PHOTOGRAPHS YOU CAN GET WITH YOUR CAMERA’S MANUAL MODE (AND ONLY WITH IT)

Many new fans get frustrated when they start using their new SLR or EVIL and see that they don't get the photos they had longed for. That is when they begin to consider whether they need a new lens , buy accessories or if their camera is not yet good enough to achieve those images. Has it happened to you? Well, the problem is not usually there, it usually has a much cheaper solution, actually free. Everything happens by leaving behind the Automatic Mode of the camera and launching to take pictures in Manual Mode, as you could have intuited when reading the title of this article. This way you will get photos like the ones I am going to show you. You will see that it is not a matter of camera (as long as yours has manual controls), or many times of lenses, but in the way you select on the dial of your camera. When you see these photos the time will have come, if you have not already done so, you will leave the Automatic Mode only for emergencies;).

LIGHT TRAILS

Have you ever wondered how photos like this are achieved ? The key is in the long exposure. It is not magic, well yes, but the one offered by the Manual Mode of your camera by giving you the possibility to choose the exposure time.

Light trails

And what about this one? Same technique , moving lights, shutter open longer and voila! Don't you want to run for a fair?

Lights with long exposure

LIGHTPAINTING

And, speaking of lights and long exposure, it is time to talk about lightpainting or painting with light. A very fun technique that offers amazing results. Here are a couple of examples that will surely captivate you.

Rain of lights

¿Photoshop? No, lightpainting . It’s cool, right? You can tell stories or create fantastic scenarios playing with the light. Of course, with the Manual Mode of your camera. Achieving this automatically is like wanting to play the lottery without playing;).

Paint with light

SKY

And what about the lights of heaven? Of the magical stars? Have you ever seen a photo like this and assumed that it was a montage? Well, if so, I already reveal that no, that is another technique that you can work if you use the Manual Mode of your friend. Another wonderful reason to get acquainted with him, don't you think?

The magic of heaven

And the northern lights? Do you have the possibility to photograph it? Here I explain how.

Northern Lights

Well, well, what about the rays? What do you say? Haven't you wanted to capture any with your camera? You've tried? Haven't you got it? Of course, if you tried it automatically, sure not;). Try these indications .

Ray

And, since we are ... do we talk about that night photography that can include from the sky to the magic of the cities?

Night landscapes

SILKY EFFECT

If you look at the previous photo you will see that the water has a special appearance. It is the silky effect. You can get it anywhere with moving water, rivers, waterfalls, sea ... Here the technique , and here another example:

Silky effect

ZOOMING

Or how to get a Photoshop effect without Photoshop. If you want a different photo, creative, full of movement, you can try the zooming effect . Curious, right? Here's how to do it, step by step. And here are some examples that readers sent us for the weekly challenge number 72.

Zooming effect

SWEPT

Another creative effect is scanning, a way of transmitting movement with a still image. If you don't know what it is, I better show it to you with an image:

Swept

The keys to how to get it, you have here explained in an easy way. But I anticipate that you will have to work in manual if you want to get it;).

MOVEMENT

You will know that there are different ways to capture the movement with a camera, we have just seen the sweep, the silky effect, the lights of the cars ... The movement can freeze it or transmit it. Either using a very fast shutter speed for the former, or a very slow shutter for the latter. It is best that we see it with examples;). Capture the action Using fast speeds you can capture an action, a very fast and almost imperceptible moment in sight to surprise the viewer. Here are clues on how to achieve it.

Capture the action

Freeze motion Basically the same as the previous one, but with even faster speeds. It comes to be something like high speed. I show you a photo so you can see it more clearly, surely you have seen some similar and you have remained with your mouth open. If you want to try, I recommend this Mario tutorial .

High speed

Transmit the movement With slow speeds you can transmit the movement of an object, an animal or a person. It seems incredible that you can achieve it without the need for video, right?

With slow speeds

HIGH OR LOW KEY

To finish, I will show you another type of photographs that have to do with light and that you can also get working manually. It is the technique in high key and low key with which to convey emotions. Here the technique explained step by step and then the examples:

High key

Low key

I am sure that after seeing these photos and knowing some of these techniques you will have wanted to take your photographs in Manual Mode , it is not as easy as the automatic one, obviously, but it is much more productive and the satisfaction of the achievements is priceless ;). When you try it there will be no going back. I know. Before saying goodbye, in case you want to go deeper into the subject of manual mode, I leave you this video in which we present our ebook The Magic of Photographing in Manual Mode : If you liked this sample, I would appreciate it if you share it, many cameras are eager for their owners to activate their Manual Mode. Can you help me like those cameras? Thank you very much and I hope to see you here again very soon;).

Haven Brown

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PHOTOGRAPHS YOU CAN GET WITH YOUR CAMERA'S MANUAL MODE (AND ONLY WITH IT)