Quick manual setting decisions?

[Vexed Mind]

I'm trying to work my way to keeping my camera on the big M all the time, but it's been years since I've really worked at it. I'd say about 10 years ago. So I'm basically going back to the beginning and relearning everything. So... I know the relationship between aperture, ISO and shutter speed... my question now is: how do you know which settings to use for any particular shot? I had to take about 6 shots of the 2 different tests I did the other day to get it right, and obviously that just isn't going to work for any work I do with people. Plants and landscapes might be more forgiving, but still.....

So how do you know which settings to use right out of the door (or do you take several practice shots?), and how do you know how much to change them when doing anything such as moving from sunlight into shade, or moving inside a building?

I imagine most of the answer to that is "it takes time, you'll get the hang of it", but.. I mean do you just look at a situation and be able to say "ok, want this aperture.. so I need this ISO and SS...." and just spit out those numbers easily?

[Nicole]

Honestly, I usually know what aperture and ISO I want, and then I use the in-camera meter to set my shutter speed and adjust it based on what I know about setting the shutter speed. I've started to get to the point where I'm taking fewer shots now (the only time I'm taking more is when I'm adding lighting into the mix... I keep reading eventually you'll be able to judge your lighting settings by instinct too ). I know there are people who know these things off the top of their head. I'm just not one of them, and I know enough that I can make the decisions I need to relatively quickly.

[sybren]

I choose aperture based on the DOF that I want. Then I balance the shutter speed and ISO setting to get the right exposure and motion blur.

[kencaleno]

Start using your in-built Incident exposure meter- Your eyes!

This is how us oldies who started in the late 1950’s/60’s learn to read exposure: You will often hear the term “The sunny 16 rule”, or Basic Daylight Exposure” here it is explained:

Basically four apertures are used: F16; F11; F8; and F5.6

Shutter-speed is based on Equivalent ISO#

Watching the shadows, the base settings are: ( for ISO 200)

Hard-edged shadows …………………….1/200 sec @ F16

Soft-edged shadows………………………1/200 sec @ F11

Barely visible Shadows…………………..1.200 sec @ F8

No Shadows……………………………….1/200 sec @ F5.6


Remember, these are the base settings: so variants would be:

1/200 @ F16
1/400 @ F11
1/800 @ F8
1/1600 @ F5.6
These all give the same exposure (But with different depths of field)
The other 3 settings use the same spatial relationship, the settings you choose are based on subject movement and/or depth of field desired. For instance If you want to keep the Aperture at F8:
Hard shadows……………………………1/800 @ F8

Soft shadows…………………………….1/400@ F8

Barely visible shadows…………………1/200 @ F8

No shadows………………………………1/100 @ F8 (As shadows fade, more light is required)
Heavily overcast…………………………..1/125 @ F8

Deep Shade………………………………1/60 @ F8

Pre-thunderstorm…………………………1/30 @ F8
Brightly lit store interior……………………1/15 @ F8

Well-lit stage/sports arena…………………1/8 @ F8

Well-lit house interior……………………….¼ @ F8

(Of course you would vary the F stop and shutter speed combinations to whatever would be most appropriate. )


To get more exact exposure readings, you may want to bracket exposures.

© Kenneth William Caleno (Dip Phot) 2010

Regards, Ken

[autofocus]

First decide what it is you are trying to accomplish in your photograph and apply the following:

1) Aperture - Control of the background (depth of field / blurred, or sharp, etc)
* Large F/stop (small number as in F/1.8) helps blur the background - good for portraits of individuals. Will need to reduce the F/stop if shooting multiple people to assure all in focus
* Small F/stop (large number as in F/11, or F/16) will produce a sharp background - good for cityscapes, landscapes, and will help maintain focus for large groups of people
2) Shutter - controls action and movement in your shot. Good for sports and fast moving subjects

