Day 3: Ignore Auto Mode, Start in Manual From Day One
- Gregory Thornberry
- Nov 26, 2025
- 5 min read
Welcome to Day 3 of the series: 30 Days to Video Mastery: Picking Your First Camera to Making Pro Content
If you’re just starting your camera journey, you’ve probably heard a thousand different opinions about whether you should use Auto mode, or Manual. Everybody seems to have an opinion. But here’s the truth from someone who has lived this entire learning curve:
If you want to grow quickly, understand your camera like an extension of your hand, and make content that actually looks intentional, you should start in Manual Mode from day one.
It sounds intimidating, but it’s the most freeing and empowering move you can make as a beginner creator.
Let’s talk about why.
Auto Mode Isn’t “Bad”… It’s Just Holding You Back
Let me be clear: Auto mode works. Cameras today are incredibly smart, and Auto can deliver acceptable photos or videos in a variety of situations.
But “acceptable” is not why you picked up a camera. If acceptable is acceptable, then you may as well use your phone.
The problem with Auto Mode is simple: Auto makes the camera the creator.
Manual makes you the creator.
Auto is guessing what your vision is.
Auto is reacting.
Auto is making choices for you, and usually not the ones you would make if you knew what was happening.
When you hand control over to the camera, you’re handing over your creative voice.
Manual Mode Gives You Full Creative Control
Manual Mode puts you in charge of the three most important creative tools in photography and video:
✔ Shutter Speed
Controls motion blur and sharpness.
Makes action look frozen or fluid.
✔ Aperture
Controls background blur and depth of field.Creates that cinematic, dreamy look everyone loves.
✔ ISO
Controls brightness and noise.
Keeps your image clean and sharp.
When you learn to balance these three together, the “Exposure Triangle”, you start shaping light.
You start shaping emotion.
You start creating intentionally.
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That’s when everything clicks.
Why You Should Start in Manual From Day One
A lot of people say “Start in Auto until you get more comfortable.”Nope.That only delays understanding.
Here’s why starting in Manual from the beginning is actually easier:
1. You Learn Faster — Dramatically Faster
When YOU control the camera, every mistake teaches you something.
Picture too dark? → Shutter speed or aperture too low.
Picture too bright? → ISO too high or shutter too slow.
Blurry photo? → Shutter speed too slow.
Background not blurry enough? → Aperture too high.
In Manual, mistakes become lessons.
In Auto, mistakes become mysteries.
2. You Build Muscle Memory Early
Once you get used to adjusting shutter, aperture, and ISO, it becomes second nature.You’ll change settings without thinking.You’ll know what your camera is going to do before you take the shot.
Muscle memory is a superpower for any creator.
Manual mode helps you build that muscle memory from day one, not day 100.
3. Your Photos and Videos Start Looking “Professional” Sooner
Professional-looking content has a certain “look”:
Controlled motion
Controlled blur
Consistent brightness
Intentional focus
Clean, noise-free images
Auto mode can’t replicate consistency.
Manual mode can.
Consistency is what makes your work look pro.
4. You Stop Fighting Your Camera and Start Working With It
Auto mode often ruins the shot by changing settings at the worst possible time:
You aim at a bright sky → camera darkens the whole image
You hit a gym with bad lighting → camera cranks ISO and adds grain
You try to blur a background → camera closes aperture
You try to shoot fast action → camera lowers shutter and everything blurs
Manual solves all of this instantly.
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You can walk into ANY environment and know how to adjust your exposure in seconds.
But Isn’t Manual Mode Hard? (No.)
Manual mode seems hard until someone actually explains it in simple terms.
Here’s the simplest way to think about it:
✔ Shutter speed = movement
✔ Aperture = background blur
✔ ISO = brightness boost
If you can remember those three, you can shoot manual.
And just like driving, it feels awkward for the first few days — then suddenly you never think about it again.
My Method for Learning Manual
Well, there is no cheat code to learn manual mode quickly besides repetition. It's like shooting basketballs. The more you shoot, the better you get.
But, here is an example of what I have learned at football games over the years. I have a Canon R6 with a 70-200 2.8 lens. When shooting video, the R6 is very good in low-light situations, so I set the iso to auto. When I was shooting with my Canon 80D, it is not so good with poor lighting, so I had to refine my settings here.
But with the R6, iso in auto, I shoot at 60 fps, so to double the frame rate, my shutter speed is set at 125 fps.
Lastly is the aperture. The lower the number, the more light you get, but you also end up with a shallow depth of field. So if I am doing a close of up one player during pregame, 2.8 is fine and looks cinematic. But capturing game action I usually set it at 5.6 or 6.3. If the field has good lights, maybe even 7.1.
So, my go-to settings are auto iso, 125 fps, and f/6.3 ish. I'll likely use these same setting in most places, but every scenario is different. Every artistic choice, every location, every camera's hardware is different.
To know how to handle every situation quickly, and to know the capabilities of your camera and lens, the cheat code is simple.
Repetition, repetition, repetition!
Manual Mode Gives You a Signature Style
The moment you start shooting manual, your content will begin to look like your content.
Your style
Your exposure choices
Your depth of field
Your motion
Your color
Your consistency
Creators don’t build their identity in Auto Mode.
Manual Mode is the path to becoming recognizable as a filmmaker or photographer.
The Biggest Tip: Stick With It
You will take bad shots at first.Everyone does. But every mistake teaches you something that Auto Mode hides from you.
If you stick with Manual for just one week, you will be blown away at how quickly everything makes sense.
Manual Mode is not a barrier, it’s the key that unlocks your entire creative journey.
Final Thoughts
If you’re serious about creating better content, learning video, or becoming a filmmaker, Manual Mode isn’t optional, it’s essential.
It gives you creative power, consistency, and the ability to capture exactly what you envision.
Start in Manual. Stay in Manual. And watch your confidence and skill level explode.
Further Learning & Helpful Resources (External Links)
If you want to dive deeper into shooting in Manual Mode, exposure settings, and mastering your camera, here are some excellent guides and videos worth exploring:
Articles
SLR Lounge — Understanding the Exposure Trianglehttps://www.slrlounge.com/exposure-triangle-tutorial/A simple, beginner-friendly guide to how shutter speed, aperture, and ISO work together.
Digital Photography School — Why Shooting in Manual Mode Mattershttps://digital-photography-school.com/why-you-should-learn-to-shoot-in-manual-mode/A great explanation of why manual mode leads to more consistent and intentional results.
Cambridge in Colour — Shutter Speed Tutorialhttps://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/camera-shutter-speed.htmOne of the best technical-yet-simple breakdowns of shutter speed available online.
Videos
Peter McKinnon — “Camera Basics: Understanding Exposure”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3eVjUrY9a9UA fast, fun beginner video explaining exposure in a way only Peter McKinnon can.
Think Media — “How to Use Your Camera in Manual Mode (For Beginners)”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Su2hUqKVIuUGreat practical breakdown focused on creators, filmmakers, and new camera owners.
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