To understand exposure, it is important to understand the three main components that control it: aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. These three elements work together to control the amount of light that enters the camera, and can be adjusted to achieve the desired exposure for a given scene.

Aperture is the size of the opening in the lens through which light passes. A larger aperture allows more light to enter the camera, resulting in a brighter image. A smaller aperture allows less light to enter the camera, resulting in a darker image. Aperture is expressed in f-stops, and is represented by a number such as f/2.8 or f/8. The smaller the f-stop number, the larger the aperture and the more light that is allowed to pass through the lens.

Shutter speed is the length of time that the camera's shutter remains open, allowing light to reach the image sensor or film. A faster shutter speed allows less light to enter the camera, resulting in a darker image. A slower shutter speed allows more light to enter the camera, resulting in a brighter image. Shutter speed is typically expressed in fractions of a second, such as 1/1000 or 1/30.

ISO is the measure of a camera's sensitivity to light. A higher ISO allows the camera to be more sensitive to light, resulting in a brighter image. A lower ISO allows the camera to be less sensitive to light, resulting in a darker image. However, it's important to note that increasing the ISO can also introduce noise or grain into the image.

To achieve proper exposure, a photographer must balance these three elements according to the lighting conditions of the scene. For example, in a low light situation, a photographer might choose to use a wider aperture, slower shutter speed, and higher ISO to allow more light to enter the camera and create a brighter image. Conversely, in a bright light situation, a photographer might choose to use a smaller aperture, faster shutter speed, and lower ISO to reduce the amount of light entering the camera and create a correctly exposed image.

There are several techniques that photographers can use to achieve proper exposure in their photographs. One technique is known as the "exposure triangle." This involves adjusting the aperture, shutter speed, and ISO to achieve the desired exposure. Another technique is known as "exposure compensation," which involves adjusting the camera's exposure settings to either overexpose or underexpose the image.

To determine the right exposure for a photograph, you need to balance the aperture, shutter speed, and ISO settings to achieve the desired level of brightness. You can use a light meter to help you determine the correct exposure. The light meter measures the amount of light in a scene and recommends an aperture and shutter speed combination that will result in a properly exposed image.

To help cement your understanding of exposure in photography, here are some modes that you can test on your camera:

Aperture Priority Mode: This mode will help you understand how to use aperture, it allows you to set the aperture and let the camera determine the appropriate shutter speed for a correctly exposed image.

Shutter Priority Mode: This mode will help you understand how to use shutter priority speed, which allows you to set the shutter speed and let the camera determine the appropriate aperture for a correctly exposed image.

Manual Mode: This mode will teach you how to adjust the ISO, Shutter Speed & Aperture on your camera and how it affects the exposure of your images. *Disable AUTO ISO if previously enabled*

By testing these modes & following these tutorials and practicing with your camera, you will be able to gain a deeper understanding of exposure in photography and how to control it to create well-exposed, high-quality images. Try practicing with these modes to improve your understanding of these three core elements of exposure.

*Tip shoot in auto mode and record the aperture and shutter speed then manually set the ISO to recreate the same exposure if not better.*

Exposure Compensation: *When it comes to manual mode, you as the photographer have full control over the ISO, Aperture and Shutter Speed settings. As a result, the default behavior is that the exposure compensation function DOES NOT work in manual mode*

Here are three objects to take photos of and the proper settings for exposure to get good results:

A landscape during the day:

To photograph a landscape during the day, you can use the following settings:

Aperture: f/8-f/11 (This will allow you to get a good amount of depth of field and keep the entire landscape in focus.)

Shutter speed: 1/125-1/250 seconds (This will allow you to freeze any movement in the scene, such as clouds or water.)

ISO: 100-200 (This will give you a low ISO, resulting in a clean and noise-free image.)

A portrait of a person in low light:

To photograph a portrait of a person in low light, you can use the following settings:

Aperture: f/2.8-f/4 (This will allow you to create a shallow depth of field and blur the background.)

Shutter speed: 1/60-1/125 seconds (This will allow you to capture the movement of your subject without introducing camera shake.)

ISO: 1600-3200 (This will give you a higher ISO, allowing you to capture more light and achieve a good exposure in low light conditions.)

A close-up of a flower:

These are just a few more of the basic principles of photography that you should be aware of. By understanding these concepts and learning how to control the various elements of your camera, you'll be able to take better photos and capture the world around you in a way that is creative and meaningful. So, get out there and start experimenting! If you want to learn about the different types of photography continue reading!

Remember that these are just general guidelines, and the proper settings for exposure will depend on the specific lighting conditions and subject matter of your photograph. It's always a good idea to experiment with different exposure combinations to find the one that works best for your scene.