Balance It Yourself

Move any setting and watch the meter. Rebalance with the other two.

0 EV
Balanced
f/2.8 Aperture 0
Depth of Field
Shallow Deep
1/125 Shutter 0
Motion
Blur Frozen
400 ISO 0
Noise
Clean Grainy
↕ Change one setting, then compensate with the other two to rebalance.

Equivalent Exposures

Same brightness, different creative effects

Stops

One stop doubles or halves the light. It's the shared language of all three settings.

−2 ¼×
−1 ½×
0 Base
+1 2×
+2 4×

Each step to the right lets in twice as much light. That jump is one stop.

Aperture
  1. f/2.8
  2. f/4
  3. f/5.6
  4. f/8
  5. f/11
  6. f/16
  7. f/22
more lightless light
Shutter
  1. 1/15
  2. 1/30
  3. 1/60
  4. 1/125
  5. 1/250
  6. 1/500
  7. 1/1000
more lightless light
ISO
  1. 3200
  2. 1600
  3. 800
  4. 400
  5. 200
  6. 100
  7. 50
more lightless light

Move any setting one notch and you've changed the exposure by one stop. To keep the same brightness, move another setting one notch the opposite way.

The Three Controls

Same job (light), different side effect

Aperture

Wide apertures blur the background; narrow ones keep the scene sharp.

f/1.8 portraits f/8 landscapes
Aperture guide →

Shutter Speed

Fast freezes action; slow blurs motion and needs steady support.

1/500+ sports 1/125 handheld
Shutter speed guide →

ISO

Low ISO is cleanest. Raise it only after aperture and shutter are set.

100 daylight 3200 indoors
ISO guide →

Shooting Workflow

Set your priority, then let the triangle fall into place

  1. Pick what matters

    Background blur? Lead with aperture (A/Av). Motion? Lead with shutter (S/Tv). Lock that setting.

  2. Keep ISO low

    Base ISO (100) outdoors. Raise it only when aperture and shutter can't reach a usable exposure.

  3. Meter and rebalance

    If exposure is off, nudge one stop on whichever setting matters least, then reshoot.

  4. Check the histogram

    Highlights clipping? Drop a stop. Too dark? Add one. Small nudges get you there fast.

Cheat Sheet

Quick answers for the field

Too dark? Open aperture, slow shutter, or raise ISO
Too bright? Close aperture, faster shutter, or lower ISO
Blurry background? Open to f/1.8, speed up shutter
Everything sharp? Close to f/11, slow shutter or raise ISO
Freeze action? 1/1000, open aperture or raise ISO
Low light? Open aperture and slow shutter first, ISO last

Common Questions

Quick answers on stops, balance, and equivalent exposures.

What is the exposure triangle?

The exposure triangle is the relationship between aperture, shutter speed, and ISO, the three settings that together determine how bright your photo is. Changing one requires compensating with another to keep the same exposure.

What is a stop in photography?

A stop is a doubling or halving of light. Opening the aperture one stop, slowing the shutter one stop, or raising ISO one stop each doubles the light reaching the sensor. Stops are the common language that links all three settings.

What are equivalent exposures?

Equivalent exposures are different combinations of aperture, shutter speed, and ISO that produce the same brightness. For example, f/2.8 at 1/500s ISO 400 and f/5.6 at 1/125s ISO 400 let in the same total light but create different depth of field and motion effects.

Keep Learning

Go deeper on each side of the triangle