In the days of film, the cost of developing the film with unknown results and the time it took to make setting changes in the field may have hindered some from experimenting with those settings. But digital cameras make resetting those options quick and easy, and pixels are cheap. So go ahead and try different looks.

Start with the obvious for a landscape photo, such as f22 with a shutter speed that gets you the perfect histogram. But then try that landscape at f22 with a low ISO and a slow shutter and zoom into the scene for an abstract of swirling colors. Or photograph the sandhill crane with a wide open aperture of f4 to really increase the bokeh and soften the background. But then try a low ISO with a slow shutter speed and pan with the sandhill crane as it flys in front of you to blur the background of the bird to show movement.

Settings are endless so keep trying. You never know what new technique you might discover.