Tip Tuesday: Learning Camera Lingo...Aperture, Shutter Speed, ISO, Bokeh, Hot Shoe






You may never need to know these things but for every budding photographer who has a smartphone and may transition to a point and shoot here's the lowdown on some technical terms and what they mean. 

At a minimum the next time you have a portrait taken by a professional photographer you can impress them with your knowledge of the terminology! 

Definitions:

Aperture
Aperture (opening) Think of the lens as a window—large windows or wide angles let in more light, while small windows let in less light. A wide open aperture will let more light into the image for a brighter photo, while a smaller aperture lets in less light. Aperture is measured in f-stops; a small f-stop like f/1.8 is a wide opening, a large f-stop like f/22 is a very narrow one. Aperture is one of three camera settings that determine an image’s exposure, or how light or dark it is. Aperture also affects how much of the image is in focus—wide apertures result in that creamy, unfocused background while narrow apertures keep more of the image sharp.

Shutter speed

The shutter speed is the part of the camera that opens and closes to let light in and take a picture. The shutter speed is how long that shutter stays open. The longer the shutter stays open, the more light that is let in. 

ISO 
The ISO determines how sensitive the camera is to light. For example, an ISO of 100 means the camera isn’t very sensitive—great for shooting in the daylight. An ISO 3200 means the camera is very sensitive to light, so you can use that higher ISO for getting shots in low light. The trade off is that images at high ISOs appear to be grainy and have less detail. ISO is balanced with aperture and shutter speed to get a proper exposure.

Bokeh
Bokeh is the orbs/bubbles created when lights are out of focus in an image.  Not to be confused with out of focus (blurry main subject.) It’s a neat effect to have in the background of a photo, created through wide apertures. It will have an interesting effect on your image quality. 

Hot Shoe (not to be confused with Manolo Blahnik stiletto shoes)
Hot shoe is the slot at the top of a camera for adding accessories, like the aptly named hot shoe flash.
I hope this little tidbit is helpful. 

If you enjoy my articles, I’d love to hear what you liked best. Please feel free to pass these tips on to anyone you know who might enjoy them!

When you're ready for your next executive headshot or personal branding photo session search out the photographer that will best meet your needs and personality.  If you're in the Phoenix/Scottsdale area I'd appreciate a message from you to talk about how you want your headshot to reflect who you are.

Facebook: fb.me/lindakazares
Instagram: @lindakazares

Portfolio:LindaKazares.com

Yours truly, Linda
480-353-9415, Linda@LindaKazares.com

PS I travel often to the San Francisco Bay area.  Please let me know what would be convenient for you and I will schedule an appointment the next time I'm there.

Location: Scottsdale, AZ, USA

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