO, the more light is added. However, this has a drawback: You'll experience increasing noise levels as you raise the ISO. It is generally recommended to leave your ISO at your camera's base ISO (usually between 64 and 125) unless you absolutely must raise it.
Balance these three settings, and you'll be taking the perfect exposures in no time!
#landscapephotography #naturephotography #photography #photographytip #improvephotography #learnphotography #camerasettings #photographygear

[@rickwilliamsphotography]

Noise is a function of low signal (light). High ISO only amplifies noise, but does not cause noise.

[@AustinJamesJackson]

Correct, this is the technical way of explaining it!

[@rickwilliamsphotography]

@@AustinJamesJackson would be a great lead in to discuss ISO invariance

[@duroxkilo]

plus the 'BASE ISO' is not always the min ISO available in the settings... so while he's giving good advice for beginners, it might be useful to let them know that these days cameras will produce photos w/ insensible noise @ ISO 400 and in most cases even ISO 800 is perfectly fine, especially during daytime..

[@multi_potentialite]

One thing even better for beginners is just running auto ISO.

[@Armbrust210]

Well, he did say you'll "see" more noise in your images, that's not wrong. Your explanation is still valid

[@DSG0805]

Manual mode by itself is great, however, throwing in auto iso for dynamic situation shooting may be one of the best overall ways to go.

[@AustinJamesJackson]

I always steer away from auto ISO, as it can occasionally burn you if you aren't paying attention.

[@DSG0805]

@@AustinJamesJackson definitely could in some situations. Though rarely am I in settings where it goes over 1600 and not paying attention to adjust otherwise. 1600 is a pretty clean iso these days

[@xstevenx8132]

@@AustinJamesJacksonthrow zebras on and you’ll never have that happened.

[@belosevicf]

@@AustinJamesJackson well yeah but that can also be bad advice in some situations. you are going to get a better image if you use 1/100 and iso 1000 then 1/10 and iso 100 plus today in lets say lightroom there is ai denoise that works well when the image is well lit and the iso is not above like 6400

[@raynjpg]

@@xstevenx8132 even with zebras, i can't seem to figure out how to properly adjust ISO to my exposure settings.

[@marcofreitas5321]

After dealing with advices like this one, having your iso always at 100, I've missed opportunities of taking photos with the settings I wanted, like a faster shutter speed..so, now use auto iso almost all the time. It's better a grainy photo than the photo I could not shoot with the aperture or shutter speed I wouldn't want. Just remove noise in post processing in lighroom or Dxo.

[@AustinJamesJackson]

Why not just use the shutter speed or aperture you want and adjust ISO accordingly?

[@marcofreitas5321]

@@AustinJamesJackson auto iso does that after all. My camera is a Nikon d3500 and has no dedicated button to change the iso, you have to dive into the settings menu.

[@lancea1470]

Well exactly. But sometimes you have to keep up with the action of people really fast. It's best to use continuous shutter speeds . If you're in manual mode, your going to get a shot if you can adjust the camera settings or use two or more camera bodies with different lenses really fast. Clients have the same amount of patience as people in the drive thru at a fast food restaurant. And it's getting worse. They want results right now.

[@duroxkilo]

i had this conversation w/ people over time... best way to get over the 'fear' of noise is to actually test the camera + lens and see what level is acceptable to You. these days most cameras will produce excellent results @ ISO400 and even higher.

[@ian_lewono]

I shoot with manual and auto iso, also because iso doesn't affect the creative outlook of the photo

[@robertsundermann1873]

The ISO 100 rules is kinda confusing for most people at first. Alright you can get more details etc but when learning photography I think it’s best to first understand aperture and shutter speed. I recommend manual only for special types of scenes or for some cool effects. Aperture or shutter speed priority combined with auto ISO are pretty reliable and most cameras will drop to ISO 100 when there’s enough light. And keep in mind that each sensor reacts differently to ISO noise and most of the newer once get great details even on ISO 800-1600. In short: if you can shoot at ISO 100 do it, but it isn’t a must in my opinion😉

[@AustinJamesJackson]

Well said!

