Photography is loosely interpreted as drawing using light using a device such as a digital camera. The amount of light that is allowed into a camera is determined by three elements that make up the exposure triangle in photography.
The three elements of exposure triangle used in photography are Aperture, Shutter Speed and ISO. Mastering these three basic camera settings will lay a strong foundation for your career in photography.
What is Aperture, Shutter speed and ISO In The Exposure Triangle?
To better understand the exposure triangle, let us break down its three elements;
Aperture
Aperture in photography is an opening in the lens that allows light to pass into the camera sensor. The opening can be widened to allow more light or narrowed to let less light into the camera.
The aperture is measured in units known as the f-numbers. The higher the f-number, the narrower the opening. For instance, an aperture of f/1.4 is wider than that of f/5.6.
Aperture also affects the depth of field.
Narrow aperture results in a deep depth of field. This means that most of the subjects within the frame will be in focus. This makes it suitable for landscape photographers.
Wide aperture on the other hand gives you a shallow depth of field. Only the specific subject will be sharply in focus while the background is blurred. This setting is ideal for portrait photography.
Shutter speed
Depending on your aperture priorities, your image may become overexposed or underexposed. Shutter speed should be the next setting to look into.
Shutter speed affects the length at which the lens stays open to allow light into the camera.
If the lens stays open for too long after pressing the shutter button, more light is allowed into the camera. This will result in brighter pictures compared to when the lens closes much faster.
When the camera is set on a higher shutter speed, there comes a “freezing effect.” This means that if you are capturing a fast moving object on a high shutter speed, the picture will appear as if it was still. It is because of high shutter speed that fast action pictures such as wildlife photography and sports will appear as still.
When a camera is set to a lower shutter speed to capture a fast moving car for instance, the picture will appear to be blurred. If your subject is in a fixed position, shutter speed will not be a major priority.
ISO
ISO is the third and the easiest component in the exposure triangle. It’s the camera sensitivity in relation to lighting conditions.
ISO is measured in values ranging between 50-6400 and beyond depending on camera sensor capabilities. The higher the ISO value, the brighter the picture will be.
When shooting in a dark room or at night, you may bump up the ISO. This will make the camera sensors more responsive when the light is minimal. The downside of using high ISO is that the pictures may turn out to be grainy.
Noise in photography lowers the quality of the picture taken. Professional photographers recommend using low ISO values such as 100 in natural daytime light to avoid digital “noise” in your pictures.
How To Tell When A Picture is Overexposed or Underexposed
Understanding when a picture is overexposed or underexposed is not rocket science.
When a picture is too dark and details are lost in the shadows, that is an underexposed image. An overexposed image will appear to be too bright and details will be lost in the highlights.
Overexposed and underexposed photos can be fixed by adjusting the various components in the exposure triangle. You can also use exposure compensation hack available in modern digital cameras.
Take time to study the photography histogram as it will help you determine the proper image exposure.
Bonus Tip: Make sure you set the proper exposure before taking any pictures. This is because details lost in underexposed or overexposed pictures will never be recovered even by the best software.
Conclusion On The Exposure Triangle in Photography
Mastering the three elements of the exposure triangle in photography is critical in all levels. As we have seen, the exposure triangle not only affects the brightness of an image but also other aspects. These include the sharpness and depth of field in a picture or video, digital noise and freezing effect.
As you practice and understand how ISO, Shutter speed and aperture relate, the more your pictures will look professional.
