Goal: To understand how aperture, shutter speed, and ISO interact to create properly
exposed images and how to use them creatively.
Aperture
Controlling Light and Depth of Field
Shutter Speed
Controlling Light and Motion
ISO
Amplification of the Sensor Sensitivity to Light
Bringing It All Together
The Balancing Act of Aperture, Shutter Speed, and ISO
Creative Combinations
Get Creative by Intentionally Adjusting Aperture, Shutter
Speed, and ISO
Lesson 1: Aperture - Controlling Light and Depth of Field
Have you ever seen a portrait where the person is sharp, but the background is
beautifully blurred? That's the power of aperture.
What is Aperture? The aperture is the opening within your lens that controls the
amount of light passing through to the camera sensor. It's measured in f-stops
(e.g., f/1.8, f/5.6, f/11).
The F-Stop Mystery: Smaller f-stop numbers (like f/1.8) mean a wider opening,
letting in more light and creating a shallow depth of field (blurry background).
Larger f-stop numbers (like f/11) mean a narrower opening, letting in less light
and creating a deep depth of field (everything in focus).
Visual Examples:
Shallow Depth of Field:
[Insert Image Here: Portrait with a sharply focused subject and a blurred
background.]
Notice how the viewer's eye is drawn directly to the person.
Deep Depth of Field:
[Insert Image Here: Landscape with everything from the foreground to the
background in sharp focus.]
Here, the entire scene is important.
Key Takeaway: Aperture controls not just light, but also the area of your image
that is in focus.
Dive Deeper: [Link to a blog post or video explaining aperture in more detail.]
Lesson 2: Shutter Speed - Capturing Motion
When you see photographs of freeze a speeding car or create the silky smooth look
of flowing water? That's all about shutter speed.
What is Shutter Speed? Shutter speed is the amount of time the camera's sensor is
exposed to light, measured in seconds or fractions of a second (e.g., 1/1000s,1 1/60s, 1s).
Freezing vs. Blurring:
Fast Shutter Speeds (e.g., 1/500s and faster) freeze motion, capturing fast-moving
subjects sharply.
Slow Shutter Speeds (e.g., 1/30s and slower) allow motion blur, creating a sense of
movement in subjects like water, clouds, or moving vehicles.
Visual Examples:
Freezing Motion:
[Insert Image Here: A bird in flight with its wings perfectly sharp.]
The fast shutter speed captured this fleeting moment.
Motion Blur:
[Insert Image Here: A waterfall with the water appearing smooth and silky.]
A slow shutter speed creates this effect.
Key Takeaway: Shutter speed controls not just light, but also how motion is depicted
in your photos.
Watch This: [Link to a short video demonstrating the effect of different shutter
speeds.]
Lesson 1: Aperture - Controlling Light and Depth of Field
Have you ever seen a portrait where the person is sharp, but the background is
beautifully blurred? That's the power of aperture.
What is Aperture? The aperture is the opening within your lens that controls the
amount of light passing through to the camera sensor. It's measured in f-stops
(e.g., f/1.8, f/5.6, f/11).
The F-Stop Mystery: Smaller f-stop numbers (like f/1.8) mean a wider opening,
letting in more light and creating a shallow depth of field (blurry background).
Larger f-stop numbers (like f/11) mean a narrower opening, letting in less light
and creating a deep depth of field (everything in focus).
Visual Examples:
Shallow Depth of Field:
[Insert Image Here: Portrait with a sharply focused subject and a blurred
background.]
Notice how the viewer's eye is drawn directly to the person.
Deep Depth of Field:
[Insert Image Here: Landscape with everything from the foreground to the
background in sharp focus.]
Here, the entire scene is important.
Key Takeaway: Aperture controls not just light, but also the area of your image
that is in focus.
Dive Deeper: [Link to a blog post or video explaining aperture in more detail.]
Lesson 1: Aperture - Controlling Light and Depth of Field
Have you ever seen a portrait where the person is sharp, but the background is
beautifully blurred? That's the power of aperture.
What is Aperture? The aperture is the opening within your lens that controls the
amount of light passing through to the camera sensor. It's measured in f-stops
(e.g., f/1.8, f/5.6, f/11).
The F-Stop Mystery: Smaller f-stop numbers (like f/1.8) mean a wider opening,
letting in more light and creating a shallow depth of field (blurry background).
Larger f-stop numbers (like f/11) mean a narrower opening, letting in less light
and creating a deep depth of field (everything in focus).
Visual Examples:
Shallow Depth of Field:
[Insert Image Here: Portrait with a sharply focused subject and a blurred
background.]
Notice how the viewer's eye is drawn directly to the person.
Deep Depth of Field:
[Insert Image Here: Landscape with everything from the foreground to the
background in sharp focus.]
Here, the entire scene is important.
Key Takeaway: Aperture controls not just light, but also the area of your image
that is in focus.
Dive Deeper: [Link to a blog post or video explaining aperture in more detail.]