[@lancea1470]

Right on. Shooting in manual can be pretty scary leading up to a shoot. But I do like to do it a lot. Don't be drinking or on drugs when you are doing that. Lol. You need every brain cell in your head to pull it off. When my clients offer me a drink, I always refuse. Manual mode is critical thinking.

[@Danieltakacsvfx]

Yeah, saying, that 100 is the base ISO is complete bullshit, most cameras have their native iso at 800 or 1600 maybe higher in some modern cameras. Meaning, that you capture the same amount of dynamic range towards the highlights and the shadows.

[@Re-BornFree]

You have the best shorts for photography in the game

[@AustinJamesJackson]

Glad you think so!!

[@basedclubofficial]

This is all somehow useful advice, however ine of the interesting thing you can learn is that even noise can be used for creativity and doesn't need to get eliminated at all costs

[@AustinJamesJackson]

This is true!

[@tacotimmer8288]

the way some people describe it is that ISO is the only setting that doesn't affect your composition, so the lowest is always the best - just add grain in post to suit your vibe

[@basedclubofficial]

@@tacotimmer8288 it's just making it hard for new photographers to catch clear (not blurry) images if they want to keep a low iso in low light situations.

[@SmokierRook]

Finally somebody that tells me what the hell all of these numbers on my Camera screen do👑

[@AustinJamesJackson]

Hope it helps!

[@nateb.1568]

I have really been enjoying Aperture Priority with auto iso and a minumum shutter speed.

[@AustinJamesJackson]

That can work if you are paying close attention! Just want to make sure the ISO doesn’t creep up on you.

[@victorbarcellos6445]

I have been photographing since I was 9 years old (since around 12 with semi-proofessional cameras), and I have rarely seen a situation where I need to control all 3, most scenarios I just really need to control 1 of them, or two (one of them being ISO). And that is done also by many professional photographers, just like Gregory Heisler, who I had class with.

[@AustinJamesJackson]

👍👍

[@ChrisBaitson]

ISO changes the camera sensor’s sensitivity to light, it does not digitally add light…

[@AustinJamesJackson]

In the film days you’d be correct, but technically in digital it doesn’t work that way.

[@ChrisBaitson]

@@AustinJamesJackson I’ll fill in the slightly vague reply for you. Turning up the ISO increases the gain of the amplifiers of each photosite. It works very similar to turning up the volume on speakers. The higher the volume the more sound is produced but at the same time you amplify and increase noise. There is no digital light being added.

[@shimmeringreflection]

​@@ChrisBaitsonagreed, Digital is the wrong word. Digital means 0s and 1s. ISO adds light by boosting the electronic signal

[@simply_exploring]

This obsession with keeping the iso on 100 at all times can make you miss important moments. It’s happened to me so many times. Better to have noise, while getting the subject tac sharp than missing the shot all together. Plus with noise reduction technologies now days, you can crank it up pretty high, and still get good results.

[@AustinJamesJackson]

Most newer cameras are ISO invariant, so it’s going to be better to keep it at 100 when possible and just increase brightness in post.

[@embeddedbastler6406]

@@AustinJamesJackson No, don't keep it at ISO 100. Set the ISO that is required to have a properly exposed photo. Lower ISO values have HIGHER read-out noise!

[@fatahillahazzaalhazmi]

I like your jacket

[@AustinJamesJackson]

Thanks! Haha

[@rokpodlogar6062]

base ISO is not always the choice. check your camera's signal to noise diagram, but yes, in general, you won't see significant difference on small screens/prints.

[@AustinJamesJackson]

Thanks!

[@ARamos5201]

Thank you😊

[@AustinJamesJackson]

Welcome!

