This week I thought I'd do a photography-themed post on some of the main photography jargon: aperture, shutter-speed and ISO. With these three things, you can produce some amazing photographs. After you've read this, why not go out and experiment with your camera?
Aperture
The amount of light let through a hole within the lens which travels into the camera body. It also controls the depth of field, which is the proportion of the photograph that is in focus.
Light is a key element in a photograph, and luckily, the amount you let in is easily controllable using aperture. It's measured in f-stops, and every time the f-stop value halves, the amount of light let in it quadrupled. This means that the lower the f-stop value, the more light is let it. Aperture ranges from f/1.0 to anything around f/32.
Also, using aperture, you can control how much of your photograph is in focus (depth of field); the lower the f-stop value, the lower the proportion of the photo that is in focus.
ISO
Putting it into practice:
Landscape: high aperture, slow shutter speed
Portrait: low aperture, fast shutter speed
Macro: low aperture, fast shutter speed, higher ISO
Action: low aperture, fast shutter speed
Panning (sharp subject in front of blurred background that show movement): slow shutter speed of around 1/20 to 1/60 and follow subject with focal point
Thanks for reading! Now, what are you waiting for? Grab your camera!
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| Low aperture |
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| High aperture |
Light is a key element in a photograph, and luckily, the amount you let in is easily controllable using aperture. It's measured in f-stops, and every time the f-stop value halves, the amount of light let in it quadrupled. This means that the lower the f-stop value, the more light is let it. Aperture ranges from f/1.0 to anything around f/32.
Also, using aperture, you can control how much of your photograph is in focus (depth of field); the lower the f-stop value, the lower the proportion of the photo that is in focus.
Shutter Speed
The length of time the camera shutter is open to expose the camera sensor to light coming through the lens.
Shutter speed is probably the most straightforward concept of the three; the faster the shutter speed, the less time the sensor is exposed to light, and therefore the sharper your image. It's measured simply in seconds, and ranges from as fast as 1/4000 seconds to 30+ seconds.
Your desired shutter speed depends on the kind of shot you're going for. For a more sharp, crisp shot, for example of sport of wildlife, you'll require a fast shutter speed to avoid blur. However, a slight blur is sometimes a desired effect by photographers; you may have seen the classic shots of cars zooming through New York at night, leaving a long, dazzling stream of red and yellow lights. It all depends on what type of photograph you're going for!
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| Fast shutter speed |
Your desired shutter speed depends on the kind of shot you're going for. For a more sharp, crisp shot, for example of sport of wildlife, you'll require a fast shutter speed to avoid blur. However, a slight blur is sometimes a desired effect by photographers; you may have seen the classic shots of cars zooming through New York at night, leaving a long, dazzling stream of red and yellow lights. It all depends on what type of photograph you're going for!
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| High ISO |
The camera's level of sensitivity to available light.
Unlike aperture and shutter speed, you generally want the smallest ISO possible, as a higher ISO dramatically increases image noise (causing a grainy look, which is sometimes desired). Therefore, the ISO is really only increased if your required aperture and shutter speed aren't obtainable otherwise. Generally, ISO ranges from 100-800.
How do they work together?
To produce the best image possible, aperture, shutter speed and ISO need to work together. Imagine this- it's a bright, sunny day, so you use a hight aperture (a smaller hole for the light to get through) in order to block of some of the light. This means that the camera sensor needs longer to collect the light, so a higher shutter speed is essential. Alternatively, if you've got a low aperture (a larger hole for the light to get through), a lot of light is hitting the sensor, so you'd need a lot shorted time for the image to become properly exposed.
Unlike aperture and shutter speed, you generally want the smallest ISO possible, as a higher ISO dramatically increases image noise (causing a grainy look, which is sometimes desired). Therefore, the ISO is really only increased if your required aperture and shutter speed aren't obtainable otherwise. Generally, ISO ranges from 100-800.
How do they work together?
To produce the best image possible, aperture, shutter speed and ISO need to work together. Imagine this- it's a bright, sunny day, so you use a hight aperture (a smaller hole for the light to get through) in order to block of some of the light. This means that the camera sensor needs longer to collect the light, so a higher shutter speed is essential. Alternatively, if you've got a low aperture (a larger hole for the light to get through), a lot of light is hitting the sensor, so you'd need a lot shorted time for the image to become properly exposed.
Putting it into practice:
Landscape: high aperture, slow shutter speed
Portrait: low aperture, fast shutter speed
Macro: low aperture, fast shutter speed, higher ISO
Action: low aperture, fast shutter speed
Panning (sharp subject in front of blurred background that show movement): slow shutter speed of around 1/20 to 1/60 and follow subject with focal point
Thanks for reading! Now, what are you waiting for? Grab your camera!
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