Photography is constrained by light and the equipment receiving it. As the photographer, it’s your job to control the amount of light that is produced within your image. The three major components of photography are how you produce your image: ISO, aperture (A or Av), and shutter speed (S or Tv).
Aperture:
The aperture measures how ‘wide open’ the lens is allowing more or less light to come in and also affecting the picture’s depth of field. The number is shown as f/stop, where x is the number between 1.2 and 22. The lower the number, the more light can come into the lens. The lower the number, the shallower the depth of field. Higher f/stops are great for photographing landscapes ensuring a clear picture. Low f/stops allow closer objects to be clear and the background to blur.
With an aperture of f/6.3, the subject remained clear and the background blurred in this image.
ISO:
ISO is the element of the camera that measures the image sensor’s sensitivity to light. There is a certain balance between sensitivity and image quality, so ISO can play a major impact on an image. The lower the ISO, the slower the sensor reacts to light. The higher the ISO, the grainier the image can become. This noise in the image cannot be removed, so its best to try to keep your ISO at the lowest possible setting (which in most cameras is 100) and increasing or decreasing your aperture and shutter speed.
In this image, the high ISO (6400) created noise and looks grainy
Shutter Speed:
Your camera’s shutter speed is responsible for changing the brightness of your photo, and either freezing action or blurring motion. This is determined by the length of time your camera spends taking a photo. A fast shutter speed is used to freeze an action such as a moving animal or athlete playing sports. A slow shutter speed can be used to blur motion or capture more light. Tv (S) priority setting allows the camera to adjust with its primary settings. This priority setting is easiest to use when first beginning photography so you don’t have to worry about missing out on a great picture.
This image was taken with a shutter speed of 1/3,200. Fast shutter speeds freeze movement.
Hannah Matt 
3 thoughts on “The 3 Major Components of Photography”