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Exposure Quick Reference Card Download

Would you like to go beyond the Auto shooting mode? Would you like to be able to adjust your exposure settings to stop action, blur backgrounds and take photos in low light?

The Exposure Quick Reference Card will help you understand your ISO, shutter speed and aperture settings the three fundamentals of exposure. It is an exposure workshop in a card.

DOWNLOAD & PRINT
You can download the card and print it out on your inkjet printer or on a 4x6 at the photo lab.

You can carry the card in your camera bag or tape it to the inside top of your camera bag. You can also download it to your cell phone, tablet or computer for quick reference and to help you learn your exposure settings.

4 Learning Advantages of Exposure Quick Reference Card

1. Visual Numbers: Having three sets of different numbers for the three different exposure settings can be confusing. The Exposure Quick Reference Card shows each setting visually next to the number it represents.

Seeing the number for a setting visually makes it easier to understand. Visual is easier to remember like remembering someone’s face but not their name.

2. Exposure Settings Sizes: The numbers for some exposure settings seem to be backwards from what they should be. The largest lens opening number is the smallest lens opening size. ISO settings also seem backwards.

3. What Each Exposure Setting Does: There is also confusion about what each exposure setting does. I have had people ask me, “So the shutter speed controls blurring the background, right?”, or they will say “I should adjust the aperture to stop action, right?” Actually the shutter speed stops action and the aperture blurs the background.

It is like coming home from grocery shopping and putting your ice cream in the oven to keep it cold and a pizza in the refrigerator to cook it. It is really important to know what each exposure setting does and what happens when you adjust it.

4. What Happens When You Adjust the Setting: There is also confusion about which way to adjust the different exposure settings to get the results you want. The Exposure Quick Reference Card shows what happens when you adjust an exposure one way or the other.

Scroll Down for More Pages

​The Exposure Quick Reference Card is the first page in the exposure card pdf. If you scroll down you will discover there is also a page about each setting with illustrations and photos to help further explain them.

Let's Take a Look at Each Setting

ISO SETTINGS

ISO is the sensitivity to light setting for your digital cameras image sensor.

Setting Your Cameras Sensitivity to Light: You can adjust how sensitive the image sensor is in your digital camera by adjusting the ISO setting. You adjust the ISO for the amount of light you are taking photos in.

Outdoor and Indoor ISO Settings: Outdoors or in bright light you can use lower ISO settings like 100, 200, 400 and 800 ISO. Indoors or in low light you may want to use higher ISO settings like 1600, 3200, 6400 or higher ISO.

● Backwards Numbers: People tell me the numbers for ISO are backwards and that 100 ISO is a lower number so it should need less light than 6400 ISO. I suggest they think of it as the higher the ISO number the higher the sensitivity to light.

● Lower ISO = Lower Sensitivity and Higher ISO = Higher Sensitivity: 100 ISO is a lower number so it is less sensitive to light. 6400 ISO is a higher number so it is more sensitive to light. Lower ISO settings need more light and higher ISO settings need less light. (In low light you want a higher ISO setting which needs less light.)

● Larger vs. Smaller Bucket: We use buckets to illustrate how much light each ISO needs. 100 ISO is represented by a larger bucket to show how 100 ISO needs more light. 6400 ISO is a much smaller bucket to show how much less light is needed to fill it.

● Longer vs. Shorter Time: In my workshops I use actual buckets from an 8 gallon bucket to a 4 gallon, 2 gallon, 1 gallon, 1/2 gallon, 1 quart and 1 pint. I can't show a cup of light so I use the example of filling different sizes of buckets with water. You can see visually that it will take a lot more time to fill an 8 gallon bucket than 1 pint.

● More Time = Longer Exposure: In photography time is measured as your shutter speed. In bright light you can use a lower ISO. In low light you may need a higher ISO that takes less time for a faster shutter speed to avoid subject or camera motion.

● Too Low = Too Slow: In low light if your ISO is too low, your shutter speed will be to slow and you will get a blurry image from camera movement when hand holding your camera. (See example photos above of watch) You may also get blurred subject movement photographing sports indoors using low ISO.

