If you want to venture outside the Auto mode then you will want to read this discussion on the exposure triangle. The triangle refers to the three main elements that need to be considered when tinkering with exposure. Each of the aspects relate to light and how it enters and interacts with the camera.
The three elements are aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. The aperture is the size of the opening in the lens when a picture is taken. The shutter speed is the amount of time that the shutter is open. The ISO is the measure of a digital camera sensor’s sensitivity to light
The intersection of these three elements works out the image’s exposure— so much so that a change in one of the elements will impact the other two.
To help with the explanation, a metaphor shall be used. Let’s entitle it THE WINDOW.
Imagine your camera is a window that has shutters that open and close.
The aperture is the size of the window. If it’s bigger more light gets through and the room is brighter.
The 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.
Now imagine that you’re inside the room and you’re wearing sunglasses. The way your eyes become desensitized to the light that comes in is like a low ISO.
To increase the amount of light in the room, you could increase the time that the shutters are open (decrease shutter speed), you could increase the size of the window (increase aperture), or you could take off your sunglasses (make the ISO larger).
It takes a while to fully process, but the window metaphor should make things easier.
Because it’s so interconnected, the art of exposure is hard to master. Changing each element not only impacts the exposure of the image but also the other aspects of it. Changing aperture changes depth of field, changing ISO changes the graininess of a shot, and changing shutter speed impacts how motion is captured.
Don’t feel too bad when it takes you a long time to get the hang of it— even the most experienced photographers have difficulty with it.
For photography lessons turn to our digital photography tips .
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