[@HonkiePlonkie]

Love how you said: Base ISO. Because photo is pretty basic at 100 for perfect images in most camera's. Video isn't. It's a whole different story how ISO works and why BT.709 is 400-1600 base iso and Clog3 is 800 or 3200 base iso

[@AustinJamesJackson]

👍👍

[@BeboBaggins-e3w]

A common misconception is that iso digitally increases light it’s more of a gain setting that increases the sensitivity of the light that’s already going into your camera it does not digitally increase light, for example, a shot of a dark room at a high aperture a fast shutter speed and a high iso will have noise the key is to adjust all three settings about one another you should never limit yourself to the “lowest” possible iso it should be adjusted as necessary because if your aperture and your shutter speed are set correctly iso will only function as a slight increase or decrease of exposure in your composition it’s a tool just like the others and you should not be afraid of it an iso up to 21 thousand can still produce clear and clean images if your other settings have gotten your exposure to where it needs to be that being sad it can introduce noise if you have poorly exposed your image beforehand your iso is not a get out of jail fee card if you’re going to shoot in manual you must know how both aperture and shutter speed interact with light as they arguable effect the brightness and exposure of your composition more than iso will

[@AustinJamesJackson]

True, but explaining it this way to a beginner won't make any sense.

[@Samoriginel]

Thank you

[@AustinJamesJackson]

You're welcome

[@equiidiana]

I needed this, thank you!

[@AustinJamesJackson]

You're so welcome!

[@weniboyfelipe]

Great teaching i literaly learn it like a photographic memory in one shorts

[@AustinJamesJackson]

Glad it was helpful!

[@EZ-viewing.]

Succinct, clear & to the point. Many, many thanks good sir. ❤

[@AustinJamesJackson]

Glad it was helpful!

[@ichbrauchmehrkaffee5785]

my reccomendation nowadays is to only manually set the parameter that affects the style you're going for (i.e. set aputure for desired amount of background blur) and leave the rest on auto, while adjusting the exosure with exposure-compensation.

[@AustinJamesJackson]

That works if you pay attention and make sure the shutter is fast enough and ISO is low.

[@Falcrist]

PREFER lower ISO, but definitely be willing to use higher ISO when you need smaller aperture and/or faster shutter speed than you could otherwise get.

[@AustinJamesJackson]

Absolutely!

[@ZONATHEDIVISION]

Love your video. Very informative

[@AustinJamesJackson]

Thanks!

[@ahmermirza]

simple and great explanation

[@AustinJamesJackson]

Glad you liked it!

[@benchappearo4656]

Glad I subbed

[@AustinJamesJackson]

Thank you!!

[@lukeallard6693]

I appreciate your photography videos Mr. Young Willem Dafoe

[@AustinJamesJackson]

Glad you like them!

[@Leiasart]

so random lol, they look literally nothing alike

[@johns1230]

100 ISO is great if your target is stationary and it's not dark enough that you get camera shake because you have a pulse.

[@AustinJamesJackson]

👍

[@athallahhafidz7689]

Okay, aint gonna lie at first I thought this will be a sniping tips, targetting a goat 🙂

[@AustinJamesJackson]

Haha!

[@hyundongcho4328]

new subscriber! thanks bro

[@AustinJamesJackson]

Thanks for the sub!

[@hyundongcho4328]

@@AustinJamesJackson thanks for the great info!

[@immathiasyde]

ISO is the voltage applied across the sensor. More voltage results in amplified noise in the image

[@AustinJamesJackson]

👍

[@nikolamilicevic9537]

I don't think he understood your comment :), ISO doesn't add noise, it simply amplifies already existing sensor noise.

[@stretch90]

ISO doesn't add noise, it just makes the noise more visible. Low light on the sensor is what creates noise.

[@immathiasyde]

@@stretch90 Yes, the higher ISO, the more voltage is applied across the sensor to make it more sensitive to low-light

[@nateb.1568]

The ISO doesn't add the noise. It reveals it. Noise comes from an underexposed photo.

[@hluteavanrohlua528]

Thanks

[@AustinJamesJackson]

No problem

[@ladomeskhi9511]

But in low lights if aperture and shutterspeed isnt enough then you need to raise ISO

[@AustinJamesJackson]

Correct!