● Image Blur vs. Noise: You usually read about getting more image noise using higher ISO. I would be more concerned about image blur from using too low of ISO. You need your ISO high enough to get a shutter speed fast enough to prevent camera or subject motion. I can reduce image noise using photo software but nothing can be done about image blur.

SHUTTER SPEEDS

SHUTTER SPEEDS are fractions of a second.

The Speed the Shutter Opens and Closes: The shutter inside your camera opens and closes in a fraction of a second to let light in to the image sensor.

Adjusting Exposure: The longer the shutter is open the more light it lets in. The shorter time the shutter is open the less light it lets in. You can adjust your shutter speed to adjust your exposure lighter or darker by letting more or less light in.

●  Faster Fractions Stop Faster Action. The faster the shutter speed, the faster the action it stops. (See example below of running photos)

●  Minimum Shutter Speed: You need a minimum of 1/60th of a second to prevent camera movement when hand holding your camera. 

●  Subject and Camera Movement: You need a fast shutter speed to stop a moving subject. If you are photographing a non moving subject you still need to pay attention to your shutter speed to make sure it is fast enough to avoid camera movement if you are hand holding your camera.

APERTURE

APERTURE is the size of the opening inside your lens.

Bigger Number = Smaller Opening: Lens opening numbers can be confusing. The larger the number, the smaller the opening. If you turn them into a fraction they make more sense. 1/2 the lens opening is larger than 1/16th of the opening.

​Adjusting Exposure: Aperture is also called a lens opening or f stop. The larger the lens opening the more light it lets in. The smaller the lens opening the less light it lets in. You can adjust your lens opening to adjust your exposure lighter or darker.

●  Bigger blurs and smaller sharpens: The bigger the opening, the more blurred the background. The smaller the opening, the sharper the background. (See example flower photos)

●  Depth of Focus: Depth of focus is how deep the focus extends beyond your point of focus. A larger opening creates a shallower focus which helps blur the background area. A smaller opening creates a deeper focus which helps focus the background area. 

EXPOSURE MADE EASY Photography Workshop

Would you like to learn to go beyond Auto?

Would you like to learn how to stop action, blur backgrounds and take photos in low light? Would you like to learn how to set your ISO, shutter speed and aperture settings?

If you answered yes, you will love our Exposure Made Easy photography workshop.

●  It teaches exposure in a new way that is quick and easy to understand. You will learn how to set your camera to stop action in the first 20 minutes of the stop action video. This is great for parents photographing kids playing sports.

●  You also learn how to adjust your exposure in tricky lighting situations using exposure compensation and the Manual shooting mode.

●  We also have bonus videos on how to shoot the moon, use an ISO tripod and blur waterfalls.

CLICK HERE to learn more about the EXPOSURE MADE EASY photography workshop. 

JERRY’S PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOPS AT PRECISION CAMERA

  You can take Jerry’s workshops at Precision Camera as well. The Digital Camera Settings Made Easy workshop includes exposure and camera settings. His Learn to See Creatively workshop teaches people how to see creatively which is the secret to taking great photos.

  If you would like to learn more about using photo software he also teaches Photoshop 101 and Adobe Lightroom Organizing and Adjusting workshops. He is also available for one on one sessions.

More Photo Tips, Videos & Workshops

CLICK HERE to check us out at EasyPhotoClass.com for more great photography tips, videos and workshops 

​CLICK HERE to download the Exposure Quick Reference Card

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PHOTO SHARING CONVERSATIONS, PARTIES & STORY TELLING

Today we communicate with technology but we connect less in person. I want to flip that around and use technology to create in person connections. When talking with people I have had them say wait a second let me show you a photo of this and go searching through their cell phone for a photo of what they want to show me.

Photos help a person tell their story visually as well as verbally. I want to create Show & Tell for adults. People can share their photos on their cell phone, tablet, laptop or prints made on their inkjet printer or at a photo lab.

If you are sharing photos on a device it can be a good idea to put your favorite photos that you want to share in a favorites folder on your device. At Easy Photo Class we want to help people connect through photography. Here are three ways photos could be used to connect people in person.

PHOTO CONVERSATIONS™

Most events have a meet and greet time where people ask the same questions. What is your name, what do you do, how long have you lived here. Using this time for Photo Conversations changes that to a more personal conversation about the person’s life and what is going on in it.

