There are 3 variables to control when working with your camera to create an accurate exposure. Once you become familiar with the controls, you will be able to pre-visualize the style of your photograph even before you begin to shoot.

Exposure is “the total amount of light that a photosensitive material (your sensor) receives, equal to the product of the illuminance on the material and the amount of time the material is exposed to light.” By Bruce Warren

To create an image, you must have the correct exposure, which is a balancing act between the aperture (f-stop) and shutter speed with ISO setting the stage.

ISO = International Organization for Standardization

• The ISO is an exposure index system
• The standard ISO settings are 100, 200, 400, 800 and 1600
• When shooting outside in bright sunlight, shoot with 100 ISO
• When shooting outside with an overcast sky, shoot 200 ISO
• When shooting moving objects, set your ISO at 400. If the image looks blurry, try increasing your ISO to 800 or 1600
• When shooting inside, set your ISO at 400, 800 or 1600

100 ISO settings will create crisp, clear photographs while 1600 ISO settings will compromise your image by showing “noise” or grainy areas in the shadows.

ISO 100 is used on bright sunny days.

Warren, Bruce. Photography: Second Edition, 2002 (Albany, NY, USA: Delmar with Thomson Learning INC, 2002), 29-34.