Digital photography basics: Aperture, shutter speed and ISO explained

When it comes to digital camera photography, things aren’t really as easy and hasty as you might think. Just put the camera on auto mode, point it at your subject and press the shutter release (the button you would press to capture the image) to get the perfect shot right? Well, not really. Yes, you can get pretty decent pictures out of your camera by just using the auto mode and it can be very handy at certain situations. But using the auto mode truly confines your creativity. Because when your camera is on auto mode, the camera decides all the settings by itself and entirely controls the exposure of the picture. So, in many cases the photos truly lose their personality. Not to mention, automatic mode doesn’t let you use different camera tricks that can truly spice up your images and drastically change the mood of the photo. So, to really immerse yourself in this art form called photography you need get a hold of some basic stuffs that will help you to understand your camera as well as how to use it properly to perhaps get the perfect shot for your next killer instagram photo.

Today, I am going to discuss about the most essential and basic three stuffs when it comes to knowing your camera and nailing the exposure of your photo. Now, I will try my best not to over explain things and make them seem more complicated than they already are. Although keep in mind, photography is all about having fun and the camera is just a tool to help bring out your inner creativity but understanding the basics is really essential to practice this art form properly. This is A.R.M from frenzytitans360. And without further ado, let’s just jump right into it! 

Aperture: Aperture along with the shutter speed determines how much total light will reach the sensor of your camera. Aperture is a small set of blades (known as aperture blades) which sits at the back of your lens and it determines how much light will enter the camera body. The blades altogether creates a hole that can be widened or closed down to a small hole. This hole allows light to get from the lens to the camera. Aperture sizes are measured by f-stops. A high f-stop like f/22 refers to the aperture hole being quite small and a low f-stop like f/2.8 refers to the aperture being wide open. A wide aperture is usually required when you need the shutter speed to be very fast or at low light situations.

Not to mention aperture also controls depth-of-field. Depth-of-field is the factor that determines how much of the picture is sharp and how much is blurry. So, if you want to take a picture where the subject in the front is in sharp focus and the background is blurry (Otherwise known as the bokeh effect), you would go for a shallow depth-of-field and for that, you would use a wide aperture (low f-stop number). But, if you want both the foreground and the background to be in sharp focus you would require a small aperture (high f-stop number).

Shutter speed: The shutter is a curtain in the camera that sits in front of the image sensor and it quickly opens and closes as you press the shutter release. During that opening time it allows light to shine onto the image sensor. The shutter speed can be set to a fraction of a second to a few seconds if you want.

 In simple words, shutter speed determines the amount of time your image sensor will be exposed to the light. So, obviously if the sensor is exposed for a longer time it will gather more light and produce a brighter image and if it’s exposed for a short amount of time it will allow for less light to shine on the sensor, causing a darker image. But, while using a longer shutter speed, if your subject moves during the time the sensor is exposed, it will cause motion blur in the image. So, if you want motion blur to be present in the image, you will be using a long shutter speed. But, if you don’t want motion blur to be existent, you will go for a fast shutter speed. That is why you will most probably use a fast shutter speed while shooting handheld.

ISO: Whether it’s an acronym or not, ISO is the number that dictates the sensitivity of your camera’s image sensor. The ISO controls the exposure of your image by making the image sensor more or less sensitive to light. A high ISO as ISO 3200 will produce a brighter image than a lower ISO as ISO 100. But the drawback to increasing the ISO is that it makes the image noisier and makes your image look grainy. It is the digital equivalent to film grain. There is really no standard for a high ISO just yet. Because camera companies are constantly improving the ability of their cameras to use high ISO’s without showing as much digital noise or grain in the image. Since each camera is different, you will have to test your camera out to comprehend how high of an ISO can you shoot at without making the image excessively noisy. Usually, you are going to try your best to shoot with a lower ISO setting. But in low light conditions and while shooting on a really fast shutter speed, you are going to have to push up your ISO settings a little bit. 

Remember that these are just some basic things you are going to have to keep in mind all the time to get the perfect exposure for your photos. Mastering the basics is essential at any craft and photography isn’t any different. But creativity has no boundaries so you always have the freedom to use these settings as you like. Plus who knows, maybe you will come up with the next trending camera trick that everyone is going to use. Photography is all about experimenting. So, never be afraid to get out of your comfort zone and to experiment with different settings. Say goodbye to auto mode and show your camera that who is the boss. So, grab your camera and a few extra batteries (they need to be charged of course) and set out for a new journey to the amazing world of creativity, that is photography. Let us know your feedback on this post by commenting down below and you can give suggestions for future posts as well. This was A.R.M from frenzytitans360, signing out.