# How to Shoot in Manual Mode: Beginner’s Guide **By Chanuka Nayanajith** · 2026-10-22 To shoot in Manual mode, switch your DSLR or mirrorless camera to **M**, choose an aperture for the depth of field you want, select a shutter speed that suits the subject, and adjust ISO until the photo has the brightness you intend. Check the camera's exposure meter, take a test shot, then review the result. You do not need to memorize perfect settings: the aim is to know which control to change and why. For a first attempt, photograph a stationary subject outdoors in even daylight. Try f/5.6 and 1/250 second, then choose ISO according to the exposure meter and the light. ISO 100 may work in brighter conditions, while shade may require a higher value. These are practice settings, not a guaranteed exposure recipe. The steps below show how to adjust them deliberately. ## What Manual Mode Controls (and What It Does Not) In Manual exposure mode, you choose **aperture** and **shutter speed** instead of letting the camera select them automatically. You can also set ISO yourself. On many cameras, Manual mode can be combined with Auto ISO when you want the camera to adjust that third setting as the light changes. **Manual exposure is not the same as manual focus.** Switching to M does not normally turn off autofocus. You can keep autofocus enabled while learning exposure, which makes it easier to concentrate on one skill at a time. ## The Three Manual Camera Settings You Need to Know - **Aperture (f-number):** Controls the lens opening and influences depth of field. A low f-number such as f/2.8 means a wider opening and can create a softer background. A higher f-number such as f/8 or f/11 usually gives more depth of field, though subject distance, focal length and focus also matter. - **Shutter speed:** Controls how long the camera records light. A fast shutter such as 1/1000 second can freeze rapid movement; a slower one such as 1/15 second records more motion and makes handheld camera shake more likely. - **ISO:** Changes the camera's amplification or processing of the recorded signal and therefore the resulting image brightness. A higher ISO can support a faster shutter speed in dim light, but photographs made with less captured light often have more visible noise. Raising ISO does not make the sensor collect more light. These settings work together, but they are not interchangeable creatively. For a deeper explanation of equivalent exposures, see [how aperture, shutter speed and ISO work together](/blogs/exposure-triangle/how-aperture-shutter-speed-and-iso-work-together). ## How to Shoot Your First Photo in Manual Mode 1. **Choose an easy scene.** Find an object near a window or outdoors in even daylight. Avoid fast-moving subjects and rapidly changing light for this first exercise. 2. **Select M on the camera.** Turn the mode dial to M, or select Manual exposure through the camera's mode control. The position of the aperture and shutter controls varies by brand and model. For a manufacturer example, see [Canon's EOS R5 Mark II Manual exposure instructions](https://cam.start.canon/en/C017/manual/html/UG-02_ShootingMode_0080.html). 3. **Set the aperture.** Try f/5.6 for a stationary subject if your lens supports it. Move toward a lower f-number to reduce depth of field or toward f/8 for more of the scene to appear sharp. 4. **Set the shutter speed.** Start around 1/250 second for a relatively still subject shot handheld with a moderate focal length. Faster movement or a longer lens may require a faster shutter. Stabilization helps with camera shake but cannot stop a moving subject. 5. **Set ISO.** For this learning exercise, turn Auto ISO off and start at a low ISO such as 100 or 200 if your camera supports it. Raise ISO if the chosen aperture and shutter speed leave the image too dark. There is no benefit to keeping ISO 100 if it forces unwanted blur. 6. **Read the exposure meter.** Half-press the shutter if needed to activate metering. The marker usually shows whether your selected settings are below or above the camera's recommended brightness. Near zero is a useful first reference, not a rule you must obey. 7. **Focus, photograph and review.** Use autofocus on the important part of the subject, take a shot and check its sharpness, brightness and highlights. Change one setting deliberately, take another shot and compare. **Example: correcting an exposure that is two stops too dark.** Suppose the meter shows roughly -2 at f/5.6, 1/250 second and ISO 100. Raising ISO to 400 while keeping aperture and shutter speed fixed typically brightens the rendered result by about two stops, without increasing the light captured by the sensor. For a stationary subject on a tripod, slowing the shutter from 1/250 to about 1/60 second at ISO 100 instead records roughly four times as much light. Check the actual image and protect important highlights before settling on either choice. If your camera will not let you choose a particular f-number, check the maximum and minimum aperture of the attached lens. Many kit zoom lenses have a narrower maximum aperture when zoomed in. Your camera manual will identify which dial or lens ring changes each setting. ## Useful Manual Mode Starting Settings These are **practice starting points, not guaranteed exposure recipes**. Meter the scene and adjust for the real lighting, your lens and your subject. - **Portrait in open shade:** Try f/2.8 to f/4, 1/250 second and ISO 100 to 400. Select an aperture your lens supports and make sure the eyes are in focus. - **Daylight landscape:** Try f/8 and ISO 100, then choose a shutter speed that gives the brightness you want. Use a tripod if that speed becomes too slow for handheld shooting. - **Running pet outdoors:** Try 1/1000 second, an aperture around f/4 to f/5.6 and whatever ISO the light requires. Speed and direction of movement may call for a different shutter speed. - **Indoor still life on a tripod:** Try f/5.6 and a relatively low ISO, then lengthen the shutter speed as necessary. This works for a stationary subject, not someone who is moving. - **Flowing water with motion blur:** On a tripod, try a shutter speed around 1/4 second and adjust aperture and ISO to suit the light. In bright daylight, a neutral-density filter may be necessary to avoid overexposure. For moving subjects, choosing the shutter speed first is often easier than choosing an arbitrary ISO. Explore the separate [shutter speed photography