How to control focus with aperture. Manual mode means you’re in charge of adjusting aperture — one of photography’s most important elements. It’s the hole in the back of your lens that controls light and depth of field via f-numbers.If you want more exposure, you’ll need a low f-number for a wide aperture. This gets your foreground or subject in focus, but allows your background to stay fuzzy and blurry.If you want less exposure, use high f-numbers for narrow aperture. This way you get to keep both the foreground and the background in focus for an incredibly sharp image.

How to use ISO to play with light. Use ISO in manual mode to keep light sensitivity in check. The higher your ISO value, the more exposed your photo will be and vice versa. Although really high ISO can come in handy in low-light conditions, try to stick to lower ISO values for less graininess and noise — especially if you’re outside.

Master shutter speed for creative effect. Manipulate shutter speed via your manual mode camera settings to speed up or slow down how fast you take a photo. Slow shutter speeds hold your shutter’s door open for longer and let in more light than faster ones.