What is aperture, shutter speed and ISO? Photography basics: shutter speed, aperture, flu, ISO

Learn science photography not so easy. If you newbie in this and decided to try themselves as a professional photographer, bought themselves SLR camera, then you will definitely have problems at first, how to make such a frame as you intended. What's the right way to shoot? Theoretical knowledge is indispensable here. There are basics, without knowing which, you will not learn how to take truly high-quality and fascinating pictures.

The first thing you need to understand is the exposure of the frame. We will talk with you here about, and. It is these things that form the exposure. Understanding how it works is essential to getting beautiful shots.

You must understand that for any frame you need a certain amount of light (exposure). The camera has three ways to dose the light output - diaphragm, excerpt And sensitivity. Moreover, sensitivity should be used only when the situation does not allow using shutter speed and aperture.

Shutter speed and aperture not only allow you to control the amount of light entering the sensor, but are also very effective artistic tools. But first you need to understand how to work with them, over time you will gain experience and ease of use of these tools will come. Experienced photographers use shutter speed and aperture without thinking, at the subconscious level.

So, what is a diaphragm? This is a design element of the camera lens, which is responsible for the diameter of the hole that transmits light to photosensitive matrix. To better understand, here's an example. When you open the curtains on the window, the room enters sunlight. And the wider you open the curtains, the more light will come through. The diaphragm works the same way. It is designated as f / 2.8 and is defined as the ratio of the focal length to the diameter of the lens entry hole.

At the same time, than less number in the designation of the diaphragm, the more it is open. If you change F by one value, then the amount of light entering the camera will change by a factor of 2. It is called exposure step. Any changes (according to the camera scale) in exposure occur in increments of one stop. For accuracy, the step is divided into thirds, if necessary. If you learn how to use aperture correctly, you will have a very powerful visual tool in your hands. For example, by opening the aperture as much as possible, you will get a very imageable space. And this allows you to visually highlight the object being shot against a blurred background.

On the other side, large depth of field obtained at the maximum closed aperture. For example, you can set the f-number to 8 or more for this. But remember that changing the aperture value and approaching extreme values, you will encounter the following dangers. When the aperture is open, the sharpness readings will be the worst, and when the aperture is closed as much as possible, all the dust accumulated on the matrix will be visible on the frame. The maximum closed aperture is best used, for example, for landscape shooting when the viewer will be interested to see all the details of the photo. That's when you need a large depth of field.

Excerpt- this is the time for which the shutter opens to transmit light to the photosensitive matrix. To make it clearer, let's return to our window again. The longer the curtains are open, the more light will enter the room. Shutter speed is measured in seconds and milliseconds and is referred to as 1/200. In the camera, only the denominator 200 is indicated. If the shutter speed is equal to a second or longer, then 2`` is indicated, which means 2 seconds.

If you take off your hands, then to get a sharp frame, the minimum shutter speed is not constant and depends on the focal length. The longer the focal length, the slower the shutter speed should be. For example, for a focal length of 300 mm, you need to use shutter speeds of at least 1/300.

By using slow shutter speeds, you can emphasize the movement of your subject. For example, if the camera follows a moving subject at a shutter speed of 1/60 or slower, the background is blurred while the moving subject remains sharp. If you photograph flowing water at a slow shutter speed, it will turn into frozen shapes.

Photographers use very fast shutter speeds to freeze the moment, such as the splash of a falling raindrop or a passing race car. Such interesting effects can be obtained by masterfully using shutter speed and aperture. What is sensitivity?

Sensitivity (ISO)- This is a technical concept that refers to the sensitivity of the matrix to light. Let's make an analogy again. Let's compare photosensitive matrix with human skin. Here on the beach people are sunbathing. Imagine that the sensitivity of their skin is different. Those with more sensitive skin (high sensitivity) will take less time to tan than those with low sensitivity.

Remember that sensitivity is inextricably linked to the amount of noise. The higher the sensitivity you set, the more noise will be in the photo. Why is that? There is such a technical moment. With a sensitivity of 100, the signal is taken from the matrix as is, without amplification. And at ISO 200, it is amplified by 2 times, and so on. It is known that with any amplification, noise and distortion occur. And the more gain, the more interference. They are called noise.

Different cameras have different levels of noise. If you set the minimum sensitivity, then the noise will not be visible and will appear less when the image is processed. Already from ISO 600 and above, almost all cameras are very noisy. In this case, photographers to eliminate noise and obtain quality pictures use special noise reduction programs.

Let's summarize what we understand. Shutter speed and aperture values together form an exposure pair (that is, the best, correct combination of shutter speed and aperture for given lighting conditions). Expopara determines the exposure of the frame. In the past, to determine the shutter speed based on the amount of light and aperture, special separate devices were used - exposure meters. Today, the exposure meter is built into almost every camera.

