Shooting with a DSLR or mirrorless camera is one of those things we are often terrified of, without even knowing why. When inspecting all those buttons and dials, it's easy to become overwhelmed — but have you ever actually taken the time to understand what they are and what they do?
Let's take a look at some basics that will help you quickly overcome the initial hurdles and set you on the way to becoming a better photographer.
Table of contents
- The exposure triangle
- Aperture explained
- Shutter speed explained
- ISO explained
- The balancing act
- Using camera modes to make life easier
The exposure triangle
Commonly referred to as the "exposure triangle", the following three settings are the most basic and probably most important things to get your head around if you want to drastically improve your images and your control over your camera.
- Aperture — The size of the hole which lets light into your camera
- Shutter speed — How long the shutter stays open when letting light into your camera
- ISO — The sensitivity of your camera's sensor
It's important to remember that adjusting one of these settings will directly affect the others, so getting the right exposure can be thought of as a balancing act — which we'll discuss more below.
Aperture explained
There are a few basic aspects to aperture which, if mastered, will not only improve your exposures but also help you gain greater control over the overall appearance of your image by adjusting the depth of field (how much of the image is in focus). The feature you adjust to change the aperture is referred to as an f-number. It's important to remember that a smaller f-number is, in fact, a larger aperture — and vice versa.
The following condensed points may help this sink in:
- Larger aperture (smaller f-number) = Shallow depth of field (less of the image is in focus)
- Smaller aperture (larger f-number) = Larger depth of field (more of the image is in focus)
Shutter speed explained
The shutter of your digital camera allows light to enter onto the image sensor to create an image. The shutter speed determines how long the shutter stays open, and therefore how much light is captured.
Shutter speeds are measured in increments of a second, such as 1/60 or 1/250. As well as affecting exposure, shooting with a slower shutter speed leaves you more susceptible to capturing blurry images — both from subjects moving in your frame and small movements of your hands causing camera shake.
Understanding the effects of different shutter speeds can be used to your advantage. If you're photographing a fast-moving subject that you want captured sharp, select a fast shutter speed. Conversely, if you wish to emphasise movement — popular in waterfall photography — a slower shutter speed is your best bet. When using slow shutter speeds, a tripod is essential for negating camera shake.
ISO explained
The ISO setting adjusts the sensor's ability to capture light. Shooting at a higher ISO allows your camera to shoot in darker situations, but in a trade-off, this often results in more "noise" within your images.
Certain types of photography require a higher ISO in order to shoot at suitably fast shutter speeds — such as sports and wildlife shooting, or when shooting handheld in darker scenarios.
Photography is a series of decisions, so ultimately it's up to you to decide when to bump up the ISO. A good rule of thumb: keep the ISO as low as possible while still allowing you to shoot at acceptable shutter speeds to capture sharp images.
The balancing act
As touched on above, adjusting any one of the three settings of the exposure triangle will directly affect your image and will require the adjustment of one or more of the other settings.
It's essential to inspect the exposure meter of your camera, and when you decide to make an adjustment to one setting, counteract this change with the adjustment of another.
A real-world example: You're photographing a portrait and want the model to be the central focal point. You've decided to shoot at a larger aperture so your image will have a shallow depth of field (the background will be blurred). You set the aperture to f/2.8, but in conjunction with your current shutter speed of 1/60, your images are now over-exposed.
This situation will require you to shoot with a faster shutter speed to correct the exposure. If the image is still over-exposed at a higher ISO, you'll then need to lower the ISO if possible.
Using camera modes to make life easier
If jumping straight into the deep end and shooting in full manual seems a little too daunting, most modern cameras have a few specialised modes. These allow you to take some control over the appearance of your images while the camera helps out with the rest.
- Aperture Priority — You select the aperture and your camera automatically adjusts the shutter speed. Great for experimenting with depth of field.
- Shutter Priority — You select the shutter speed and your camera automatically adjusts the aperture. Perfect for experimenting with motion — making subjects sharp or intentionally blurred.
- Program — Allows you to make adjustments to either the aperture or shutter speed, while your camera adjusts the opposite. Takes creative control without putting exposure to chance.
- Manual — Once you're confident with how the exposure triangle works, you're ready to shoot in Manual mode, where you make all the necessary adjustments unaided.
Improve your photography today
With a basic understanding of the camera settings above, you're well on the way to mastering this art form called photography. If you're looking for new ways to grow your photography at home or abroad, keep an eye on our photography blog for more hints, advice and gear recommendations.