Manual vs. Auto

Don't think that being a good photographer means having to take every picture in "manual" mode because it's simply not necessary. What makes a photograph notable is its composition. It doesn't matter if you took the photo in "manual," "auto," "shutter priority," "aperture priority," or one of the many programmed
"scene" modes. It all works beautifully. There are times when I'm in a hurry and can't take the time to set everything manually....especially if I'm going to miss a perfect photo opportunity! Other times, I simply want to experiment around with different settings to observe the effects on my photograph. I'll never forget one time when a fellow photographer commented, "That's good, but so what, " after I proudly announced that I could use my camera in manual mode. I assumed ALL professionals photographed in manual mode and that the auto mode was strictly for amateurs. Apparently not. (Whew! That was actually a load off my shoulders hearing that.)  So, the moral of this story is, don't fret over the settings.....just take pictures! The more you use your camera, the better photographer you'll become. Also, don't forget to have fun!