The exposure triangle is a common way of associating the three variables that determine the exposure of a photograph: APERTURE, SHUTTER SPEED, and ISO. One must balance all three of these to achieve the desired result, an adjustment of one requiring adjustments of at least one of the others or in simpler words; it is how you get a perfectly exposed image.
The balance of these three factors will either give you good exposure and the slightest imbalance will result in either an overexposed or an underexposed image. Each variable is responsible in a way for how bright or dark an image is and something more. Below, we get to know how each function and what unique function they possess when taking good images:
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ISO: ISO is simply a camera setting that increases the sensor sensitivity to light which in turn means your photos will be brighter or darker. As you increase your ISO number, your photos will grow progressively brighter and for that reason, greater ISO numbers can help you capture images in darker environments but a downside to this is that your images become grainy (picture noise) so it’s advisable to keep the ISO on the lowest levels possible at any given point. ISO numbers can range from 50 to over 512,000 depending on the camera.
Aperture: The aperture controls the area over which light can pass through your camera lens to reach the sensor. It is specified in terms of an f-stop value, which can at times be counterintuitive because the area of the opening increases as the f-stop decreases. The Aperture is most times referred to as the pupil of the camera and it adds dimension to your photos by controlling the depth of field (Bokeh).
Shutter Speed: Last of the three is the Shutter Speed. This is responsible for freezing action or blurring motion. Shutter speed determines how long your sensor is exposed to light. The faster the shutter speed, the sharper the image, and vice versa. Also, the slower the shutter speed, the brighter the image and vice versa.
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This article was written by Adekunle Ibukunoluwa. He is a contributor to the BOPNetworks Community, a Poet and Intern Photographer with SORB Pictures. Follow him on Instagram here
