How to set the exposure manually

Saturday 5 September 2026, 14:41 by Nando Harmsen | 1,369 views | 5 comments

This article was translated from Dutch with the help of AI. Read the original.

Do you like setting the exposure manually? But do you sometimes lose your way? I will give you a step-by-step approach so you always arrive at the right exposure. Of course, you can adapt this method to suit your own needs.

Setting the exposure manually means adjusting three settings: aperture, shutter speed and ISO value. Only the right combination will produce a good exposure.

The difficulty is that you can set a good exposure for every aperture value. Or for almost every shutter speed. Or for nearly every ISO value. So where do you start?

Finding that starting point is something many (beginning) photographers struggle with. Ask yourself: what depth of field do you want, or what shutter speed do you want? The choice depends on your goal.

If your goal is action and speed of the subject, you need to choose a shutter speed. In almost all other cases, depth of field is what you need to choose. That means the aperture.

When depth of field is important

Depth of field determines the look of the photo and is an artistic choice. It is determined partly by the aperture. The aperture is therefore usually the most important setting.

Step 1: Choose an ISO value

Start with a low ISO value. This can be ISO100, 200 or 400. These low values produce the least noise in the image.

Step 2: Choose a depth of field (aperture)

The aperture determines the depth of field. A small number means a shallow depth of field. A large number means a large depth of field. Choose what you think you need and set it.

One note: distance and focal length also play an important role in the actual depth of field. But that is not important for now. For now, it is only about whether the depth of field should be large or small.

Step 3: Use shutter speed to get the exposure right

With the ISO value and aperture set, you can now set the exposure time. You do this with the shutter speed. The higher the number, the faster the shutter speed. The exposure time is then shorter.

You do this using the camera's exposure meter. Make sure it indicates 0 EV. In most cases, this is the right value. But always pay attention to the shutter speed you had to choose.

Step 4: Higher ISO if the shutter speed is too slow

Is the shutter speed too slow? Then you risk motion blur. You cannot keep the camera still during the exposure time. This means the shutter speed needs to be faster.

To make this possible, you need to increase the ISO value. For example, from ISO200 to ISO400. Sometimes even to ISO800 or higher. You can then set the correct exposure time again according to step 3.

Step 5: Deviate from the exposure meter if necessary

Sometimes the exposure meter does not indicate the exposure you want. The photo is too light or too dark for your taste. In that case, the shutter speed must differ from what the exposure meter indicates as correct.

Make the shutter speed faster if the photo is too light for your liking. If the photo is too dark for your liking, make the shutter speed slower. In the latter case, you need to look at point 4 again.

When speed is important

For action photography, it works almost the same way, only you choose the shutter speed instead of an aperture. After all, the shutter speed determines how movement is shown. It then works as described in the following steps.

Step 1: Choose an ISO value

Choose a low ISO value, for example ISO100, 200 or 400. This ensures that you have as little noise as possible in the photo.

Step 2: Choose the desired shutter speed

The shutter speed determines the duration of the exposure. The higher the number, the shorter the exposure time. A short exposure time freezes movement. A long one creates movement in the image.

Choose the shutter speed you want. Which one that is for the action you are photographing depends on your preferences. And on the speed of the movement. This is a matter of trying things out and gaining experience.

Step 3: Use the aperture to get the exposure right

With the ISO value and shutter speed set, you can choose the aperture to get the correct exposure. Turn the aperture until the EV value on the exposure meter indicates 0.

With a fast shutter speed, the aperture will usually be a small number. With a short exposure time, a larger number often needs to be chosen.

Step 4: Higher ISO if the widest aperture is not enough

Is the widest aperture still not enough to set a correct exposure? Then the ISO value needs to be increased. This will often be necessary, especially for very short shutter speeds.

Set the ISO value to 400, 800 or even higher until the exposure is correct. Go as high as necessary. But keep in mind that extremely high ISO values can produce a lot of noise. There is no other option in that case.

Step 5: Deviate from the exposure meter if necessary

Is the photo with the correct exposure not to your liking? Is the photo lighter or darker than you actually want? Then you need to apply exposure compensation. Preferably with the aperture.

Stop down the aperture further (larger number) if the photo needs to be darker. Open the aperture further (smaller number) if you want the photo to be lighter. As long as you have room to do so.

Is the aperture already as wide as possible, and do you still want the photo to be lighter? Then you need to increase the ISO value a little more. That is the only way.

Manual settings take time

Always bear in mind that setting the exposure manually takes time. Sometimes that is needed for every photo. Sometimes you can get by with a one-off setting for a while. Until the light changes.

Do remember that with manual exposure settings, you ALWAYS check the exposure. Changes in lighting conditions mean that you need to adjust the settings.

With these five steps, manual exposure should always work out well. Do you use this method too? Or do you approach it differently? Share your method in a comment below this post.

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