Photograph Tip — Stop shooting manual

All to often you will see someone online saying how “you should be shooting in manual” or “you’re not a real photographer unless you shoot manual”. It seems to be “advice” that is often repeated despite the fact that it’s unhelpful for newer photographers and not true for all photographic situations.

My advice is to consider what you’re shooting and choose the best mode for that situation.

Although it could have (and maybe should have) been shot in manual this wasn’t. I was in the middle of a long drive and pulled over on the hillside here, rolled down the window, grabbed the camera and shot a couple of frames. The camera was in P mode I think with a wide angle lens. (This was using a D7100 and an 18–55mm kit lens). Some post processing from the RAW in lightroom and this was the end result.