You should know that every SLR camera has shutter and aperture priority modes

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Light as a photographer's material

The very technology of obtaining a photographic image allows the photographer to automatically create the illusion of three-dimensionality on flat photography, however, on condition that the photographer perceives light not as something taken for granted, but as a tool and material from which the photograph is obtained, the same material as clay for a potter or a sound for a musician

To get truly high-quality and artistically beautiful photos, it is not enough to get an expensive SLR camera. Ask any professional photographer, and he will confirm that it took him more than one month to learn all the intricacies of handling equipment. It is unrealistic to cover all the nuances of using a camera in one article. To start, it will be enough to deal with two terms - aperture and shutter speed.

How to use it?

Translated from Greek, the word "diaphragma" means "partition". You've probably heard that different lenses can have different aperture ratios. This means that they pass an unequal amount of light through themselves. In fact, the diaphragm is a device that regulates the diameter of the hole through which light enters the matrix (photosensitive element of the camera). Aperture is defined as the ratio of the aperture diameter of the lens itself to the focus distance. F is used to designate the f-number.

By changing the value of F by one position, we change the amount of light penetrating the matrix by 2 times and change the value of the indicator to 1.4. Standard F values are between 1.0 and 32.

Lenses with a large aperture can be used to photograph moving objects, people and animals, and also to create beautiful and spectacular shots in dimly lit rooms and at night. In various camera models, the size of the aperture opening is adjusted through the device menu, or using rings on the camera body and the lens itself.

In addition to all of the above, correctly adjusted aperture and shutter speed make it possible to obtain the desired (DOF). DOF shows how clear the area around the focus object looks. At a value of f/1.8, the area around will be more blurred than, for example, at f/22.

Opening the aperture at low values allows for great examples of macro photography. In turn, with a large f-number, the hole becomes narrow and allows you to get a picture with good clarity on all plans, incl. on the background. Therefore, a clamped aperture is recommended for taking landscape photos.

and how to set it up correctly?

Aperture and shutter speed form the so-called exposure couple, since it is due to them that the exposure of the image is determined. By itself, shutter speed means the length of time during which light rays penetrate through a given aperture diameter onto the matrix. The shutter speed is calculated in seconds and fractions of a second - 1/30, 1/125, 2”5 (2.5 seconds), 10” (10 seconds), etc.

There are such concepts as short exposure and long exposure. Fast shutter speeds are ideal for shooting moving subjects. There is also a "golden rule" for choosing the optimal shutter speed - it should be directly proportional. If the distance is, say, 80 mm, you should not set the shutter speed longer than 1/80 second. Longer shutter speeds will cause noise and artifacts in the image as a result of the movements of the camera itself.

Long exposure in photography is most often used for shooting landscapes (including night ones). True, in the second case it is better to use a tripod and To further reduce vibration, you can use the remote control remote control instead of the usual button on the camera body.

Aperture and shutter speed are the foundation of any composition. Having correctly built them, even with a simple camera, you can make real masterpieces.

The success of a shot can be judged by completely different criteria: a well-captured moment, an accurately conveyed emotion in a portrait, the atmosphere of an interior shot. The list can go on for quite some time.

One factor, such as accurate color reproduction, can be damn important in subject photography but not have special significance for street photography. What really matters at all times and is the basis of any shot is the light. Or rather, its amount that got into your camera. This is called exposure. Is the frame too dark? This means that not enough light entered the camera, and it came out underexposed. Everything is white, although it shouldn't be? This is a clear sign of an overexposed frame: too much light has hit the camera matrix or film.

Exposure is controlled by changing three parameters: shutter speed, aperture and sensitivity (ISO). Let's look at each of them.

Diaphragm

Aperture is a hole with a variable diameter inside the lens through which light enters directly onto the photosensitive sensor of the matrix or film. The principle of operation of the diaphragm is similar to the principle of the human pupil: the wider it is open, the more light enters the retina. The opposite is also true: to limit the amount of light, say, on a bright sunny day, the pupil narrows noticeably.

Aperture settings are called stops. Here is a typical example of a lens aperture step.

f/1.4 - f/2 - f/2.8 - f/4 - f/5.6 - f/8 - f/11 - f/16 - f/22

The smallest number corresponds to the maximum aperture and most transmitted light. With each successive stop, the amount of transmitted light decreases exactly by a factor of two. Accordingly, the amount of light received by the camera sensor at f/2.8 will be four times less than at f/1.4. In this way, the exposure is controlled by the aperture.

In addition to controlling the incoming light, the aperture is responsible for another important thing in photography - depth of field.

Aperture f/2.8. The background and foreground are noticeably blurred.

