Today’s digital cameras can pretty much do it all for you, with automatic modes for almost all photographic subjects and opportunities. That said, it’s useful at times to go back to basics and dispense with all of those automatic modes. If you’ve still got an old film SLR, pick yourself up a roll of film, stick a 50mm lens on and away you go.

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With a DSLR it’s still pretty easy, you just need a bit more discipline. The most important thing that you need to do is remove the temptation to look at the rear LCD screen on your camera. A piece of gaffer’s tape or a Post-It can be stuck over the screen so that you can’t see it. Next, make sure you’re using M mode and preferably a prime lens.

As you go out with your “modified” DSLR, you might be tempted to rely on the camera’s internal meter to get your exposure correct. If you’ve never shot manual before, then this is a good learning step to take. Modern in-camera meters are amazingly accurate and you’ll find yourself getting great results easily.

If you fancy a bigger challenge, consider not looking at the camera’s meter and instead relying on something like Sunny 16 or it’s variations to guide you as you make your exposures. For a bit of added fun, limit yourself to only 36 frames. Don’t cheat by deleting anything, just take 36 shots and then go home and download them to your computer.

When you’re out there, don’t rush to take everything. If you’re limiting yourself to only 36 exposures, then you’ll need to slow down and think. Walk around the subject, visualizing what it’ll look like before you take the picture. Try and find the best angle and best view.

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