Many friends who are new to photography may have heard the three terms “aperture, shutter and ISO sensitivity”, but it is also difficult to clearly understand their meaning and interaction. For example, your aperture setting is wrong (for example, using a large aperture). (Or small aperture), even if the shutter and ISO sensitivity are at the correct value, the effect of the photo will be unsatisfactory. The photo is often blurred or underexposed/overexposed. We have specially written a list for everyone. See clearly the effects and changes after setting the aperture, shutter and ISO at once. After reading this article, I hope you can use the mysterious “aperture, shutter and ISO” with confidence!

The Mystery of Aperture

Tips: The larger the aperture, the smaller the value (such as f/1.4), don’t make a mistake!

Aperture	Large Aperture	Small Aperture
Value	(e) f / 1.4, f / 2.8, etc.	f / 16, f / 22,and so
Changes	Field of depth shallow The light amount more	Field of depth deep The light amount less
Effect	Background is blur Focus on the subject and stand out.  Suitable for shooting portraits or close-up	All is clear Showing everything clear and detailed.  Suitable for shooting landscape or documentary
Available light	Use it in a dim environment or when you want to highlight the subject	Commonly used when the light is sufficient or the whole photo needs to be clear
Example

The Mystery of ISO

Tips: Use proper ISO sensitivity, don’t blindly pursue a low ISO

ISO Sensitivity	Low ISO	High ISO
Value	ISO64, ISO100, etc.	ISO3200, ISO6400, etc
Changes	Reduced sensitivity to ambient light Avoid overexposure when the aperture is large or the shutter is slow	Sensitivity to ambient light is liftingA small aperture, Even the shutter speed high can have normally exposure
Effect	Very low signal noiseThe highest quality and clear photos	A lot of signal noiseThe edges of the main body of the photo begin to blur
Available Light	Commonly use with sufficient lightWhen using a tripod	Commonly use with When shooting aurora, starry sky, star trails
Example

Shutter Speed	Slow Shutter	Fast Shutter
Numerical Value	30 seconds, 15 seconds, 1 second, etc.	1/100 second, 1/500 second, 1/4000 second, etc.
Variations	Can absorb more ambient light Normal exposure when the aperture is small or the sensitivity is low	Reduce the light entering the lens Avoid overexposure of photos when there is a lot of light on site
Effect	Can record the passage of time The main subject becomes blurred when moving If you don’t use a tripod, there will be shaking due to hands	Can freeze instant moving object. Avoid blurry photos when held in hand
Available Light	Commonly used when there is insufficient light When shooting water, starry sky, night scenes	Use when there is enough light. When shooting sports and flying birds
Example

The Mystery of Shutter Speed

Tips: When checking the shutter, pay attention to whether there is a [”] label, which means “second” instead of “1/x second”

After reading the above information, should you have a concept of when to use “aperture, shutter and ISO”? If yes, carry on reading our next post

Written by Collin Smith @ remotes.works Holborn London