Aperture f/8.0. The depth of field displayed is much greater than in the previous image.

Depth of field determines how much the foreground and background are blurred relative to the object you are focusing on. If you take a photo with an open aperture, then you will get a very strong blur of out-of-focus objects. This is called shallow depth of field. If you shoot with a closed aperture, then the depth of the sharply displayed space will increase noticeably.

Depth of field control is important in different genres of photography. When shooting landscapes or interiors, most often you need to get the entire image in the focus area.

On the other hand, the easiest way to separate the subject from the background is to blur it. This technique is often used in portrait photography.

Excerpt

Shutter speed (or exposure time) determines how long the light will hit the camera's sensor or film.

The camera shutter opens only for the duration of the exposure of the photo, allowing the light to reach the matrix for a strictly defined time. Accordingly, the longer the exposure takes, the brighter the photograph is.

Shutter speed control works in a stop system similar to aperture. Each subsequent value reduces the amount of light received exactly by half.

1/2 – 1/4 – 1/8 – 1/15 – 1/30 – 1/60 – 1/125 – 1/250

For 1/4 second, the camera's sensor will receive only half the light that it would receive with an exposure of 1/2 second (with the same shutter speed and aperture settings).

A fast shutter speed allows us to "freeze" the frame, while a slow shutter speed allows us to blur moving objects.

This photo was taken with a shutter speed of 1/1250 second. Such a short time exposure allows you to stop the fast flow of water and see its individual splashes.

And this photo was taken at a shutter speed of a third of a second. The water here looks completely different.

If you want to get a clear photo of something very fast, then you need to take a picture at a fast shutter speed.

ISO

ISO determines how sensitive your camera is to light. The lower the ISO value, the less sensitive the sensor, while a higher value allows you to shoot in very dark conditions. That is, unlike shutter speed and aperture, you do not control the amount of transmitted light, but change the sensitivity of the sensor itself.

At a time when photography was only analog and we could only shoot on film, the sensitivity was chosen only once: at the moment of choosing this same film. Now we can change it at any time by simply changing the settings in the camera.

Stops for ISO: 100 - low sensitivity, 12800 - high. Each new value doubles the exposure of the frame.

100 – 200 – 400 – 800 – 1600 – 3200 – 6400 – 12800

When the sensitivity is increased, noise appears in the photo. Its amount is individual for different cameras. Some cameras produce decent quality images at ISO 6400, while others fall short at these values. In any case, if you want to get the cleanest possible image, try to shoot at a low sensitivity. Another thing is that this is not always possible.

For example, this photo was taken in a theater with low light at ISO 3200 and a shutter speed of 1/100 of a second. If I took a picture at a lower sensitivity, then I would either have to open the aperture more, risking missing focus, or slow down the shutter speed and deprive myself of the opportunity to get a non-blurry image.

How it works with each other

How do sensitivity, aperture and shutter speed work together? Just. Let's look at an example.

Let's say you want to decrease the depth of field in this image and open the aperture to f/2.8.

Got an image with more blurred background, but now it's overexposed as the aperture is wide enough to let in more light. In this case, the difference of 2 stops can be compensated by either reducing the shutter speed or reducing the aperture. No one will forbid you to change two parameters at once instead of one. That is, you can either reduce shutter speed or ISO by two stops, or each setting by one.

In either case, the output will be the same exposed image, but with a different depth of field, shutter speed, or sensitivity. Which of the parameters when to change, it's up to you!

That's all. Don't be afraid to shoot in manual modes and experiment with aperture, shutter speed, and sensitivity settings.

So, what is a diaphragm? This is a design element of the camera lens, which is responsible for the diameter of the hole that transmits light to photosensitive matrix. To better understand, here's an example. When you open the curtains on the window, sunlight enters the room. And the wider you open the curtains, the more light will come through. The diaphragm works the same way. It is designated as f / 2.8 and is defined as the ratio of the focal length to the diameter of the lens entry hole.

In this case, the smaller the number in the designation of the aperture, the more it is open. If you change F by one value, then the amount of light entering the camera will change by a factor of 2. It is called exposure step. Any changes (according to the camera scale) in exposure occur in increments of one stop. For accuracy, the step is divided into thirds, if necessary. If you learn how to use aperture correctly, you will have a very powerful visual tool in your hands. For example, by opening the aperture as much as possible, you will get a very imageable space. And this allows you to visually highlight the object being shot against a blurred background.

Different cameras have different levels of noise. If you set the minimum sensitivity, then the noise will not be visible and will appear less when the image is processed. Already from ISO 600 and above, almost all cameras are very noisy. In this case, photographers use special noise reduction programs to eliminate noise and obtain high-quality images.