Exposure Basics: Shutter Speed, ISO and Manual

Bob from Litegenius reviews the exposure triangle and semi-automatic modes before explaining why he prefers shutter priority when unsure what the next shot will be. It lets him cap ISO and set a shutter speed that eliminates camera and subject movement, and he warns to check the histogram early.

John Greengo asks a CreativeLive audience to choose settings for a bald eagle landing on Alaskan water. From ISO 100 for quality, they pick 1/2000 second to freeze the action and f/4 for shallow depth, then, when the meter shows two stops under, conclude only ISO can be raised.

Steve Perry explains how auto ISO holds a set shutter speed as a bird moves between shade and sun, then steps through a D850's ISO sensitivity menu: base ISO, maximum sensitivity and minimum shutter speed. He covers aperture priority, shutter priority and manual, and why over-fast minimums cause noise.

Andrew Boey traces light detection from chemical plates and ISO 100 to 400 films to digital sensors, introducing the three exposure controls: aperture, shutter speed and ISO. He compares 1/4000 with half-second shutter speeds, explains balancing the three as a sum, and shows the viewfinder meter centred on mid-tone.

Paul from Photo Genius explains the settings behind seven photographs and dials them in on Nikon and Canon DSLRs: lightning over Brisbane on a tripod at ISO 200, f/9 and 20 seconds, a panned cyclist at 1/5 second in shutter priority, and blurred waves at Coolangatta before dawn.

Mark Denney, after an Acadia National Park workshop, argues shutter speed shapes the story of moving water, comparing slow exposures from two seconds to minutes that turn water silky, faster speeds that freeze detail, and preferred blended speeds that keep texture while showing motion, with Acadia and Maui examples.

Nigel Danson explores the coast of Northern Ireland and Ireland ahead of a storm, photographing the basalt columns of the Giant's Causeway from above and below, backlit waves breaking between headlands and dramatic light at Malin Head, while showing how shutter speed decides whether a seascape works, mistakes included.

Karl Taylor dissects a film-era photograph of a speedboat at sunset, shot from a second boat at 30 knots with a super-wide lens. A filter holds the sky's exposure, a counterintuitive 1/15 second shutter streaks spray and wake, and an on-camera Canon speedlight provides fill flash, keeping passengers crisp.

Paul from Photo Genius likens the shutter to a door whose open time controls the light recorded, and explains why its range makes it the handiest exposure control. He reads shutter speeds on the LCD from one second to fractions, shows how to change them, then explores motion effects.

John Greengo opens his twelve-part exposure course by defining exposure as light reaching the sensor, recorded through shutter speed, aperture and ISO, and previews the sections and PDF notes. It covers in-camera file processing: colour space, white balance, size options and JPEG compression artefacts, and why photographers shoot raw.