Showing a photo of their pet, some activity they have done lately, a neat photo they took or any photo can expand the conversation and make it more fun. A photo could be of their grandmothers rolling pin and the story behind it.

I attended a meetup in a restaurant/bar that had an outdoor area. At the entrance people who were there for the meetup got a name sticker. I could walk up to anyone with a name badge and start a conversation because I knew they were with the group.

I didn’t walk up to people without the badges because I didn’t know them and they weren’t with the group. For a happy hour at a bar people who wanted to participate in Photo Conversations could wear a name tag or even just put a heart sticker on their clothing or cell phone indicating they were open to talk with people and share their photos.

Meeting people and making friends is hard to do. To walk up and talk to someone is not easy. You can ask someone to dance but then you must have dance skills. Photo conversations make it much easier to meet people and get to know them.

PHOTO SHARING PARTY™

A Photo Sharing party has more emphasis on photography but helping people connect is still just as important. It creates connection with a common interest. It can be open or have structure. It is like speed friending with a twist. You can start with a structured sharing time that goes into an open photo sharing time. Here is a suggestion of how to structure a photo sharing party.

  • First half hour open sharing
  • Second half hour break into groups of 6 and introduce yourself and what you like to photograph in 60 seconds or less
  • Then share photos one on one with another person in the group.
  • Four minutes gives each person 2 minutes to share their photos.
  • Playing chimes or announcing Change every 4 minutes should allow people to meet the other 5 people in their group in a half an hour.
  • For the next half hour repeat this procedure.
  • In one hours time a person will have met 10 new people. This time is an ice breaker that allows them to talk with these people in the following hour which is open photo sharing. Four minutes is a short time which leaves people wanting more.
  • The last hour is open Photo Sharing where people can share one on one or in groups.

PHOTO STORY TELLING™

Visual art has always been used to tell stories. They help make it come alive. Photographs help people show and share their life. Of our 5 senses, Hearing, Taste, Touch, Smell and Sight over 90% of our sensory input of the world around us is sight. Even bad photos can have great stories. Digital cameras and cell phones make it easy to capture photographs to help us tell our story.

EVENTS AND LOCATIONS

Photo Conversations and Photo Sharing Parties can be done at bars for happy hour, churches gatherings, or added to any meeting. It is a great team building exercise and way to make new friends.

TEN PHOTO SHARING GUIDELINES

I have come up with 10 Photo Sharing guidelines for photo sharing that can be posted at an event to help make it great. See what you think.

1. Be Nice: Treat other people like you would like to be treated.

2. Listen: Developing the ability to listen is a great social skill and truly appreciated by most people you will meet.

3. No Agendas: People with agendas usually dominate every conversation with their topic. Try just talking about your life.

4. Avoid Politics Religion and Sex: Some topics are emotional and divisive. We want to connect not divide. Please save your politics, religion and sex discussions for after or outside our events.

5. Patience: If someone is a bit offensive, dominates discussion, pushes their ideas try to be patient with them. They will hopefully get more relaxed as time goes by.

6. It’s OK to Say No: If someone invites you to coffee as a friend or a date you can say yes or no. “I’m really busy” and “Thanks, I’m not interested but thanks for asking” are 2 good ways to say no.

7. Promoting Friendships: We want to promote friendships. They may lead to dating but let’s start with friendships.

8. You Don’t Have to Be a Photographer: Every photo is a good photo here. We are about connection as much as photography. If you don’t have a camera you can do a drawing or a sketch.

9. Limit Tech Talk: Some people love to talk tech, some don’t.

We have a Tech Heads corner if that is your thing.

10. Smile: It doesn’t have to be a big smile. It can be a lip smile. Smiling makes you feel better. Smiling also makes you more approachable.

PHOTO SHARING DOWNLOAD LINK

We have created a zip file with audio files that you can play to time photo sharing interactions for different amounts from 2 minutes, 2.5 minutes, 4 minutes and 5 minutes. You can play these from your cell phone to help people during speed sharing to break the ice. We also include the 10 guidelines and this information.