guide](/blogs/shutter-speed/what-is-shutter-speed-in-photography) for more examples of motion freezing and blur. ## How to Check Exposure Without Chasing the Meter's Zero In Manual mode with fixed ISO, the camera's meter compares your selected exposure with its recommendation for the scene. A marker on the negative side generally suggests a darker result; a positive reading generally suggests a brighter one. However, the meter can be misled by scenes dominated by very light or dark subjects. A snowy landscape may need to look bright, and a dramatic night portrait may intentionally look dark. [Sony's explanation of manual exposure](https://www.sony.com/electronics/support/articles/00007773) describes why black and white subjects can confuse automatic metering. After taking the photo, review the **histogram** if your camera has one. It displays the distribution of darker tones toward the left and brighter tones toward the right. There is no universally correct shape. Look instead for important highlights that are clipped, shadows that have lost necessary detail, and whether the subject looks as intended. The rear screen alone can be misleading when its brightness or the ambient light changes. **Simple adjustment rule:** If the photo is too dark, open the aperture, slow the shutter or raise ISO, depending on which trade-off you can accept. If it is too bright, do the opposite. Protect your desired motion and depth of field before changing settings at random. ## Common Manual Photography Mistakes and How to Fix Them - **All your photos are too bright after going outdoors:** Check whether a high indoor ISO or a long shutter speed is still selected. Re-meter whenever the light changes. - **The subject is blurry:** Check focus separately from exposure. If focus is correct but the subject moved during the shot, increase shutter speed. A tripod addresses camera shake, not subject movement. - **Your handheld photos look shaky:** A universal 1/60-second rule is unreliable. The focal length, sensor format, stabilization, technique and subject all affect the shutter speed you need. - **The photo is very noisy:** Look at how much light the sensor could capture. When practical, use a wider aperture or a longer exposure for a stationary subject; for action, a higher ISO may be the better compromise. - **The exposure meter seems stuck near zero:** Check whether Auto ISO is enabled. Some cameras change ISO to maintain their metered exposure even when shutter speed and aperture are fixed. - **The brightness looks fine but the colors look wrong:** Check white balance. Aperture, shutter speed and ISO control exposure decisions, not the color of the light. ## Three Exercises to Make Manual Settings Feel Natural 1. **Depth-of-field test:** Photograph one nearby object with a distant background at f/2.8 (if available), f/5.6 and f/11. Keep camera position and focus distance consistent. Adjust shutter speed or ISO as needed so the photos have similar brightness, then compare background detail. 2. **Motion test:** Photograph running water in good light at a fast shutter speed and then at a slower one. Change aperture or ISO to compensate for brightness, and use a tripod for long exposures. Notice whether the water looks frozen or flowing. 3. **Low-light test:** Photograph a stationary indoor object as the light fades. First keep shutter speed and aperture fixed while you increase ISO; then compare with a longer tripod-mounted exposure at lower ISO. Examine brightness, noise and any lost highlight detail at normal viewing size. When you are comfortable with a first exposure, the more detailed guide to [balancing the exposure triangle in Manual mode](/blogs/exposure-triangle/how-to-balance-the-exposure-triangle-in-manual-mode) explains how to make equivalent-brightness adjustments for different creative goals. ## Do You Need Manual Mode for Every Photograph? No. Manual mode is especially helpful when lighting stays consistent and you want settings to remain unchanged, such as a controlled portrait setup or a tripod-based scene. **Aperture Priority (A or Av)** is useful when depth of field matters most and the light changes. **Shutter Priority (S or Tv)** is useful when movement matters most. Many cameras also offer **Manual mode with Auto ISO**: you choose aperture and shutter speed, while the camera changes ISO within its configured range. This can be useful for action in changing light. [Nikon's Auto ISO guide](https://www.nikonusa.com/learn-and-explore/c/tips-and-techniques/understanding-auto-iso) explains how that works on supported cameras; exact options and exposure-compensation behavior vary by model. ## After the Shot: Exposure, RAW Files and Lightroom Presets Better in-camera exposure gives you a stronger starting point for editing. If your camera supports RAW or RAW+JPEG capture, RAW typically leaves more flexibility for white balance and highlight or shadow adjustments, although it cannot recreate detail that was never recorded. The [AAAPresets RAW vs JPEG editing workflow](/blogs/lightroom-workflow-academy-for-photo-editors-aaapresets/raw-vs-jpeg-editing-workflow-the-ultimate-guide-for-beginners-in-2026) explains when each format is useful. Once your focus, exposure and composition are sound, a Lightroom preset can help establish a consistent color style; it cannot reliably repair motion blur or missed focus. If you are practicing portraits, explore the [AI Optimized Portrait Lightroom Presets](/products/ai-optimize-portrait-lightroom-presets), which the product page lists as eight DNG and eight XMP presets for compatible Lightroom workflows, or browse the wider [Lightroom presets collection](/collections/lightroom-presets-for-lightroom-mobile-desktop). Expect to fine-tune exposure and white balance for individual photos. A practical way to become comfortable with Manual mode is to start with one stationary subject, change one control at a time and compare your results. A useful setting is one that gives you the sharpness, movement and brightness you actually want, not one that simply matches a preset number. Written by [Asanka](/pages/about-us), founder of AAAPresets. **Tags:** Aperture, Beginner, Beginner Photography, Beginner's, Beginner's Guide, Camera Modes, Camera Settings, Exposure Triangle, ISO, Manual, Manual Mode, Photography Basics, Shoot, Shutter Speed --- > Source: [aaapresets](https://aaapresets.com/blogs/manual-mode-camera-modes/how-to-shoot-in-manual-mode-beginner-s-guide)