How ISO, Shutter Speed, and Aperture Effect Your Photographic Images for Your DSLR or SLR Camera

The thing that took me the longest to learn was how aperture (or F Stops), shutter speed, and ISO all play into taking a well exposed and clear photograph. Each is an equally important piece in the photographic pie. When they are all working together, compensating for the subject matter, you can achieve a great photograph at any time.

All three of these components do the same thing (control how bright or dark your image is based on the available light) while controlling different aspects of the image. ISO controls graininess or noise, F Stops control depth of field (how much of your image is bury or clear), and shutter speed controls how fast your shutter is opening or closing which can cause blur if the shutter speed is too low.

ISO
ISO used to refer to the speed of the film when photographers shot with film cameras. They would load an entire role of 400 film into the camera and away they would go. Now we have this setting rolled over into a changeable by the touch of a button setting that controls grain and sensitivity to light.

At a low ISO, 100 is typical, but some cameras can go lower, the camera in the least sensitive to light. This means that a low amount of light can enter the camera and the level of digital grain is at its lowest. Which sounds good and is if you are shooting in a sunny scene, but let the ISO go high, even as high as 12,800 or higher if your camera allows it because the camera allows more light in…