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When I started working on my website, I knew I’d be taking more pictures, for blog posts and just capturing the life I’m building. And as I began taking more intentional pictures, I realized something:
Photography isn’t just about the subject, it’s about how you capture it.
So I started teaching myself about the exposure triangle, made up of ISO, shutter speed, and aperture (or f-stop), and here’s what I’ve learned so far.
These three settings don’t work alone. They’re a team.
And while they might sound intimidating at first, I'm going to try to explain them in simpler terms, even if you’re learning from scratch like I was.
Why Even Bother Learning These?
The camera I use (this one) comes with auto presets, and they’re honestly great for quick shots or when I don’t want to think about settings. But there were times when I wasn’t happy with the result, especially in recent times when I try to take low light or candle-lit photos where the flash ruined the soft mood I was going for.
So I started experimenting.
At first I just messed around with the three trying to figure out what they were by myself. Hawaii was the first time I tried this, I wanted my shots in the forest to seem more moody than bright.
(Side-by-side comparison and settings for those shots will be down below if you’re curious.)
ISO: 6400 f-stop: 22 Shutter: 1/500 s
ISO: 1600 f-stop: 22 Shutter: 1/500 s
I recommend you do this as well to get a feel for the difference it can make.
Maybe you'll find out you don't care for the difference and there's no need to learn, but if you do want more control over the outcome of your shots, lets go over this triangle together.
ISO — The Easiest One to Understand (In My Opinion)
ISO controls how sensitive your camera is to light, or in simpler terms:
How bright your photo looks.
- A low ISO (100–400) = darker image, but cleaner and crisper
- A high ISO (800–3200+) = brighter image, but can look grainy if pushed too far
Personally, I rarely go above ISO 3200, only when I’m shooting something really dark and need the extra light.
Shutter Speed — How Fast You Capture the Moment
Shutter speed controls how long the camera’s sensor is exposed to light. It also determines how you capture motion.
Here’s how I remember it:
- Fast shutter = frozen motion, darker image
- Slow shutter = more light, but blur if anything moves
Since I mainly take still photos, I usually keep my shutter speed pretty slow, but that also means any hand movement can ruin the shot.
I learned the hard way that a tripod is a must. My shaky hands cause me to constantly retake shots.
Aperture (F-Stop) — The Trickiest, But Really Powerful
This one took me the longest to understand. Aperture controls how wide your lens opens, which affects both:
- How much light you let in
- And how much of the scene is in focus (a.k.a. depth of field)
Smaller f-stop (like f/2.8) = brighter image + blurry background (great for portraits, flowers, or isolating one subject)
Larger f-stop (like f/11 or f/16) = darker image + everything in focus (great for landscape photos, which I plan to try more of on my next trip)
Final Thoughts
You don’t need to master ISO, shutter speed, or f-stop to enjoy photography.
But if you’re someone who loves capturing moments your way, I highly recommend playing around with manual settings. You’ll start seeing your photos as more than just memories, they’ll become intentional art.
If you're just starting like me, take it slow, experiment, and don't overthink it.
You’ll learn faster by doing than by memorizing.
And you might be surprised at what you're capable of capturing.