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Basic Principles

What is Shutter Speed?

Shutter speed is one of the elements of the exposure triangle, and is used to control how long the sensor is exposed to light.

Macro image of a bee on a purple flower, shallow depth of field.

What is Depth of Field

Depth of field refers to the distance between the nearest object (or potion of an object) that appears in focus and the farthest object (or portion of an object) that appears to be in focus. Depending on the distance from the lens, the focal length of the lens, and the aperture setting, the depth of field can be as little as a fraction of an inch, or as great as infinity.

Aperture FAQ

   What is aperture in photography? Aperture refers to the size of the opening of the lens that the light passes through in order to reach the film or sensor. You can use the aperture setting to allow more or… Read More »Aperture FAQ

Spider on a web - example of focus stacking

What is Macro Photography?

Example of macro photograph, available for purchase at https://www.WaltPayne.Photography What is macro photography? Technically, the term macro photography refers to images where the subject is captured as a life-sized image or has a 1:1 magnification. Most people refer to any… Read More »What is Macro Photography?

What is Aperture?

Aperture is the setting on a camera that controls how much light passes through the lens to strike the camera sensor (or film), thus it serves as a brightness control. Aperture is expressed in f-stops such as f1.2, f8, f22, etc.

What Is Exposure Compensation?

Exposure Compensation allows you to adjust the light incrementally by fractions of an f-Stop to increase or decrease the amount of light that reaches the sensor.

What Is Shutter Priority Mode?

Shutter Priority Mode is for the times when the shutter speed is the primary consideration. Sporting events, that fidgety nephew of yours, birds in flight, etc. Or what if you want to do something a little artsy with your photography.