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ex•po•sure In photography, exposure refers to the amount of light your camera's sensor (or film) receives, which then determines how bright or dark a photo turns out. There are three pieces that contribute to your photo's exposure - aperture, shutter speed, and ISO.
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ap•er•ture The unit of measurement that defines the size of the opening in your camera's lens (adjusted by f/stop). Aperture can be adjusted to control the amount of light reaching your camera's sensor or film.
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Think of your camera’s aperture like a human eye. When you enter a dark room, your pupils get larger to let in more light so you can see all of your surroundings better. When you walk outside on a bright day, your pupils get smaller. Your camera’s lens works in pretty much the same way. Small apertures (f/16, f/11, f/8) are typically used in bright, outdoor situations, while large apertures (f/1.4, f/2, f/2.8) are ideal for dark environments or capturing stars in the night sky.
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shut•ter speed The amount of time your camera's shutter is open. Shutter speed is typically measured in fractions of seconds and it affects the lighting and motion visible in your photo.
Slower shutter speeds (1/60, 1/30, 1/15, 1/8, etc.) can be used if you want your image to capture motion/blur. One of the most common examples of photos using a slow shutter speed are those pictures you see of waterfalls that look like they're moving, or like the water is soft. The slower your shutter speed, the more light you're letting in.
Faster shutter speeds (1/250, 1/500, 1/1000, etc.) are used to freeze movement in an image. If you want to reduce the motion/blur in your photos, increase your shutter speed. For example, if you wanted to take a still photo of a hummingbird, you'd need to be sure you're using a high shutter speed. If you want to capture the motion of the hummingbird's wings, you would want to use a slower shutter speed. The faster your shutter speed, the less light you're letting in.
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I•S•O In basic terms, ISO is a setting that will brighten or darken you photos.
Out of the three settings we’re discussing, this is the one you’ll use or adjust the least. As you increase your ISO, your photos will get brighter. Every camera has different ISO values/speeds, but basically when you double your ISO speed, you double the brightness of your photo.
One thing to keep in mind is when you increase your ISO, it also increases the "noise" (how grainy it looks) in your picture. Avoid using high ISOs whenever possible and use low ISOs to minimize the appearance of grain as much as possible.
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As an example, look at the two images above. The one on the left was taken before adjusting any settings. On the right, you'll see a much brighter photo where the leopard is visible. This is a perfect example of how adjusting your settings can improve your exposure!
Written by Alyssa Nelson, Marketing & Advertising Specialist, Plaza Travel |
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