Just like driving a car, being in manual is so much more fun and you have much more control over the experience than you do in auto. I drive a car that has a manual mode available to it and I can tell you that I enjoy driving my car in "manual mode" far more than just letting the car decide. I'd spent so many years driving a manual that for a while after dropping my car into manual my left foot instinctively wanted to push the clutch. I've manage to stop myself from doing that but I still allow myself to let off the gas as I shift the gears. It really adds to the experience of driving a manual. I'm sure with the way my car pitches during acceleration folks wonder if my car's brand actually sells that model in a full manual. It just makes driving fun again.

Do you remember learning to drive your first stick-shift? Or maybe you never have? Moving your camera out of auto and into manual is sort of a parallel to this. It can be a little nerve racking because you're out of your element. Unlike a car, you're not going to stall the engine or burn out the clutch or accidentally peel out from a stand still. Worst case, you're just going to have photos to delete from memory. It's a lot less scary than learning to drive a car in manual. You've got this. ;-)

I'm not going to teach you how to do it though. Instead, I'm going to refer you to the fine folks at Phlearn to do that because they have put together some really fine articles about this. I've read a number of articles about this; mainly because I always to double check that I'm not missing or forgetting something. I have to say, true to Phlearn's reputation, they have put together an engaging, informative, and fun collection of articles on the exposure triangle. The exposure triangle is ISO, shutter speed, and aperture (ƒ-stop). I threw together a quick example of what that triangle looks like if all you do is end up reading this post.

I caught the ISO portion of the series (the last instalment) but there are links to the other two in this article. If you are wanting a no-nonsense and informative way of learning how to conquer this with your camera I recommend Phlearn for this. Take a look at their articles and pass this along if you agree.

Exposure Triangle - ISO

In other news, I just returned from Asheville today and will be heading overseas tomorrow for another 6 days. I should be posting some new photos a day or two after I get back.