BEFORE LESSON 3
Camera Basics
Aperture, shutter speed, and ISO — the three dials that control every photo. Read it, then pass the quiz at the bottom to unlock Lesson 3.
In Lesson 2, you learned your pupil already does this instinctively — opening wide in the dark, shrinking in bright light. Your camera has three manual controls that do the same job, on purpose. Get comfortable with these three and you're no longer just pointing and hoping.
Aperture (f-stop)
THE CAMERA'S PUPIL
The opening in the lens that lets light through — the mechanical version of the pupil you studied in Lesson 2. It's measured in f-stops: f/1.4, f/2, f/2.8, f/4, f/5.6, f/8, f/11, f/16, f/22.
The confusing part: a lower number means a bigger opening. A higher number means a smaller opening.
More light in. Blurry background (shallow depth of field). Good for portraits.
Less light in. Everything sharp (deep depth of field). Good for landscapes.
Shutter Speed
HOW LONG THE LIGHT GETS IN
How long the sensor stays open to light — measured in fractions of a second: 1/1000, 1/500, 1/250, 1/125, 1/60, 1/30, 1/15, all the way to a full second or longer.
Freezes motion. Less light in. Good for sports, kids, pets.
Shows motion as blur. More light in. Needs a steady hand or a tripod.
Rule of thumb: handheld, avoid going slower than about 1/60 — below that, your own hands start to blur the shot.
ISO
HOW SENSITIVE THE SENSOR IS
How sensitive the sensor is to the light it receives — measured in numbers: 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200, and up.
Cleanest image. Needs more available light.
Works in dim light. Adds visible grain/noise.
The Exposure Triangle
THEY ALL WORK TOGETHER
All three settings combine to create one exposure. Change one, and you'll often need to adjust another to compensate.
Example: shooting a portrait in bright sun with a wide aperture (f/1.8) to blur the background lets in a lot of light. To avoid an overexposed (too bright) photo, you'd compensate with a faster shutter speed and/or a lower ISO.
Quick Check
Answer all five, then check your work. You need 4 out of 5 to unlock Lesson 3.