Unless you are shooting sports, it's my belief that most people will prefer to shoot in aperture priority to control DOF. The camera will then set the shutter speed for you which you will want to check as it may choose a too slow shutter speed resulting in a blurred photo. There are those times that you want to control both the shutter and aperture for a desired effect or when you know the camera's meter may be off because of difficult lighting. That's a good time to shoot in manual mode. If the lighting is such that you cannot get a good combination of shutter speed and aperture, then you might want to bump up, or down your ISO setting to achieve your result. Hope this helps

Vince
www.montalbanophotography.com

[wulf]

I start by thinking about the side effects of adjusting each point of the triangle (eg. DoF being a key one for aperture). I consider what will be important for the situation I am shooting in, which normally fixes one or two points and doesn't leave me that much to adjust. Experience (and Ken's distillation of some well established ideas will help towards that) gets me in the ballpark.

I do review the shots as I go, though. If, for example, shots are coming out too dark and I've mainly been adjusting things with shutter speed, I'll then think about whether I can adjust the aperture or ISO.

Wulf

[ZinhaEq]

I have found a lot of informations myself here: Ultimate Exposure Computer

[Vexed Mind]

Thanks for the replies! Lots of great information, love the sunny 16 stuff. I'd heard of that but only the name. That should be great for the nature shots I do, and will definitely help me be able to at least get my initial settings somewhat near what they should be without too much thought.

I have another question though, as I shoot nature and environmental portraiture... and young children. It's the children I wonder about most... Is it really possible to do all the adjustments and tweaking at such a quick rate? I frequently do children shoots with them at play, and often times they're running from bright sun to the shadow of a tree, inside cement tunnels and back out again, etc etc. Should I just stick it on AP and hope I can fix any exposure ... mishaps... in raw later on?

I'm very good with post processing, but part of the reason I've wanted to get back to manual (and really delve in deeper this time around) is because I'm starting to feel that my images are 15% photo and 85% post... though still 100% ME. If that makes sense. I generally edit my shots very well and they don't LOOK very edited (unless that's what I'm after in that shot) - but I know how much time and effort it took, and it makes me feel pretty inadequate on the photography side of it.

Thanks again for the advice!

[autofocus]

Originally Posted by Vexed Mind

Thanks for the replies! Lots of great information, love the sunny 16 stuff. I'd heard of that but only the name. That should be great for the nature shots I do, and will definitely help me be able to at least get my initial settings somewhat near what they should be without too much thought.

I have another question though, as I shoot nature and environmental portraiture... and young children. It's the children I wonder about most... Is it really possible to do all the adjustments and tweaking at such a quick rate? I frequently do children shoots with them at play, and often times they're running from bright sun to the shadow of a tree, inside cement tunnels and back out again, etc etc. Should I just stick it on AP and hope I can fix any exposure ... mishaps... in raw later on?

I'm very good with post processing, but part of the reason I've wanted to get back to manual (and really delve in deeper this time around) is because I'm starting to feel that my images are 15% photo and 85% post... though still 100% ME. If that makes sense. I generally edit my shots very well and they don't LOOK very edited (unless that's what I'm after in that shot) - but I know how much time and effort it took, and it makes me feel pretty inadequate on the photography side of it.

Thanks again for the advice!

As far as shooting kids, (which is mainly what my wife's photography business is) especially young kids that are on the move, you'd be better off shooting in Program mode than to try to adjust everything in manual while trying to keep up with those little moving targets. As best as possible we try to get the kids setup somewhere in open shade and use a little fill flash. We usually shoot in program or aperture priority for that, and we will avoid shooting in bright overhead light whenever possible. If we are faced with that lighting situation we will use a reflector to filter the light through it...that works very well

Vinnie

[vickistark]

This thread has helped me get it all a little straighter in my brain. I find the whole manuall settings thing all very confusing. I am only a novice trying to learn how better to use my camera. I have a Sony dsc h5 which takes rather good photos in and of itself on P and A mode. That is about the extent of knowledge. I have no real experience but I do have the desire to learn how to take some amazing photos! I am so glad I tripped across this site! There is a ton of knowledge and advice that has triggered my creative side to try new things and explore the world of photography a lot more in dept than I initially intended.