[@embeddedbastler6406]

Actually it's the other way around. The higher the ISO the less noise in the read-out of the camera sensor is produced. Almost every photographer gets this wrong. What is causing the noise is not the ISO but the fact that less light gets to the sensor because you increased the shutter speed to compensate for the higher ISO. The advice to shoot always at ISO 100 is misleading at best: Shoot with the ISO that is needed. Just leave it on AUTO. Set aperature and shutter speed, let the camera decide the ISO.

[@AustinJamesJackson]

Auto ISO is going to get you in trouble if you don’t pay attention to it. If you don’t understand how to get a proper exposure using aperture and shutter speed, auto ISO is going to be a nightmare for you when your images are noisy and you don’t know why.

[@Batman0520]

Thanks for your suggestions!! Could you suggest me a good camera to start with? perhaps it can support different objectives

[@AustinJamesJackson]

I think the Sony a6000 lineup of cameras are fantastic for beginners!

[@Batman0520]

@@AustinJamesJackson thanks bro

[@yumenokoyume]

Ok every one is getting so technical with ISO. Here's my opinion... Ehem... Remember that day when we used film from Kodak and Fuji Film? The numbers indicated on the box were ISO 200, 400, 1600, and we had no idea what those numbers meant back then until digital cameras took over. I hope this answers your questions, use your imagination.

[@AustinJamesJackson]

😂

[@shimmeringreflection]

ISO does not digitally (0s and 1s) add light; it's electrical -- as in gain, and the more you add, the more noise from the signal it brings

[@AustinJamesJackson]

Correct!

[@mary-lynpineda7767]

The aperture of my canon 800D does not go lower than 5. What should I do?

[@AustinJamesJackson]

That’s fine!

[@rickyreyes48]

Thanks for confusing beginners

[@AustinJamesJackson]

Why is that?

[@michaelaybar]

That area looks like the Apple wallpaper

[@AustinJamesJackson]

Thanks!

[@bequiet568]

Make your life easy by using Auto ISO. if you use 100 ISO in low light situation and want to make it more bright in edit and boom more Noise than 3200 ISO, Let the camera chose the ISO since technology in camera already learn about light since the first camera has been build.

[@AustinJamesJackson]

ISO Auto is going to get you in trouble if you don't understand how ISO works.

[@bequiet568]

@@AustinJamesJackson I'm using Sony 6400 and never had a problem using auto ISO Except during astrophotography. Well I always use it for Birdwatch soo I need fast Iso, Not just me even profesional like Simon d'entremont still using Auto Iso

[@AustinJamesJackson]

It makes sense for wildlife, but for landscapes it does not.

[@pablodm9]

Get an ND filter and you get an extra variable

[@AustinJamesJackson]

How would that help you?

[@bigDawgmiles2743]

When I lower my shutter speed my image becomes way to bright best way to fix this?

[@AustinJamesJackson]

Don't lower your shutter speed if it's becoming too bright. Or else you'll have to compensate by stopping down the aperture or lowering ISO.

[@shinymetalvids]

High iso won’t add more noise and grain if the scene is bright. Test it you’ll see. Don’t not shoot at low iso if you need a wider aperture or faster shutter speed, just raise your iso and shutter speed, it’ll be fine! ISO, Shutter Speed and Aperture *all* need balancing to suit what we’re capturing, low (or base) ISO is not that important. Telling people to always shoot at base ISO will make their photos blurry (from slower shutter speeds and too shallow of a depth of field) and worst underexposed, meaning they will have to increase exposure in post and the photographs will then be *more noisy* than if shot at higher ISO anyway.

[@AustinJamesJackson]

Shooting at base ISO is going to teach you to understand shutter and aperture to increase light. Yes, raise ISO if you need a minimum shutter or aperture, but otherwise it isn’t worth it. And most newer cameras are ISO invariant so you can actually just shoot at ISO 100 and be underexposed anyways.

