Shooting Resources

SHOOTING RESOURCES

Camera Settings

The all important - Exposure Triangle

The three elements are:

ISO – the measure of a digital camera sensor’s sensitivity to light - https://digital-photography-school.com/iso-settings/
Aperture – the size of the opening in the lens when a picture is taken - https://digital-photography-school.com/aperture/
Shutter Speed – the amount of time that the shutter is open - https://digital-photography-school.com/shutter-speed/

It is at the intersection of these three elements that an image’s exposure is worked out.

Exposure Triangle Link

Metaphor for basic understanding

Imagine your camera is like a window with shutters that open and close.

- Aperture is the size of the window. If it’s bigger more light gets through and the room is brighter.

- Shutter Speed is the amount of time that the shutters of the window are open. The longer you leave them open the more light comes in.

- How sensitive your eyes are to the light coming in the room - if you put on sunglasses your eyes become less sensitive - ISO (the lower the number the less sensitive to light, the higher the number the more sensitive light)

Program Mode P lets you choose specific setups for your camera and gives you a certain amount of freedom. This is a great place to start. Program mode allows you to manipulate your aperture size/shutter speed independently and your camera will choose the appropriate shutter speed/aperture size to create the correct exposure. You still control white balance, and ISO

Shutter Speed Priority S or TV - lets your choose the shutter speed (the amount of time that the shutter is open) and the camera will It is measured in fractions of a second, for example 1/1000 is fast than 1/60 of a second. Fast shutter speeds allow you to “freeze” the action in a photo, but require lots of light. Slower shutter speeds allow for shooting with less light but can cause motion blur in the image.The camera will choose the appropriate aperture size. You still control white balance, and ISO. This is where you want to be if you want to capture motion (stop action, blurred motion, panning etc.)

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Aperture Priority A or AV - lets you choose is the opening in the lens. The aperture size allows you to control depth of field which is the amount in front and behind your subject that will be in focus.

Basic rule of thumb - Small f-number = small area of focus, big f-number = big area of focus

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ISO refers to how sensitive the “film” will be to the incoming light when the picture is snapped. High ISO settings allow for faster shutter speeds in low light but introduce grain into the image. Low ISO settings produce the cleanest image but require lots of light. Generally, you will want to use the lowest ISO setting that your lighting will allow.

Link to a camera simulator

- This simulator allows you to manipulate focal length, ISO, aperture size and shutter speed and see the end results. You can blur motion, stop action, manipulate depth of field and much more. Great way to practice before going out and shooting.