PHOTO SHARING FILES

CREATIVE PHOTOGRAPHY CHALLENGES

We have created weekly photo challenges that people can take if they like. Going out to take photos can be a great way to meet people as well. Wearing one of our wristbands or hat can let people know that you are part of our group and they can talk with you. At Easy Photo Class we want to help people connect taking and sharing their photos.

JANUARY

Week 1 – Shape: LINE

Week 2 – Color: BLUE

Week 3 – Subject: VEGETABLE

Week 4 – Idea: QUIET

FEBRUARY

Week 1 – Shape: SQUARE

Week 2 – Color: GREEN

Week 3 – Subject: DOOR

Week 4 – Idea: SOFT

MARCH

Week 1 – Shape: CIRCLE

Week 2 – Color: RED

Week 3 – Subject: WATCH OR CLOCK

Week 4 – Idea: COLD

APRIL

Week 1 – Shape: RECTANGLE

Week 2 – Color: YELLOW

Week 3 – Subject: CUP

Week 4 – Idea: TIME

MAY

Week 1 – Shape: CURVE

Week 2 – Color: BLACK

Week 3 – Subject: CHAIR

Week 4 – Idea: LOVE

JUNE

Week 1 – Shape: TRIANGLE

Week 2 – Color: WHITE

Week 3 – Subject: WHEEL

Week 4 – Idea: SMALL

JULY

Week 1 – Shape: OVAL

Week 2 – Color: GOLD

Week 3 – Subject: FRUIT

Week 4 – Idea: FUN

AUGUST

Week 1 – Shape: NATURE SHAPES

Week 2 – Color: SILVER

Week 3 – Subject: CAN

Week 4 – Idea: QUIET

SEPTEMBER

Week 1 – Shape: REPEATING SHAPES

Week 2 – Color: ORANGE

Week 3 – Subject: FLOWER

Week 4 – Idea: HAPPY

OCTOBER

Week 1 – Shape: CONNECTING LINES

Week 2 – Color: GREY

Week 3 – Subject: TREE

Week 4 – Idea: DELICIOUS

NOVEMBER

Week 1 – Shape: REPEATING LINES

Week 2 – Color: PURPLE

Week 3 – Subject: ROCK

Week 4 – Idea: SMART

DECEMBER

Week 1 – Shape: HOLIDAY SHAPES

Week 2 – Color: GLASS

Week 3 – Subject: LEAF

Week 4 – Idea: COOL

You can contact me at jerry@easyphotoclass.com for more information. Take care.

Jerry

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Quick Reference Card For ISO, Shutter Speeds & Lens Openings

  Would you like help understanding the exposure settings on your digital camera? In photography the numbers for ISO, Shutter Speeds and Lens Openings seem to be backwards which can make them confusing. Many people are confused about what the different exposure settings do and what happens when you adjust a setting lower or higher?

EXPOSURE QUICK REFERENCE CARDQuickReferenceCardVisua300pt
  This 4×6 quick reference card shows you each setting visually along with the numbers to make the settings easier to understand and remember. It tells you what each setting does and what happens when you adjust the setting higher or lower

FREE DOWNLOAD
  You can download this card for free and print it out on your inkjet printer, at the photo lab or download it to your cell phone or tablet. CLICK HERE to download this quick reference card.

  “This quick reference card is really helpful in understanding what the ISO, Shutter Speed and Lens Opening settings do, what happens when you change them and the numbers that go with the different settings. It is an exposure workshop on a 4×6 card. I highly recommend it.”

– Teresa Rodgers-Curtis

EXPOSURE WORKSHOP VIDEO
  You can go deeper with Jerry’s Stop Action, Blur Backgrounds & Low Light online workshop video to learn more about setting your ISO, Shutter Speed and Lens Opening settings.

  1. Visual Settings: Video that shows shutter speeds and lens openings being adjusted so you can see what they are.
  2. Shooting Modes: What the different shooting modes do and how to go beyond Auto.
  3. Stop Action: How to stop action by setting only two settings and find perfect shutter speed in less than 30 seconds.
  4. Blur Backgrounds: How to blur or sharpen your background by setting only two settings and find perfect lens opening in less than 30 seconds.
  5. Manual: How to shoot in the Manual shooting mode.
  6. Low Light: What settings work best for low light photography.
  7. ISO Settings: An in depth look at ISO, what it is and how to set it.
  8. Light Metering: Learn what subject and lighting situations can fool your camera’s light meter and how to adjust the camera settings for a good exposure.
  9. Recovering Dark Images: How dark images can be recovered with digital.
  10. 3 Bonus: How to blur a waterfall, shoot the moon and use an ISO tripod.

