Getting Started

In early days of photography, the process of taking images was considered a significant advancement of science. Early film cameras were rather primitive and relatively simple to use (if you knew how to operate them). Digital cameras have long since replaced film and the technology in today’s DSLR’s is nothing short of mind-boggling.

Photography is what you make of it and your camera is basically a tool to create a photograph. And that tool you have in your camera bag is far more powerful than you can image and capable of creating amazing images, but only if you learn to use it properly. As we start to go through various photography courses, you need to understand how a camera works and must learn important settings on your camera.

Some of the basic settings include; ISO, Shutter Speed, and Aperture. As we get into more advanced lessons you need to know the settings for White Balance, Focusing Modes, and Exposure Compensation. 

Product Videos

Camera manufactures, retailers, and independent third party photographers and companies frequently review new cameras (sometimes in extensive detail). These reviews can be very effective because independent reviewers often highlight a camera’s strengths and weaknesses without having to read painfully long reviews. Most of these reviews include examples and illustrations. Search YouTube for your specific model and bookmark the video reviews you find most helpful.

Exposure Triangle

If you want to take great photos, you need to understand exposure and the Exposure Triangle is the foundation of photography. If you’re new to photography, you can get away with taking respectable pictures right out of the box using automatic settings. However, if you want to produce quality images, then you need to have a solid grasp of this basic concept before you move on to the next level. Look at it this way; exposure is to the photographer, what measuring is to a carpenter. It’s an essential skill. Understanding what exposure is, and how it works, is an important first step in becoming a good photographer.

What Is the Exposure Triangle?

Exposure in photography is all about light, and the process of controlling how much light hits the digital sensor in your camera to produce an image. You could say exposure is kind of an umbrella term for controlling the lightness or darkness of a photo. In exposure, there are three main ingredients or elements that work together: Aperture, Shutter Speed, and ISO. The Exposure Triangle is described as the foundation for photography. Once you understand how the exposure triangle works, you’ll be able to take better photos by using the various settings on your camera.

In this first video by Mark Wallace for Adorama TV, introduces the basic concepts behind the Exposure Triangle. He provides a high level overview of aperture, shutter, and ISO, and how they work together.