So you have decided to take my advise and switch the camera from auto to manual mode, now what? Here is where it can start to seem a daunting task to beginners.  What do you set the camera to in order to get a well lit, useable image? Unfortunately the answer is not just a 'set it to such-and-such' and fire away. One needs to understand how a camera creates an image in the first place. While I will give you a short introduction in this post I highly recommend reading more about exposure for a fuller understanding of picture taking.

Years ago I owned a Canon AE-1 Program film SLR. I loved it and it traveled with me everywhere I went. The only problem was that I relied too heavily on the program mode and never really learned to shoot in manual mode. Unfortunately when I was younger funds were scarce and experimentation took a back seat to common sense. The percentage rate of success was greater shooting in program mode. Now that the digital age is here and we have the luxury of shooting (and previewing) multiple exposures without a loss of funds, there is no reason preventing anyone from learning to shoot in manual mode. So when I purchase my first dSLR I made it a point to get off the program carousel and learn to shoot like the pros -- in manual.