Simon Crisp

Simon is a journalist and photographer who has spent the last ten years working for national UK newspapers - but has never hacked a mobile phone - and specializes in writing about weird products and photography technology. When not writing for New Atlas, Simon is often found playing with LEGO and drinking far too much coffee.

Photography

Getting out of Auto: Understanding Aperture

If you want to take control of your camera and get out of automatic mode, one of the things you’ll need to understand is the aperture setting. Here we look at what aperture is, how those numbers on lenses work, and what it means for your photography.
Photography

Getting out of Auto: Understanding the metering modes on your camera

New Atlas looks at why it's important to understand the metering modes on your camera if you want to stop using the Automatic mode. We also explore how evaluative, center-weighted and spot metering work, and which mode you should use when shooting different subjects.
Photography

Understanding the buttons and dials on your new camera

Modern cameras can be confusing for new photographers, but understanding what all those buttons and dials do is important if you want to take better pictures. Here we look at the parts of your camera you’ll want to get familiar with to up your photographic game.
Photography

Getting out of Auto: Understanding the focusing modes on your camera

New Atlas looks at the main focusing modes you’re likely to find on your camera, and which one you should be using, and when. Knowing whether it’s best to be in single, continuous, or manual focusing mode will help you get the best results and more correctly-focused images.
Photography

Getting out of Auto: Understanding the different modes on your camera

Most new cameras are capable of taking great photos in their automatic modes, but if you want to make the most of your DSLR or mirrorless shooter, you’re going to need to move the dial away from that green icon. Here we look at the main camera modes to help you get out of Auto.
Photography

Getting out of Auto: Understanding the exposure triangle

We’ve previously looked at getting to grips with the ISO, aperture and shutter speed settings on your camera. Now it’s time to pull them all together and see how they impact each other in the exposure triangle.
Photography

Getting out of Auto: Understanding Shutter Speed

Shutter speed is one of the most important camera settings to understand if you want to get out of automatic mode and start being creative with your photography. Here we look at what shutter speed is, how it’s measured, and how to use it to take the sort of images you want.
Photography

Getting out of Auto: Understanding ISO on your digital camera

Understanding ISO on your camera can let you shoot in lighting situations you wouldn’t otherwise be able to, it can also let you take control of your image. Here we look at what ISO settings are, and how different settings can be used.
Photography

Getting out of Auto: Why you should probably be shooting RAW

Is your camera currently set to shoot JPEG or RAW images? If it's shooting JPEG, you could be missing out. Here we’ll look at some of the benefits that shooting RAW files can offer, and when to make the switch, and when you'll be best off still shooting JPEG.