Camera Basics

Aperture (often called "f numbers") refers to the amount of light being collected by the camera and can serious affect the the look of a photo or moving image. The smaller the f number (e.g. 1.6mm) the wider the lens opens and the more light can be collected. This is mostly for use at night or dark environments. The opposite applies when it comes to larger f numbers, the higher the number the smaller the lens becomes meaning this is more applicable in daytime shooting.

ISO affects how sensitive the camera is to surrounding light. The higher the ISO, the less time the camera has to gather available light (e.g. an ISO of 3200 takes around 1/32 of a second to capture the image, while an ISO of 100 takes only a second). One problem with a higher number is that the image may come across blurry or grainy decreasing the overall quality. Lower ISO's are used in areas where there is a lot of light however does not capture motion that well due to the longer exposure time needed. Higher numbers are more suited for darker environment where there isn't enough light for the camera to quickly take an image most. It's more commonly used however to take past paced, action shots (such as athletes, cars, etc.).

Shutter speed is very similar to how ISO works however there are some key differences. While a longer speed allows more light to be collected, a shorter one doesn't create the grainy and blurry effect. However the longer you leave the shutter open, the more chance of an image blurring and a tripod will be required (the slowest speed that can be held by the human hand and still produce quality image is roughly 1/125 of a second).

All of these elements combined control an images aperture. This means the amount of light that is collected when the image is captured and is essential to producing high quality images, Exposure that is too low is dark and can lead to detail being lost in the final image, while aperture that is too high creates a white image that makes key areas almost impossible to tell from one another.

Bad examples of exposure:

Good Examples of Exposure:

After a short time, these different elements seem to come naturally. Some things I can improve on however are using slower shutter speeds (that involve using a tripod) and also noting down my settings during every shoot so I know what to do if a similar situation occurs.

https://photographylife.com/what-is-iso-in-photography
http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/camera-exposure.htm