[@shinymetalvids]

@@AustinJamesJackson you mean higher shutter speeds, not minimum. And no most newer cameras are not invariant, many that are are only partially so too! (Like some Fujifilm sensors only are within an iso range not all iso). Please research more before teaching! All gear is different. No one will learn anything from being crippled by being told “base iso only” as you said in the video all three sides of the triangle need balancing for the image you’re taking. They won’t know who they can’t control their camera in manual as you’re telling them to never use ISO and worse this “base iso” is the worse iso to be stuck at. It’s as silly as saying “shoot only at f16” or “shoot only at 1/60” without knowing if they are doing street or landscape or sports!

[@shinymetalvids]

@@AustinJamesJackson please just read what I’ve said, it doesn’t require a clever reply. ISO should be dictated by the requirements of the scene, set shutter speed to the minimum you can shoot to freeze motion and handshake (or set slower to blur motion) and set aperture for the desired depth of field for what you want to show. The iso can be anything, it’s the least important. Auto iso even is better for beginners and everyone when there’s little time for full manual, like street and wildlife. ISO is also the only setting with zero creative or artistic control, change ISO to make the rest work for your vision.

[@AustinJamesJackson]

Yup, I agree with you. However, the kind of photographer that finds this reel useful doesn't understand how shutter speed or aperture effects their image. Until they do, leaving the ISO down is going to result in the best photos. Even as someone who shoots professionally, when you take night photos out of the equation I shoot at higher ISOs one in every 20 shots for landscapes. Regarding ISO invariant cameras, 9 of the 10 most purchased cameras so far in 2024 are ISO invariant. Look at Canon, Nikon, and Sony, the three most popular by far.

[@shinymetalvids]

@@AustinJamesJackson glad we agree on somethings. (I found this reel and I’ve been shooting for thirty years, so we can’t assume who will see what we are sharing). Truth is higher iso are needed for many genres of photography, most of the time (wedding, wildlife, sport, street etc). I understand not so much for landscapes, but your video doesn’t state that it’s advice for mainly landscapes. It comes across as a “101” of correct exposure facts for photography. And regarding the growing prevalence of cameras that are near to iso invariant, most people won’t be using a camera manufactured recently enough. But more importantly it’s a moot point as invariance is an advanced technique requiring underexposure and your video was an attempted bite sized lesson on how to exposure correctly.

[@maynulutso]

What camera body and lens did you use in this video?

[@AustinJamesJackson]

Sony a7r4 with Tamron 17-28mm

[@supersonico9364]

He just explained the problem not the solution 😂

[@AustinJamesJackson]

What do you mean?

[@claudianreyn4529]

You forgot a bout color temperature, just saying.

[@AustinJamesJackson]

That isn’t one of the settings in the exposure triangle. I adjust white balance in post.

[@sword-and-shield]

4. Focus Control

[@AustinJamesJackson]

That’s important too!

[@sword-and-shield]

@@AustinJamesJackson Not bashing the vid. I know the Big 3 or the Triangle, was the main purpose of the vid in explaining manual.

[@gooeytv1184]

ISO at 100?! Huh?! Maybe in broad daylight!

[@AustinJamesJackson]

Almost anytime!

[@lensonomy]

100 ISO is not recommended always!

[@AustinJamesJackson]

Depends on the situation.

[@YasinOzylmaz]

manual mode is just stupid unless you shoot stars or you shoot in studio. because light condition changes quickly at every different angle. so u can't change settings quickly. if u need fast shutter speed go with S mode, otherwise go with A mode.

[@AustinJamesJackson]

For landscapes, you usually don’t need to change settings super quickly.

[@beans304]

Question: how do you effectively capture more light keeping ISO at 100 but with fast shutter speed and higher aperture? Would it depend completely on the shutter speed??

[@ryanharty973]

you need a strobe. you can’t add more light with out adding more light. raise your iso or shoot with a tripod and lower you shutter speed. raising your iso in camera is better than pushing the image in light room especially if you’re shooting jpeg

[@AustinJamesJackson]

You can’t get more light without slowing the shutter down, opening aperture, or raising ISO.

[@schm147]

You can't do that without using a flash or other light source. Also I would question what kind of situation calls for needing both fast shutter speed and high aperture in the dark.

