This guide has lots of words. No time? No worries! Click this link to visit the abridged version of this guide. There is less detail but it covers the same concepts.

This lesson in camera usage is assuming you are using a digital camera such as a DSLR or Mirrorless camera. I will not be covering film cameras in this lesson but many aspects discussed here will also apply to film cameras.

I have worked in video production for some time now. Currently my focus is on freelance work and personal projects. Still I feel a piece to the puzzle is missing and I am left unfulfilled. In prior work I focused heavily on education, making teaching a top priority in the workplace. To work with excited and motivated individuals looking to get their start in video production was wholly gratifying. Since leaving this job I have not been able to help others in growing their passion and creativity through media and it has left me feeling lackluster. No more though! With this blog entry I begin a journey with you, reader, into a world of excitement and exploration!

Happy Holidays! I see you got a new camera…

And I bet you are excited to get shooting with it! I’m excited for you! But first we need to go over some camera ground rules. And yes, I see you’ve turned that dial to [auto]. It’s ok! I’m not mad. Just disappointed. I’m only kidding! Using automatic mode is a great way to start shooting photos without needing to think about adjusting any settings to take the perfect picture. It allows you to solely focus on composing your shot. However, if you stay within the safety of auto mode you will be greatly limited in what you can do with your camera and with what kind of photos you can capture. I know it can be scary stepping out of the comfort of auto mode, I’ve been there too. But I’m here to help by breaking down the fundamentals of using your camera in a simple and easily digestible lesson. And for this lesson we will be focusing on three aspects of the camera.

ISO, Aperture, and Shutter Speed

These are three very important settings and the three I personally believe should be taught and learned first. They are settings that play off each other when setting the exposure value or brightness of your image. Each setting can be adjusted to brighten or darken your image but each setting also comes with side effects.

International Organization of Standards is too long of a name

So we just say ISO. Or for lazy people like me who don’t feel like saying each letter individually “ice-O.” This refers to the sensitivity of your camera’s sensor (or film strip if you’re using a film camera). All digital cameras have a sensor inside that records information from light rays that hit the sensor, much like the human eye. By adjusting the ISO we can make the sensor more or less sensitive to light. The more sensitive we make it the brighter our image will be. A lower number like ISO 400 will be less sensitive than a higher number like ISO 3200. Therefore ISO 400 will create a darker image and ISO 3200 will create a brighter image.

The Predatory Fuzzies of Photography Are Out To Get Us

Hey, remember earlier when I said each setting comes with side effects? Well time to meet our first contestant, digital noise! It is good to have a well exposed image, one that is bright enough to see the details of what we are photographing but that doesn’t mean we want to bump up the ISO until we have the exposure we desire. The higher we push the ISO the more digital noise we introduce into our image. That’s the fuzzies you sometimes see in photos and videos. Each camera sensor is different and will introduce a different amount of noise at different ISO levels. You really just have to experiment with your camera to see how far you are able to push the ISO until the noise overtakes and ruins the image. I will sometimes use ISO 6400 but usually try to keep it at ISO 3200 or below. But what if ISO 3200 isn’t bright enough?

Time to open the Aperture

Inside the lens of a camera are these doors. They open and close in a circular fashion, looking like some sort of futuristic science fiction door. This is the aperture. It controls how much light can enter through the lens and reach the camera’s sensor. The more closed the aperture is, the less light is let in and the darker our image will be. The more open it is, the more light is let in and the brighter our image will be. Think of it like a window shade. The room we’re in becomes brighter the more we open the shade.

F-stops, why did it have to be f-stops?

F-stops are a common reading of how open the aperture is. Here’s the annoying bit. A smaller number such as f/1.8 means the aperture is more open, letting more light in. While a larger number like f/22 means the aperture is more closed, letting less light in. Some will pick this up quickly and easily. Many will struggle with the numbers feeling like they are inverted. So remember, when it comes to f-stops smaller means brighter and larger means darker.

It was all a blur

Side effect number two! Adjusting the aperture also affects the depth of field. We can make the depth of field shallow or deep or somewhere in between. A shallow depth of field means the area that appears in focus is skinnier or shallower. Having a shallow depth of field is good when shooting portraits so that our subject is in focus but objects in front of or behind the subject are blurred. This draws the eye to the subject, the focal point of the image. To achieve this look we want to open our aperture and use an f-stop such as a f/5.6, f/4.0, or f/3.5. These are just examples of f-stops you could use but feel free to experiment yourself with different f-stops. A deep depth of field means the area that appears in focus is thicker or deeper. This is great for shooting landscapes when we want as much of the environment in focus as possible. With a deep depth of field we can capture the tall grass in the foreground, the trees in the mid-ground, and the mountains in the background all in focus. To achieve this look we want to close our aperture and use an f-stop such as f/9.0, f/10, or f/11. Again these are just examples. Go out and experiment for yourself!

I feel the need… the need for Shutter Speed… I’m running low on creativity

Lastly we come to shutter speed. Yes, another way to adjust your exposure value. For anyone out of the know, the shutter is the door in front of the sensor that opens and closes when you click the shutter release button to capture an image. The amount of time the shutter remains open is the shutter speed. A slow shutter speed such as 1/25th second will allow more time for light to enter the camera, resulting in a brighter image. A fast shutter speed such as 1/1000th second will allow less time for light to enter the camera, resulting in a darker image.

It was all a blur part II

The consequence of a slow shutter speed is more motion blur. The sensor of the camera captures all the motion that occurs while the shutter is open. Therefore if we are using a slower shutter speed we will capture more motion blur within our photo. We can use this to our advantage to capture the motion of a river or waterfall, making the water look smooth and flowy. Or hit the city at night and capture light trails from cars passing by. But if we are photographing high speed sports we’ll want to use a faster shutter speed so we can actually see the players clearly. If we were to use a slow shutter speed to photograph a baseball player stealing second base we’d only capture a blur on the baseline. So it is important to choose the right shutter speed for different scenarios.

Overview

Raising the ISO brightens the image but adds more noise the higher it is raised. Opening the aperture lets more light in and creates a shallow depth of field. Slowing the shutter speed allows more light in and adds more motion blur. I know, this was a heavy load of information but remember to break it down one piece at a time. Soon enough it will all be second nature and you will be shooting photos like a pro! Be sure to follow along with my blog as I will be diving deeper into the world of visual media!