Manual mode is a great way to get better control over your photography, but it can be a little intimidating. Just like with aperture and shutter speed, you have to learn how each of these settings can affect your images.
Aperture and Shutter Speed
Aperture controls the amount of light entering the camera. It does this by adjusting the size of the opening that lets light into the camera’s sensor, which is usually referred to as the “iris.” If you’ve ever seen a photo taken with an old-style camera where there are two round circles on either side of the lens, those are irises.
Shutter speed controls how long the shutter stays open while taking a photo. When you take a picture with a faster shutter speed, less light comes through because it closes more quickly. Conversely, when you use a slower shutter speed, more light comes through because it stays open longer before closing again.
How to use shutter speed and aperture together
It’s easy to forget about shutter speed and aperture when you’re shooting in manual mode, but they’re both equally important. Here’s how to use them together for better photos.
Shutter speed and aperture are the two most important settings that determine the look of your photos. Both work together to control how much light hits the sensor or film (in the case of older cameras). In other words, they control how bright or dark your picture is.
Aperture is often described as the size of the lens opening, while shutter speed refers to how long that opening is open for when taking a photo.
In order to get a brighter image, you can either open up your aperture (increase its size) or slow down your shutter speed (make it take longer). Conversely, to make an image darker, you can either close down your aperture (decrease its size) or speed up your shutter speed (make it take less time).
The best way to learn how these two settings work together is by experimenting with your camera. Set both to a specific value and take a picture. Keep changing one setting at a time until you get something that looks good to you. When you understand how each setting affects your image, it will become easier for you to choose which one should be used when taking photos in different situations.