Photography 101

Part 1: ExposureChapter 6

Tools

Contents

Part 1: Exposure

  1. 1 Mastering the Exposure TriangleBalance aperture, shutter speed and ISO for brightness, depth, motion and noise.
  2. 2 ISO and image noiseWhen to raise ISO, why grain appears, and how to trade it for a faster shutter.
  3. 3 MeteringWhat the meter aims for, how to read it, the four metering modes, and Sunny 16 when there's no meter.
  4. 4 Shooting modes and the histogramLet the camera set one setting, steer it with exposure compensation, and check the result with the histogram and zebras.
  5. 5 Dynamic rangeHow many stops a camera can hold at once, what to keep when a scene is wider, and measured figures for real cameras.
  6. 6 Shutter speed and motionCamera shake, freezing or blurring a moving subject, and ND filters for long exposures.
  7. Part 1 cheat sheetFormulas and starting settings from chapters 1–6.
  8. Part 1 quizCheck yourself on chapters 1–6.

Part 2: Focus and depth

  1. 7 Camera LensLens anatomy and how to choose wide, standard, telephoto, prime, zoom and specialist lenses for real subjects.
  2. 8 Aperture and depth of fieldWhy a wider aperture blurs the background, what else controls blur, and the shape of bokeh.
  3. 9 Sensor size and crop factorWhat a smaller sensor crops, equivalent focal length and aperture, and why phones fake the blur.
  4. 10 Hyperfocal distanceSharp from here to infinity: focusing landscapes with blur circles, focus stacking and a cheat card.
  5. 11 Diffraction and the sharpest apertureWhy f/22 looks soft, where your lens is sharpest, and how pixel size changes it.
  6. Part 2 cheat sheetFormulas and starting settings from chapters 7–11.
  7. Part 2 quizCheck yourself on chapters 7–11.

Part 3: Composition

  1. 12 The composition reading planAll 15 chapters of The Elements of Composition, with printed page numbers and a photography lesson for each.
  2. 13 Introduction to compositionComposition as visual communication: choose what to show, compare three frames, and see how viewers read them.
  3. 14 What is composition?Arrange subject, space and edges to change what a photograph says; compare photos and make three versions of one scene.
  4. 15 Focal pointsChoose where the eye lands first, use contrast and space to build a visual path, then test thirds and diagonals in a field exercise.
  5. 16 LinesFollow straight, curved and implied lines through a photograph, then make three frames of one subject from different positions.
  6. 17 ShapesFind shapes made by subjects and space, use a frame within the frame, and compare three ways to place one subject.
  7. 18 TexturesMake a surface feel tangible with light, detail and context, then photograph one material three ways.
  8. 19 PatternsUse repetition to build rhythm, break a pattern to draw attention, and make three versions of one repeated scene.
  9. 20 SpaceUse positive and negative space, fill the frame, and simplify without losing meaning.
  10. 21 DepthLayer foreground, middle ground and background, and use perspective or deep space to show distance.
  11. 22 BalanceWeigh elements with symmetry, asymmetry and radial arrangements; explore the golden ratio as an optional guide.
  12. 23 ContrastCreate meaning and focus through contrasting subjects, light, shadows and colour.
  13. 24 ColorChoose hue, saturation and brightness, then compare complementary, triadic, analogous and monochromatic palettes.
  14. 25 ToneRead shadow, midtone and highlight; shape global and local tone while keeping meaningful detail.
  15. 26 AngleChange camera height and tilt to compare level, straight up or down, high and low viewpoints.
  16. 27 Composition conclusionBring the elements together in a four-frame story and develop your own way of seeing.

Part 4: Color Theory

  1. 28 Color Theory in PhotographyUse HSL, warm and cool depth, four color harmonies, white balance and selective editing to guide attention.
  2. 29 White balanceRead the color of light, match Kelvin and tint, and choose what to preserve when lights mix.

