What the settings actually do.
WHAT APERTURE CONTROLS
How much light enters, and how much is in focus.
WHAT A WIDE APERTURE PRODUCES
More light, and a shallow zone of focus.
WHERE THAT IS USED
Portraits, where the background should blur.
WHAT A NARROW APERTURE PRODUCES
Less light, and more of the scene sharp.
WHERE THAT IS USED
Landscapes and products.
WHAT SHUTTER SPEED CONTROLS
How long the sensor is exposed, and whether motion is frozen or blurred.
WHAT TOO SLOW PRODUCES
Blur from movement, including your own hands.
WHAT THE RULE OF THUMB IS
A speed at least as fast as the focal length, handheld.
WHAT SENSITIVITY CONTROLS
How strongly the signal is amplified.
WHAT RAISING IT COSTS
Noise, which appears as grain and colour speckle.
WHAT THE THREE TOGETHER FORM
The exposure, which must balance.
WHAT CHANGING ONE REQUIRES
Compensating with another.
WHAT TO PRIORITISE
Aperture for portraits, shutter for movement, sensitivity last.
WHAT FOCAL LENGTH AFFECTS
How much is in frame, and how the subject appears.
WHAT WIDE LENSES DO TO FACES
Distort them, particularly close up.
WHAT TO USE FOR PORTRAITS
A longer focal length, from further back.
