If you’re anything like me, you like to try and explore new things. One of my favorite things to do is to go backpacking and hiking with my friends. To preserve the memories of the trip, I always bring my camera and make sure to get shots of the vast landscapes and the unique moments with my friends. As a result, I always expect to do this for my own pleasure.

Hopefully, you have a way to remember all the fun moments in your life. If not, I highly recommend becoming familiarized with the basics of photography.

Worried about not having a camera? No stress! The best camera you have is the one you have on you! In other words, your phone is your most likely candidate to get all the shots you want. After all, camera technology as significantly improved in the last few years, however, this still does not guarantee good photos! To achieve the look you want, it’s crucial to understand the fundamentals of composition and lighting.

I want to share with you some of my knowledge and tips to help you get started whether you have a camera or just your smartphone.

Understand the Exposure Triangle

There are three elements to consider when taking a photo.

*Include diagram of exposure triangle*

Aperture:

Think of your own eyes. If you leave your dark bedroom and go outside on a sunny day, your pupils will change in size to adjust to the amount of light. The same principle applies to camera lenses, however, instead of a pupil the opening through which light enters the lens is known as the diaphragm.

Aperture is measured and indicated by the letter “f” on cameras. Essentially, it is the ratio of the focal length and the diameter of your lens (i.e., divide the focal length by the diameter to get the “f-stop”. A focal length of 100 mm and a diameter of 50 mm will result in a f-2.0 ratio). Due to this inverse proportional relationship, this means that the smaller the number, the larger the diaphragm opening will be! This means that f/2 has a bigger opening than an aperture of f/22 and thus f/2 lets in more light than f/22.

 Now here’s the important question: what’s the difference between using a wide aperture (opening) and a small aperture?

Besides the amount of light that enters through the diaphragm in a single shot, the depth of field changes! If you have ever had portraits done, you may have noticed you were sharp and nicely focused while the background was blurred , and it was difficult to see details.

In short, use a wide aperture (low f-stop) like f/2 for images where you want the subject to be in focus with everything else blurred and a small aperture (high f-stop) for images where you want the photo to be sharp and in focus.

ISO:

What does this acronym stand for?

It stands for the International Organization for Standardization though cameras are not making a direct reference to the organization.

ISO refers to the sensitivity of your light sensor. A low number like 100 ISO indicates a low sensitivity while a high number like 6400 ISO indicates a high sensitivity. This means that more light is needed to expose an image at a low ISO than that of a high ISO.

Keep in mind that when you increase the ISO, you are also increasing the noise in your image.

Noise gives images a grainy appearance which can be like old school film. However, too much ISO will cause blotchiness and color distortion producing an unflattering photo

Shutter speed:

This is the speed at which your shutter opens and closes in order to expose light to your camera’s sensor.

This concept is straightforward; the faster your shutter speed, the less light and less movement you will capture in your image. The slower your shutter speed, the more light and the more movement you will capture.

A good rule of thumb for setting the appropriate shutter speed when shooting handheld is to set it faster than your lens’s focal length. For example, if you are shooting with a focal length of 200mm, your shutter speed should be at least 1/200 seconds to prevent camera shake and to produce sharp images.

The key to producing the images you want is to learn tradeoffs. There will be situations where you will have to change one or more the elements in order to achieve your desired style.

Here are some settings I normally use as a photographer:

For shooting portraits of individuals

• Shutter speed: 1/320 sec (this is the slowest speed I use. I will adapt other settings based on lighting)
• Aperture: f/1.8 (or lowest number that your lens allows)
• ISO 100

For shooting pictures of groups

• Shutter speed: 1/320 sec
• Aperture: f/8-10
• ISO 100

You may have to adapt and change these settings based on lighting. If you have a tripod, you could reduce the speed without compromising your aperture and ISO.

Astrophotography (stars and Milky Way)

• Shutter speed: 10-15 seconds (you will need a tripod)
• Aperture: f/1.8 (or lowest number that your lens allows)
• ISO: 6400-12800 (you may go higher)

This might all seem daunting initially, but like all things, it just takes practice. Eventually, you’ll know what to do and you won’t have to spend a lot of time figuring out the correct settings.

Now go shoot and start your photography journey today!