Tools

  1. Color wheelExplore hues, adjust saturation and luminosity, enter RGB or hex values, and preview the color live.
  2. Photo editorTry light, colour, detail and crop adjustments on a sample or your own photo, then save the result.
  3. Golden hour plannerSunrise, sunset, golden hour and blue hour for where you are, and where the sun rises and sets.
  4. ND filter calculatorYour shutter speed with an ND filter on, and a countdown timer for bulb mode.
  5. Depth of field calculatorHow much is sharp for your lens, aperture and focus distance, and the hyperfocal distance.
  6. Photo info and location removerSee a photo's camera settings and where it was taken, then remove the location before you share it.

Chapter 6Part 1: Exposure

Shutter speed
and motion

Two things blur a photo while the shutter is open: your hands and the subject. Find the slowest shutter speed you can hold steady, see what stabilisation can and can't fix, then use slow shutters on purpose with ND filters.

50 mm1/125

Try from 1/50

Camera shake
Bird (subject motion)

Green speeds meet the rule-of-thumb estimate, not a guarantee of sharpness. The picture's brightness stays the same: assume the aperture or ISO makes up for each shutter change.

Handheld starting speed

1/50 s

50 mm
Sensor1×
Off

In the lens or the body. Rated in stops.

1/125
1 s, more blur1/4000 s, frozen

The handheld rule

Your hands always move a little. A longer lens magnifies that movement, so it needs a faster shutter. The old rule of thumb: the shutter speed should be at least 1 over the focal length.

starting speed ≈ 1 ÷ (focal length × crop factor)

A 50 mm lens on full frame: 1/50 s. On an APS-C camera it frames like 75 mm, so 1/75 s, which is 1/80 s on the dial.

Stabilisation buys stops

In theory, each stop of stabilisation lets you go twice as slow. With 3 stops, that 1/80 s becomes 1/10 s. Ratings come from specified test conditions; your hands, lens and subject may give different results. Start faster and check a few frames at the size you plan to use. See Nikon's handheld shooting notes.

What stabilisation can't fix

It steadies the camera, not the subject. In the lab, a slow shutter with stabilisation keeps the mountains sharp while the bird still smears. For moving people, pets and birds, you need a fast shutter whatever the stabilisation.

Make it more reliable

  • Fine detail and large prints reveal shake sooner. Use a faster speed when you need that detail, then check the result.
  • Tuck your elbows in, breathe out, and press the button gently.
  • Take a burst of three. One is often sharper than the others.
  • Zoom in on the photo to check. Shake looks fine on the camera's small screen.

Freeze it or blur it

How fast the subject moves across the frame decides the shutter speed. The same car needs a faster shutter crossing the frame than driving towards you, and a faster one close up than far away. Start here, then check the photo.

To freeze

Posed portrait
1/125 s
People walking
1/250 s
Children and pets running
1/500 to 1/1000 s
Football, cycling, cars
1/1000 to 1/2000 s
Birds in flight, splashing water
1/2000 s and faster

To blur on purpose

Panning: follow a moving car or cyclist
1/30 to 1/60 s
Soft, flowing waterfall
1/4 to 2 s
Smooth sea, streaking clouds
30 s and longer
Car light trails at night
10 to 30 s

Anything slower than your handheld speed needs a tripod, or something solid to rest the camera on.

ND filters

In daylight you often can't get a slow shutter, even at f/16 and ISO 100. A neutral density (ND) filter is dark glass over the lens. It cuts the light by a fixed number of stops without changing the colours, so the shutter can stay open longer.

FilterStopsLight let in1/125 s becomes
ND211/21/60 s
ND421/41/30 s
ND831/81/15 s
ND6461/641/2 s
ND1000101/10008 s

Work it out in stops

The number on an ND filter is how much longer the shutter stays open. ND8 means 8× longer, which is 3 stops, because 2 × 2 × 2 = 8.

A sunny waterfall at Sunny 16 is f/16 at 1/125 s. For a silky 1/2 s, count the stops: 1/125, 1/60, 1/30, 1/15, 1/8, 1/4, 1/2. That is 6 stops, so an ND64.

Meter and focus before you screw on a strong ND. Through 10 stops of dark glass, most cameras can barely see.