This month I want to talk to you about three things; ISO, aperture, and shutter speed. This is called the exposure triangle. If you want to learn how to use your camera in manual (which will produce MUCH better images), you’ll really want to understand how these three things interact to give you a properly exposed image. If you haven’t yet made the leap to manual, read this and give it a shot (pun intended, ha!). ;)
I have a mental checklist I go through before I start taking pictures. I make sure to go through each step before I press the shutter. Whenever you reach for your camera, make sure to have this mental checklist in mind as well. Remember that practice makes perfect!
1.) ISO — This is the first thing I set in my camera. I usually don’t have to change it once it’s set (for the specific session) unless there is a drastic lighting change. What I set it to depends entirely on the lighting.
The brighter the lighting, the lower your ISO needs to be:
Bright sunny day – ISO 100-200
Cloudy day – ISO 300-600
The darker the lighting, the higher your ISO needs to be:
Inside or night – ISO 800+
Definitely try to keep your ISO as low as possible. A high ISO has a tendency to bring noise and less clarity to a picture. This is not an exact science so just set the ISO where you think it should be and at the end of the checklist, you will know if you need to make any adjustments.
**If you are taking a picture where you want to show movement, shutter speed should be second on this list and aperture third.***
2.) Aperture– This is the next step in my mental checklist. Aperture is in charge of the depth of field. The smaller the number {i.e. f/1.4}, the shallower the depth of field. The larger the number {i.e. f/8+}, the more depth of field. If you are shooting a portrait and you want to isolate the subject by creating a blurry foreground and background (also called ‘bokeh’), choose a lower aperture setting. If you are shooting a portrait or landscape picture and you want everything in focus, you will want to choose a larger aperture setting. It can get a little confusing. It seems a little backwards to me. :)
SO, for step two, decide what you want your final image to look like. Do you want to isolate your subject or do you want an entire scene in focus?
***Quick aperture tip – It’s a good rule of thumb to keep your aperture’s setting the same as the amount of people in the shot. So, if you are taking a picture of four people, keep your aperture at f/4 or higher so that everyone will be in focus.
3.) Shutter Speed — This is the final step before you make your adjustments. This controls how long your shutter stays open when you take a picture. The quicker it opens and closes, the sharper your image will be!
Make sure your shutter speed is at least double your focal length. That means if you are shooting with a 50mm lens, your shutter speed should never go below 100. The faster the subject, the higher your shutter speed needs to be!
4.) Adjust if necessary! — As soon as you are done with all of these things, look through the viewfinder at the meter.
When the arrow is at the zero, that’s pretty much saying that at “auto” it would be the correct exposure. Anything to the right would be underexposed (too dark) and anything to the left would be overexposed (too bright), or vice versa depending on your camera’s settings. Now, we are smarter than our camera so this is not always right. It is a good place to start though! Make sure it’s at the zero and then take the picture. If it’s under or over- exposed, move the ISO, aperture, or shutter speed around to get it to where it needs to be. I like to look at the histogram to see if anything is blown out.
You want to get in the habit of going through this checklist every time you pick up your camera and shoot in manual. Soon, it will become second nature! I didn’t get too technical this month since that would turn this into a super long post There are lots of other techniques but if you are just beginning, this is a really good way to start. So, if you have any questions or would like something explained further, comment below.
How many of you are shooting in manual? If you aren’t shooting in manual, what do you prefer to shoot in (aperture priority, auto, etc.)?
And lastly, since it’s Valentine’s Day next week I thought I’d show you three of my Valentine’s! ♥
These are great reminders! A nice way to sum up ISO/Ap/shutter speed. = )
I have been shooting in manual for about a year, but I want to get better at it!
I have never tried shooting in manual~ it has always just seemed too overwhelming. Your post made it seem much more doable for beginner to try. Thanks!!! I think I am going to print this out and put it in my camera case!
This is so helpful. I’m still nervous to shoot in manual but this information has helped make more sense of it all. Thank you for this post!!
Love the tip. Thank you so much this is all a foreign language to me and makes my head spin! ha ha
I know! It is definitely confusing. I remember getting the biggest headache when I started learning about shooting in manual! I hope this helps make it a little easier for you!
I like how you explained the limits to shutterspeed based on the focal length and aperture with the number of people.. I always have trouble with that so I’ll keep that in mind!
This is the first time i have understood this and i even after reading a how to book i just bought. Your explanation was superb. I would love to here your tips of how to take close up pictures under artificial (daylight spectrum bulbs). My pictures turn out too dark every time.
That makes me so happy! Glad this made it easier to understand! I wish I could help with tips on artificial light but I am a natural light photographer. If you are shooting in manual and your pictures are turning out too dark, I would try overexposing the image some. Hope that helps. :)