When we purchase a decent or even a high-end camera that comes with variables of feature, using the “Auto” mode all the time is fubar. Knowing the basics is not a lifetime learning, mastering photography is. Just like music with the basics of seven notes creates countless symphonies, employing the right combinations of notes. Photography has three basics for combinations, employing these three basics offers virtually unlimited possibilities of creating beautiful images.
Without further ado, three photography basics that create the right exposure on an image are Aperture/F-stop, Shutter Speed, and Film Speed/ISO (International Standards Organization). For a brief clarification on the acronym of “ISO”, it is the International Organization for Standardization who came up with the term ISO to determine the film speed used in photography. Meanwhile in some countries use the term ASA (American Standards Association), and DIN (Deutsches Institut für Normung) term used in Europe, basically, they all are the same.
THREE BASICS
Before coming to the understanding of the correct combination from those three basics, there is a need to know the idea of each. From a certain grasp of the three basics is explained in a simple language:
APERTURE
Aperture is the condition where we set the opening of the “window” of aperture blades for the light to come through to the film plane in film photography or to the image sensor in digital photography. Some say, “photography is painting with light” because without light photography cannot be done. In another word, we set to “how much” the light comes through.
SHUTTER SPEED
Shutter Speed is the condition where we set the duration for the light that comes through to the film plane or the image sensor. In another word, we set to “how long” the light comes through.
So, in a brief context, Aperture refers to the quantity, and Shutter Speed refers to the time.
FILM SPEED/ISO
The last of three, Film Speed is the condition where we set “how sensitive” the film or the digital sensor [in digital cameras] on catching the light for an image to be recorded. To understand the film speed we need to go back to film photography.
In film photography, the sensitivity of film to record an image depends on the emulsion coating on its surface. This emulsion coating enables the film to record images. The coating method defines the sensitivity of the film to record with less light or requires more light. In digital photography, the function of the emulsion coating on film is replaced by the image sensor.
Without being so technical on the process of making a film or a digital sensor which we are not here for that detail, in the practical the three basics facilitate a photographer through a camera to produce a correct exposure on images.
WHAT ARE THE APERTURE EFFECTS?
Aperture affects brightness. A bigger aperture makes brighter images.
The bigger the number in Aperture, the smaller the opening of the diaphragm of the camera lens that lets the light come through. The opposite happens, the smaller the number in Aperture, the bigger the opening of the diaphragm. The Aperture numbering concept might puzzle newbies in photography.
Aperture also affects the depth of field. The depth of field is the span of the focus area. The small opening produces more focus area, and the big opening produces less focus area.
WHAT IS THE SHUTTER SPEED AFFECTS?
Shutter Speed affects motions. The faster shutter freezes motions, the slower shutter blurs motions. When we photograph motions, the right setting for Shutter Speed is crucial to deliver a result as intended. Sometimes, a photograph uses slow shutter speed to blur motions in the image for reasons, mostly aesthetic ones. Take the example of continuous taillights of cars during the night taken with slow shutter speed. or a river with water flowing like smooth velvet.
There are types in photography that require completely sharp moving objects, the faster shutter speed is a must. Sports photography, children photography, or taking pictures on moving subjects demand fast shutter speed. Fast shutter speed freezes fast-moving objects
In the correlation between Shutter Speed and Aperture, slower shutter speed is used in a lower lighting condition to compensate for the small aperture for proper exposure. Or bigger aperture is used in the same lower lighting condition to compensate for the fast shutter speed for proper exposure.
WHAT IS THE FILM SPEED/ISO AFFECTS?
Film Speed/ISO affects the graininess of images. When the ISO is set to the higher setting, the graininess appears coarser. Higher ISO allows lesser lighting conditions, however, it compromises the quality of images. The higher ISO is used when the first two basics, Aperture and Shutter Speed are no longer efficient in capturing images in the proper exposure, in certain light conditions ISO is the solution. In the “Knowing The Functions In Your Camera” article, I share some other limited options that can be employed before the ISO takes charge.
LIGHT METER IN CAMERA
Every SLR (single-lens reflex) camera, film camera, and digital camera (that includes DSLR mirrorless cameras, has a light meter feature to measure the exposure. It does not matter where it is located in the viewfinder. It could be at the bottom side or at the right side in the viewfinder. The light meter shows the state of exposure, the pointer should point out to ‘zero’ as the correct exposure that corresponds to the Aperture, Shutter Speed, and ISO at the right setting. When the pointer points to the minus, underexposure happens. On the opposite, when the pointer points to the plus, overexposure is expected. To adjust it, one of the three must be compensated with one thing in mind the rules of adjusting one of the three will result in a different outcome.
Refer back to what each of the three effects in the previous paragraph above. Assuming that the camera setting is in full manual mode. When the priority is set to Aperture, the Shutter Speed will adjust itself to the correct exposure following every time the Aperture moves. When the priority is set to Shutter Speed, the Aperture auto-adjusts following the Shutter Speed changes.
So, before exploring more depth of employing the three basics and putting them into practice. Let’s get the SLR camera (film or digital).
BEFORE TAKING PICTURES
SETTING THE ISO
Firstly, set the ISO, bear in mind the location where the shot will be taken. If we have enough light or the shots that would be taken are outside, let’s set the ISO to 100.
NOTE: In Digital SLR cameras, the setting for Aperture, Shutter Speed, and ISO is considerably more wide-ranging than in film cameras. The Aperture set can range from 1/2 to 1/3 and even 1/4 of stops if not more. The same happens with the Shutter Speed and the ISO from 100 can be up to over 100k in digital photography.
NOTE: The creative push, pull, and cross-process in film photography are no longer known for most of the new breed of digital photographers. Some arts are missing in digital photography yet have been replaced with another kind of advantage.
WHITE BALANCE
There is no white balance adjustment in film cameras because the white balance is determined by the type of film used. Since the digital cameras are not using film, but image sensors, therefore the white balance feature is added. Although in digital photography one always can readjust the white balance during post-process, setting the white balance is recommended before start taking shots. If the white balance settings give you a nerve-wracking situation, just set it to AWB (auto white balance).
SHUTTER SPEED or APERTURE PRIORITY?
Presumably, we are not taking pictures with a full manual mode where neither Aperture nor Shutter Speed becomes a priority. The full manual mode is the most creative process of taking shots, but only when one has advanced knowledge and experienced enough with the three basics.
Before setting one over the other, the idea of what kind of shots are about to happen comes first. When the depth of field is the most important, whether the shallow depth of field or deep depth of field, Aperture is the priority. Shutter Speed becomes a priority when catching motions is more important, whether to have the moving subjects in focus or blurred.
NOTE: Most DLSR such as Sony and Nikon use “A” in the dial mode for Aperture Priority and “S” for Shutter Speed Priority. But, Canon uses “Av” for Aperture Priority and “Tv” for Shutter Speed Priority.
TAKING PICTURES
Indoor photography has more consistent light while in the outdoor, light changes all the time. Clouds, shades, reflections to subjects, and some other conditions make a photographer keep adjusting the camera setting. White Balance might be a minor issue when using AWB (auto white balance), the ISO rarely needs to be changed under a normal condition. Either Aperture Priority or Shutter Speed Priority leads, the adjustment always needs to be made between shots.
Happy shooting!
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