A camera records light reflected by a subject. Its lens forms an image on a sensor or a piece of film. The shutter controls the recording time; the aperture is the adjustable opening in the lens. Focus determines where fine detail is sharpest.
The parts you control
Start by finding the aperture, shutter speed and ISO controls on your camera. You do not need an expensive camera to understand them. A phone also records light, although its available controls and processing can be different.
Try it
Photograph the same object beside a window and farther inside the room. Keep your framing similar. Notice how the direction and amount of light change the picture before you change a camera setting.
By Joseph Hubbard, photographer and artist at Hubbard.ART.
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