A Brief Understanding of the Exposure Triangle and its First Component ISO

Listed below are the three components within your camera that will affect the exposure (outcome) of your pictures.  One important item to note is that making a setting change to one element will automatically affect the other two elements.

The Exposure Triangle

1.       ISO Setting

2.       Aperture (aka f-stop)

3.       Shutter Speed

So what are these three elements and what do they do?  Well let’s start with ISO.  The ISO measures your camera’s sensitivity to light.  So when you are adjusting your ISO you are determining the amount of light needed in order to get a good exposure.  But keep in mind that the ISO can impact the quality of your pictures.  Higher ISOs can introduce noise (aka grain) to your photographs. 

The second element of the exposure triangle is the Aperture (aka F-stop).  This setting allows you to adjust your lens opening.  The larger the opening the more amount of light will enter the camera.  Aperture is measured in f-stops such as f/3.5, f/2.8.  One would think that an f-stop of 3.5 would allow for a larger opening of the lens; however it is the opposite.  The larger the f-stop the smaller the lens opening.  Therefore, an f-stop of 2.8 has a larger opening then an f-stop of 3.5.

The third element to the exposure triangle is the shutter speed.  The shutter speed is the amount of time the lens shutter will remain open.  The longer the time open the more light will be brought in for the exposure.  Most shutter speeds used are 1/60^th of a second or faster.  If you use a shutter speed lower than that you will most likely need to use a tripod in order to eliminate camera shake which will cause blurred images.

How to Set My ISO

So how do I determine my ISO setting?  Well if you are in a brightly lighted area or outside in natural sunlight you would use a lower ISO setting such as 100 or 200 or maybe even 400.  However, if you are indoors in a poorly lit area you would need a higher ISO setting.  For example, I usually set my ISO between 1800 and 2500 while I am shooting my son’s basketball games.  The lower the ISO used the sharper your image; therefore, you should try and stick to a low ISO whenever possible.  However, there are several reasons why you would need to increase your ISO which would be:

1)      Not enough light for you to compose a good picture.

2)      To obtain a faster shutter speed

3)      Freeze motion (sports)

Listed below is a very helpful article and video from the www.imagemaven.com on ISO. 

What is the best ISO to use?

How to Choose and Hold Your DSLR Camera

My first DSLR camera (Canon Rebel Ti1) was given to me as a Mother’s day gift 13 years ago.  The camera had many features but it wasn’t until last year that I began to learn how to take control of my camera rather than shoot only using the presets of Auto, Sports, Close-Up and Portrait.  Learning how the camera operates will allow you to take control of your images.  Recently, I purchased a new 60D Canon camera.  I was very happy with my Ti1 but I wanted something faster when shooting sporting events.  This leads me to my topic of how to choose the right camera for you. 

There are several factors to consider when purchasing your camera.  Factors I took in consideration were:

Price - Although I really wanted to purchase the Canon 5D it was not an option for me due to the price of the camera, so I needed to find the perfect fit within my price range.  

My current equipment - I owned multiple lenses for my Canon Rebel therefore; I wanted to stick to a Canon camera since the lenses would be adaptable on my new camera.  I did not want to have to reinvest in new lenses since they are so expensive.

What type of Photos will you be taking – Since I knew my shutter speed and ISO on the Rebel Ti1 was not performing to my liking, it was important for me to find a camera that was quick and had a higher ISO. 

The above three factors are what helped me choose my new camera; however, there are other factors that may influence you such as the size, weight or whether you may want a video function in your camera. 

I found the following website (www.snapsort.com) helpful when comparing the features of the two cameras I was considering purchasing.  The website does a side by side comparison of each camera feature that is very helpful. 

http://snapsort.com/compare/Canon-Rebel-T4i-vs-Canon_EOS_60D

Lenses

There are many different lenses you can purchase for your camera.  Each lens will display a set of numbers on the lens (i.e, 35-115mm) this is called the focal length.  There is another set of numbers on your lens (i.e., 1.8, 3.5-5.6) which pertains to the maximum aperture of the lens.  I will be discussing the aperture in a future blog post.  Just keep in mind that the smaller the number, the better the lens.

Below is a table that will give a brief description of some of the lenses.

Fixed/Prime Lens	Only displays one focal length (i.e, 55mm).  There is no zoom capability therefore you need to reposition yourself. This type of lens gives a sharper image.
Zoom Lens	Has the ability to change the focal length (i.e., 35-115mm).
Wide Angle Lens	This lens takes a broader picture which is great for large group photos (i.e., 24mm, 28mm, or 30 mm
Standard or Normal Lens	Great for portraits (i.e, 50mm or 85mm)
Telephoto Lens	Great for distance shots such as sporting events (i.e., 135mm, 200mm, 300mm, 400mm)
Macro Lens	This lens lets you take pictures at a closer view and remain in focus

Once you purchase your new camera the following weblog from SLR Lounge is a great resource on how to properly hold your camera to eliminate camera shake. 

http://www.slrlounge.com/how-to-properly-hold-your-camera

I would love to hear your comments and recommendations below.  What type of Camera and Lenses do you prefer?

The Beginning of My Journey

My passion for photography began once my children became active in sports. I would get very disappointed from the pictures I took during their games. The coloring was either off or the pictures would be blurry. I was determined to learn how to shoot in manual mode with my digital Canon Rebel Ti camera.

Since then, I have taken several classes and I am learning new tips and tricks for taking better pictures. Unfortunately though, working full-time, going to school and tending to my family there is not a lot of spare time for me to master the functions of my camera. But that might change now that I am taking a Social Media Strategy Class for Business at Walsh College. One of my assignments is to create a blog on something I am passionate about and that is how this photography blog originated. I am really excited to start learning and sharing my tips and tricks about photography and scrapbooking with you!

My Family



 

 

Below are some of my amateur photos I have taken of my children.  I hope to get better! 

My Daughter Kate (#2) – Playing What She Loves Best

 

My Son Ryan during his 7^th Grade Varsity Games

 

 

 

My Son Zach – Now a freshman at Central Michigan University

Zach and his girlfriend Sam