How to Deal With an Aperture, Speed and ESO When Using a Camera
Regardless of whether you use a digital or film camera, learn about and manipulate aperture, shutter speed and ISO settings to gain greater control over the way your photos turn out. Consider the optimal settings for each prior to taking the photo and use the result you get to help you make a better decision for the next photo you take. Set the camera into "manual" mode to adjust these settings manually.
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Instructions
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Power the camera on and set it to "manual" mode. Although modes exist that allow you to manipulate either aperture, shutter speed or ISO, only manual allows you to manage all three at once.
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Adjust aperture, which corresponds to the focal length of the lens, depending on how close or far away the object is. Aperture is expressed in the format "f/#" and you use a short focal length for objects that are close -- f/3.5 is an example of a short focal length. Aperture is the aspect of shooting that accounts for close-up objects appearing sharp and focused in front of blurry backgrounds, a sometimes artistic affect.
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Manipulate shutter speed depending on how slow or fast the object you shoot is moving and, to a secondary extent, based on the lighting in the shot. A fast shutter speed -- 1/1000, for example -- is ideal if you shoot a moving person or animal and need to capture the details of movement. Low shutter speeds like 1/2 are useful for shooting stationary objects in low light -- the slow shutter speed provides more time for light to enter the camera -- or to create intentional blur of moving people or objects.
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Modify the camera's ISO settings to account for the relative lighting in the shot. A low ISO setting like 100 or 200 is ideal for a bright, sunny day while settings of 800, 1600 or higher allow night shots to appear brighter than they do normally. Don't use high ISO settings during the day -- they wash the shot out -- or low ISO settings at night, as they obscure detail.
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References
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Comstock/Getty Images
