Great exposure: Manual settings on digital cameras

Some digital cameras like the Canon A620 give you the option to manually adjust exposure settings: a great feature that will help you become a better photographer.

Exposure refers to the amount of light let into the camera while shooting pictures. It depends on two variables: shutter-speed and aperture. Shutter-speed determines the length of time that the camera shutter is open; the faster the speed the less the light. Aperture refers to the size of the opening allowing light onto the camera sensor. It’s measured in f-stops where a higher f-stop indicates a smaller-sized aperture which lets in less light. Manual exposure means directly choosing these two variables according to the subject and lighting conditions.

For example, freezing a fast-moving object requires a high shutter-speed. Alternatively if you want that little of blur to indicate movement you might pick a slightly slower speed. Adjusting the aperture changes the depth of field: for instance if you want both a close object and a distant one in focus you should choose higher f-stops. The trick is to pick shutter-speed and aperture according to the subject while simultaneously making sure there is sufficient light for a correctly exposed photo.