The Exposure Triangle: Ultimate Guide (FREE Ebook)
A comprehensive and accessible guide for photographers and cinematographers looking to master the Exposure Triangle.
We'll cover Aperture, ISO, Shutter Speed and their fundamental relationship in capturing perfect exposure.
Exposure Triangle Photography
Once you master the Exposure Triangle, you'll be able to conquer any lighting scenario
Being able to execute proper camera exposure in photography and video requires fundamental knowledge of what's known as The Exposure Triangle. It consists of three pillars — aperture, shutter speed, and ISO.
This ultimate guide walks you through the key methods to emerge with the knowledge and confidence to elevate your imagery.
You'll Learn:
Contents
What is the Exposure Triangle? | How to Get Correct Exposure |
What is Aperture? | Adjusting Exposure in Post |
What is ISO? | Exposure in Low Light |
What is Shutter Speed? | Exposure in Brightness |
How to Avoid Bad Exposure | Capturing Motion |
Exposure Triangle Photography
Camera settings and exposure
Aperture, ISO, and shutter speed — the three camera settings essential to capture any image.
The reason they call it the Exposure Triangle is because each of these camera settings has an impact on each other and on the image you're aiming to get.
We'll dive deep into each of these settings individually, explaining their roles. Using this Exposure Triangle chart, we will understand the balance needed between aperture, ISO, and shutter speed.
What is Exposure
The rules of exposure (and when to break them)
There is something called correct exposure but that just means creating a 1:1 replication of what we see.
There are many reasons why you would want correct exposure...and many reasons why you might not. This doesn't mean you can just ignore the rules altogether — like a classically trained jazz musician, you've got to learn the rules so you can break them with finesse.
We'll explain how to use the photography triangle to avoid overexposure and underexposure but we'll also review some examples when those "mistakes" can be used creatively and purposefully.
Camera Exposure Examples
Learning from the masters
For a true grasp of camera exposure and how to use the Exposure Triangle chart, practice makes perfect. Beyond definitions of aperture, ISO and shutter speed, let's look at some examples shot in low light & bright light.
We'll look at some images from of the industry's top image-makers and reverse-engineer their camera settings using what we know about the photography triangle.
When you can look at a visual and know the basic camera exposure settings, that's when you've conquered the Exposure Triangle.
More from inside Exposure: The Ultimate Guide
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