Intro to Photography

As a beginner in professional photography, it is essential to understand a few key components: ISO, Aperture, and Shutter Speed.

Written by: Theodorant

7.27.25

ISO (intro to photography)

A CAMERA'S ISO SETTINGS CORRELATE TO THE SENSOR SENSITIVITY OR SENSOR SPEED.

THE HIGHER THE ISO, THE MORE SENSITIVE THE CAMERA'S SENSOR IS TO LIGHT

ISO TYPICALLY RANGES ON DSLRS AS:

100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200, 6400 +

THE LOWER THE ISO NUMBER, THE LESS LIGHT ALLOWED IN THE PHOTO

THE HIGHER THE ISO, THE MORE LIGHT THAT WILL BE ALLOWED INTO THE SENSOR,

FOR THE COST OF THE IMAGE QUALITY

Aperture

APERTURE IS THE SIZE OF THE LENS OPENING, DETERMINING HOW MUCH LIGHT WILL ENTER THE SENSOR

THE SIZE OF THE OPENING IS MEASURED IN F STOPS

THE F STOPS ARE FRACTIONS, (F 1.4 IS A

WIDER APERTURE THAN 8.0)

F 1.4 ALLOWS MORE LIGHT TO ENTER THE PHOTO COMPARED TO F 8.0

APERTURE ALSO AFFECTS THE DEPTH OF FIELD WITHIN A PHOTO

THE LARGER THE APERTURE, THE SHALLOWER THE DEPTH OF FIELD

THE BACKGROUND OF AN IMAGE TAKEN AT F 1.4 WILL BE MORE OUT OF FOCUS COMPARED TO AN APERTURE OF 8.0 BECAUSE OF THIS EFFECT

Shutterspeed

SHUTTERSPEED IS HOW FAST THE SHUTTER ON THE CAMERA CLOSES AFTER A PHOTO IS TAKEN.

THE SHUTTERSPEED RELATES DIRECTLY TO THE EXPOSURE OF A PHOTO, JUST LIKE THE OTHER TWO TECHNIQUES.

IT IS MEASURED IN SECONDS AND CAN ALLOW UP TO 30 SECONDS OF EXPOSURE TIME AT ITS LONGEST CAPACITY.

THE LONGER THE EXPOSURE OF THE SHUTTERSPEED THE MORE LIGHT ALLOWED INTO THE PHOTO. A SHUTTER SPEED OF 1 SECOND WILL ALLOW MORE LIGHT THAN A SHUTTERSPEED OF 1/250 SECONDS.

QUICKER SHUTTERS ARE TYPICALLY FOR QUICKER MOVEMENTS LIKE SPORTS OR MOVING WILDLIFE. SLOWER SHUTTERS CAN BE USED FOR NIGHT LIFE AND REAL ESTATE. HOWEVER, YOU SHOULD ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT THE SLOWER THE SHUTTER, THE MORE LIKELY YOU WILL NEED A TRIPOD.

Conclusion

ISO, APERTURE, AND SHUTTERSPEED ARE ALL MEASURES OF EXPOSURE AND WORK TOGETHER (IN MANUAL MODE TYPICALLY) TO CREATE A WELL-EXPOSED PHOTO. THOUGH THEY ALL WORK TOGETHER, EACH MEASUREMENT HAS ITS EFFECT ON THE PHOTO.

ISO - THE HIGHER THE ISO, THE MORE LIGHT IS ALLOWED INTO THE PHOTO, BUT THIS SACRIFICES THE QUALITY

APERTURE - THE WIDER THE APERTURE, THE MORE LIGHT ALLOWED INTO THE PHOTO, MEANING A MORE SHALLOW DEPTH OF FIELD (BLURRY BACKGROUND). THOUGH IF YOU WANTED TO TAKE A PICTURE OF A GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS YOU WOULD WANT EVERYONE IN FOCUS, SO YOU WOULD NEED TO AVOID THAT SHALLOW DEPTH OF FIELD BY TIGHTENING THE APERTURE AND INCREASING IT, WHICH WILL ALSO DARKEN THE PHOTO.

SHUTTERSPEED - THE QUICKER THE SHUTTER, THE LESS LIGHT ALLOWED INTO THE PHOTO. NOW, WHAT IF YOU SLOW THE SHUTTER TO 1 SECON,D TAKING PICTURES OF A HIGHWAY AT NIGHT TO INCREASE THE LIGHTING? THAT WILL BLUR OUT THE CARS' MOVEMENTS BECAUSE OF HOW LONG THE SHUTTER STAYED OPEN. EVEN WITH PEOPLE ,MOST TIMES YOU WANT YOUR SHUTTER AT 1/60 SECONDS AT THE MINIMUM TO AVOID ANY BLURRY MOVEMENTS.

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This is the Intro to Photography series stay tuned for more tips and tricks.