You can find yourself in the most awe inspiring setting. You can compose an incredible composition. Yet if your camera technique sucks then so will your photograph. Good camera technique means using a tripod when you should be using a tripod (generally that is anytime your subject is not in danger of walking, running, or flying away–and many times even if it is.) Exposing properly so highlight and shadow details are present. Selecting the proper depth of field for the composition. And finally getting the right plane of focus for the subject and composition. In short good camera technique.
These days we are fortunate to have at our disposal cameras that are incredibly quick and easy to use. Sophisticated metering systems all but ensure us of perfect exposure, IS or VR technology that allows us to hand-hold images at shutter speeds never dreamed possible only a few years ago, and auto-focus systems that are lighting fast and extremely accurate in very trying situations. One wonders if the next generation of cameras will have a “Auto Compose” setting that will automatically compose the elements in front of the camera for the best possible photograph.
How can we go wrong? Or more likely why do we go wrong and are not able to get the photographs we desire? Regardless of the technology available to us we need–in fact must– have a good grasp of the basic workings of our camera. We need to understand when we can rely on the crutch of new camera technology and when it can detract from what we are trying to say with our images.
The best way to understand the new camera technology and how and when to use it is by understanding how to use your camera in its most basic settings. In other words understand how to use the manual settings. If you use and understand the manual operation of your camera you will understand how the automatic settings work and when it is advantageous to use them and when it is not.