M stands for Manual. In this mode, as the name goes, everything is placed under the control of the photographer, from the aperture value to the shutter speed, ISO, flash and white balance. This is particularly useful in challenging situations where a certain exposure effect or artistic effect is desired.
Normally, this mode is preferred when there is a need to control both aperture and shutter speed individually, such as in cases where either Aperture Priority mode or Shutter Priority mode is not able to produce satisfactory results. For example, after taking a photo using an aperture value of 8 (read more about aperture values), you might find that the picture is not well exposed enough (too dark). In this situation, you might want to take note of the aperture and shutter speed values, switch to Manual mode and dial in the values individually. However, to increase the exposure in order to achieve a more desirable result, you might want to increase the value for the shutter speed.
Other camera modes: Program, Aperture priority, Shutter priority
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