Is your camera permanently stuck in Auto Mode? Would you like to get more out of your camera?

This is the final of four parts in a series looking at the different modes available on your camera, when to choose them and how to get the most out of them.

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So far, in all the semi-manual modes we have discussed, although we may have taken over control of the aperture setting or the shutter speed, the camera has always calculated the exposure for you.

Sure, if you’re not happy, you can adjust the exposure slightly using exposure compensation (check your manual how you can do this, as each camera’s exact operation varies between models) but basically we’ve trusted the camera to get it right.

The problem is, that even the most expensive and sophisticated cameras can sometimes get it wrong.

The most common situation that confuses the automatic exposure calculation on your camera is when there is a very bright source of light in an otherwise dark image. Some examples of these high contrast scenes are:

• moon shots - contrary to what you would expect, the moon is very bright. Unfortunately, the camera will expose for the entire scene which will mostly contain very dark sky, making the moon over-exposed and losing all the lovely detail.
• sunset/sunrise - for similar reasons, this is also very difficult to expose correctly and still retain all the glorious and subtle colours we can see with our eyes.
• sports events at night - any situation where a bright beam of light is present on a small area of your scene can cause difficulties.

The fun part about the Manual Exposure setting, usually represented by <M> on your camera’s mode dial, is that you can now control the aperture and shutter speed completely independently of each other, i.e. have complete control on how you want the camera to expose the photograph. Unfortunately, for many people, that’s the scary part too.

My most important tip for your first forays into Manual Exposure is: DON’T PANIC! Just because the camera isn’t doing the work of setting the exposure, doesn’t mean that it isn’t still giving you the information you need.

On my particular camera, once you’ve chosen an aperture and shutter speed, holding down the shutter release button part way tells you how much the exposure you’ve specified varies from calculated one, giving you a useful point of reference. Your camera may well display that differently, so do check your manual.

Another popular method is to check the scene with one of the semi-automatic modes (for example, Aperture Priority), note down the settings the camera is using for the exposure, flip the mode dial round to <M> and use those values as your starting point. You can then fine tune the image from there.

Obviously, if you’re in a hurry and you’re about to miss a once-in-a-lifetime event, then the Manual Exposure setting isn’t going to be the most appropriate mode to be using. However, if you’ve got the time to play you may well get a richer, better exposed image than your camera could ever manage.

Build up your confidence with the semi-manual modes: Aperture Priority and Shutter Priority. Experience of these will give you a far better insight into how these settings affect your image than any words of mine can do. They are the ideal stepping stones to the Manual Exposure setting for those times that only complete control over your camera will do.

Play lots and remember the beauty of digital is that you can take hundreds of photos of the same scene, delete all the ones that failed and only show people the successes. No-one will ever be the wiser! Have fun!