People often ask if I should in manual mode in my camera and what benefits that can bring, did you ever wonder what mode you should use?
If you are just starting out in photography I think you should set your camera in M (manual) mode and shoot like that for a while, when I got my first DSLR I was just shooting in Auto and I didn’t learn much, back in the day the internet was not flooded with tutorials, guides videos about photography like today, so I learned the hard way, after realizing that my photos were not improving and I was not getting the results I wanted I decided to make a important change. So I turned the dial mode to M and 14 years later it’s the way I shoot for 95% of the time. As I do landscape, using manual mode will help you understand light, and what settings you need for which situation, you will create an internal light meter in your head and nowadays I know what settings to use 99% of the time.
Lofoten, Norway
Some people disagree with me and use other modes in the camera, and that is totally fine, for me I saw a huge difference in my work when I changed to manual, also if you would like to try analog cameras this skill is a must.
Because digital cameras give you the ability to check your results instantly you have nothing to lose in trying the manual mode. If you use a mirroless camera you will know even before you press the shutter how the image will come out, I personally love that feature.
Playing with light and settings can be fun and the results might surprise you, so go out there try, experiment and have fun.