[@travisjacobs3]

I've heard and read that raising ISO in dark spaces is bad and raising iso a bit in light is good. Inverse than what is previously thought.

[@AustinJamesJackson]

Would not make a difference on ISO invariant cameras.

[@joshlia6469]

I had my camera set up, I was just chilling on a bench waiting for a photo of a car and one came through so i got the photo, dude flipped out at me saying there was no need for the car to be in the photo and he tried to take my camera ffs

[@AustinJamesJackson]

🤷🏽‍♀️

[@resenpro658]

No ISO is crucial in low light? Rhere is a reason why it exists

[@AustinJamesJackson]

You may need it in low light, I use it all the time!

[@Luggruff]

Bro really said "Balancing all of these three" after telling us to leave ISO at 100 🤦

[@AustinJamesJackson]

👍

[@SmittenandBitten]

Iso 100? Tell that to my birds 10 metres high up in the trees

[@AustinJamesJackson]

Haha!

[@jamdva8176]

Don't stick to base ISO all the time, it is bad. Another ISO are not for show, they could be used.

[@AustinJamesJackson]

👍

[@amdevs]

Wtf this sound at 0:00 of the clip? Minus my ears.

[@AustinJamesJackson]

😂

[@mmarec936]

iso at 100 is not allways good

[@AustinJamesJackson]

Agreed!

[@Entropie1000]

Nothing new…

[@AustinJamesJackson]

Awesome!

[@bantei269]

im sick of these basic tutorials give us something more advance....theres already alot of tutorials out there for beginners

[@AustinJamesJackson]

lol… plenty of more advanced tutorials on my channel if you look around.

[@godsinbox]

Manual mode consists of FOUR settings. the last being MANUAL FOCUS. dont wuss out and not use MF.

[@AustinJamesJackson]

In most modern cameras, the user error in manual focus is going to be greater than just using autofocus unless you're shooting in the dark.

[@buffalo369]

Huh? So after those blah blah, he still have not say, HOW TO SHOOT IN MANUAL MODE

[@AustinJamesJackson]

Did you watch the video? Lol

[@StephenEscallier]

Always having your camera at base iso is pretty amateur level advice.

[@AustinJamesJackson]

Watching a video on how to shoot in manual is meant for amateurs…?

[@StephenEscallier]

@@AustinJamesJackson you are not getting my point. Rarely do you see a top tier photographer suggesting to stick to base iso. In today’s world of post processing it’s massively more beneficial to retain detail, noise is easy to fix in post.

[@AustinJamesJackson]

Increasing exposure in post is the same as increasing ISO in the field. For that reason, I shoot at base ISO as much as possible and brighten in post if needed. But more often than not, I don’t need to do either one since I can just increase my shutter speed to let in more light.

[@StephenEscallier]

@@AustinJamesJackson I suggest to experiment with usable range vs base in unideal conditions just focusing on final detail. Bumping up exposure in post is absolutely not the same as increasing iso when you are shooting. Increasing iso while shooting allows you to capture more detail, where pumping up exposure in post can only reveal detail your sensor was able to capture. A caveat is using a tripod and remote shutter I suppose, but for handheld auto iso is absolutely worth using.

[@AustinJamesJackson]

If you’re using a modern digital camera that is ISO-invariant, increasing aperture in the field vs increasing exposure in post will yield the exact same results. Check out “ISO-invariant” on KZbin or Google and you’ll get a lot more info than I can reply with in a short caption.

[@deepthinker0009]

Always shooting at base ISO is a terrible advice

[@AustinJamesJackson]

When possible I ALWAYS do. I only raise the ISO if I need more light or want to play with a faster shutter speed. Why raise the ISO if not necessary?

[@deepthinker0009]

@@AustinJamesJackson it's not about manually adjusting higher ISO but actually letting the camera pick the appropriate ISO, in most cases auto ISO is the way to go

[@CocoKoi321]

Iso 100 myth 🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡

[@AustinJamesJackson]

Huh?