The following is a beginner's guide to using the manual function on your camera. Some may already know what I'm about to explain, and others may not. Either way, this is extremely helpful especially when you don't have access to a light meter during an outdoor photoshoot.

Also, remember to have the correct White Balance adjusted according to your environment. A wrong White Balance setting could either make your photos look amazingly awesome, or terrible, depending on the situation. Regardless, it's always best to have it set right before starting.

Please read your camera's instruction manual on how to properly adjust your White Balance setting.

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What's great about the Manual mode is that you have complete control over your camera's ISO, aperture, and shutter speed. All of that may be a little intimidating for someone who's just beginning, but through frequent practice, you'll realize how easy and practical all of it is

ISO Speed
or International Standards Organisation, is the measure of a photographic film's sensitivity to light. For example, the Canon EOS digital Rebel XTi has ISO speeds of 100, 200, 400, 800, and 1600. The lower the ISO number (100 for example), the darker the photo becomes, and the higher the ISO number (1600), the brighter the photo becomes.

If you're shooting outside, it's best to have your ISO set to 100 (depending on how bright it is though), 400 would probably be the safe maximum ISO speed when shooting outdoors.

Please read your camera's instruction manual on how to properly adjust your ISO setting.

Aperture or F-Stop
is the hole in the lens through which light passes to the film. Each aperture is given an f/number to denote its size. Large apertures have a small f/number, such as f/2.8; small apertures have a large f/number, such as f/16.

Large apertures gives photos a nice bokeh (the intentional blurring of a background in portraits, also known as "shallow depth of field" or DoF)

Here's an example of a photo with a shallow depth of field:

This photo was taken with a 50mm f/1.8 II camera lens with an ISO speed of 100, and a shutter speed of 1/2000

Please read your camera's instruction manual on how to properly adjust your aperture setting.

Shutter Speed
is the length of time the shutter is open. For the Rebel XTi (as well as other cameras) the slowest setting is Bulb, and the fastest setting is 1/4000. Keep in mind, however, that the faster the shutter speed is, the darker the photo becomes, which is why your aperture and ISO settings are very important, and must be set correctly. I'll discuss this more in detail later on in this article.

Moving on..

Have you ever taken those shots that were insanely blurry? Chances are, you had the wrong Shutter Speed set. The slower the speed (1/5 for example), the longer it takes for the photo to be taken, which often results in blurry images when dealing with a moving subject. This, however, can be a good thing depending on the kind of shots you're looking for (also known as long exposure photography).

*nilgunkara's gallery is a beautiful example of long exposed photography

Keep in mind that when a particular situation calls for a slow shutter speed, it's always best to have a tripod handy.

Please read your camera's instruction manual on how to properly adjust your Shutter Speed.

Your camera's Light Meter
This is where everything falls into place. Your camera already comes with a built-in light meter which saves you tons of money from having to buy a separate one (unless you're working in the studio where a separate light meter is sometimes necessary).

All you have to do is look into your view finder, and press the shutter button down half way (not all the way down, just to where you hear the beeping of the auto focusing). A little numbered bar should show up in the bottom of the view finder that looks something like this:

As you can see, the green dot at the bottom should be directly below the center point. If it isn't, then you either have to adjust your ISO and/or shutter speed. It's usually the shutter speed that needs to be adjusted as the light meter's reading goes by the ISO and aperture settings (again, make sure that you have the correct settings according to your environment).

To adjust your shutter speed, just turn the main dial (refer to your camera's instruction manual to find out where it's located) left or right until the green dot is under the center point. Sometimes, after a while, the light meter will disappear from the view finder. To get it back, just simply press the shutter button down half way again.

Once the green dot is under the center point, you can finally take the shot.

That's it.

Remember, always have the correct White Balance setting (whether you're in the shade, or if the sky is cloudy, or if the sun is out, etc.) before taking the shot. The White Balance is just as important as the ISO, aperture, and shutter speed when taking a photo. One without the other will result in a poorly lit image.

I hope this helps.

If you have any questions concerning this article or the manual function in general, please feel free to ask.