Basic camera techniques

The basic elements that influence the exposure of a photograph are light, aperture and ISO. The light determines the amount of brightness available, the aperture regulates the opening of the lens and thus the amount of incoming light, and the ISO sensitivity affects the light sensitivity of the image sensor. To find the perfect balance between light and shadow, a thorough understanding of these factors is essential.

How do the professionals manage to make their pictures look razor-sharp? The obvious answer is that they use an expensive camera with a high-resolution sensor. This may be true in many cases, but the use of a professional camera is by no means the decisive reason for perfect sharpness. On the contrary: even the most expensive technology can produce blurred images.

In addition to the obviously important settings on your camera - aperture, exposure time and ISO - there is another very important control function hidden in the menu: the white balance. This tool is sometimes neglected in everyday photography, as it does its work quietly and conscientiously in automatic mode.

Photography is “painting with light”. Above all, you need to correctly assess and measure the light in order to capture the perfect image. Once you have mastered the basic camera techniques of the exposure triangle (aperture, shutter speed, ISO), focus and depth of field as well as white balance, there is another decisive value that you can influence: the exposure metering of your camera. We will show you what is important here.