CLICK HERE to learn more about the Stop Action, Blur Backgrounds & Low Light workshop video and download it today.
*Use Coupon Code: PCU for 50% off this online workshop video for a limited time only. (It also makes a great gift.)

PRECISION CAMERA WORKSHOPS
  If you would like to learn about exposure settings in person workshop you can take Jerry’s Digital Camera Settings Made Easy workshop at Precision Camera. CLICK HERE to sign up for this workshop.

(Jerry also teaches Creative Photography, Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Lightroom workshops at Precision Camera.)

ONE ON ONE SESSIONS
  You can hire Jerry for a 2 hour one on one session at Precision Camera. CLICK HERE to read Jerry’s bio and sign up for a One on One session with him.

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TOP 10 DIGITAL CAMERA SETTINGS WORKSHEET

Looking at a digital camera with all the buttons, dials and icons for settings on the screen can be overwhelming. How would you like to look at your digital camera and know what settings the different icons represent, what those settings do and how to set them? With all these settings where do you start?

The Top 10 Digital Camera Settings worksheet is a great first step. It helps you learn the top 10 most important and helpful settings on your digital camera to help you take great photographs.

Investing 10 minutes a day you can learn the Top 10 Settings in 10 Days. Learning these settings now will help you with cameras you own for the rest of your life

Top-10-Digital-Camera-Settings-Worksheet

This worksheet is a pdf that you can download and type in or print out and write in. You can find the settings in your digital camera manual and write how to set them in your own words and put the page number in as well. Digital camera manual paper is not the full manual. You should also have a pdf manual that came with your digital camera on a CD.

DOWNLOAD PDF OF WORKSHEET

If you don’t have it you may need to download the pdf manual from your camera manufacturers website. Downloading your digital cameras manual to your cell phone or tablet can be a good idea so you have it with you. You can also search the pdf camera manual to find different camera settings.

After you download the worksheet check out page two which has instructions how to reset your digital camera to the way it came from the factory in case you mess up some settings.

TOP 10 DIGITAL CAMERA SETTINGS WORKSHOP

We also have a Top 10 Digital Camera Settings Workshop if you would like some help understanding the settings and suggestions on the best setting to set them at.

This workshop explains exposure in an amazingly simple way that is quick and easy to learn.

We currently are offering a double discount with a coupon code discount off the sale price. This workshop is normally $99. It is on sale for $29. and you can get it for only $14.50 using the coupon code: EasyPhoto50 (This is for a limited time.)

You can download the workshop to your computer, tablet or cell phone. There is also a gift version of the workshop where we send you an email with a download link in it that you can forward to the person you are giving it to.

If you are planning to take a workshop in person this is a great way to prepare for it so you will be one of the smartest people in the class. Knowing your camera settings is always good in any course you take. It is called flipping in college where professors send students the material to go over and do the assignments for it before going to class. It makes the class time more effective.

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ISO – IMAGE SENSOR OPTIMIZATION

ISO is the sensitivity to light rating for your digital cameras image sensor.

For those of you familiar with film cameras ISO is film speed.

You would use 200 speed film outdoors and 800 speed indoors.

In America this sensitivity to light was rated by the American Standards Association.

The standard for this sensitivity rating was listed in the American Standards Association as ASA PH2.27-1965

Most people left off the rating number and just called it ASA.

In Germany it was rated by the Deutsches Institut für Normung.

Their standard for this sensitivity to light rating was called DIN standard 4512.

Once again most people just called it DIN.

The problem was you had to make conversions from one to the other and so when digital came out they decided it would be very helpful to have one worldwide standard for this sensitivity to light rating.

They went to the International Standards Organization who makes the standards for many industries.

They created a new international standard which is listed as ISO 12232:2006 in their catalogue.

This new sensitivity to light rating replaces the two old ASA and DIN ratings.

Most photographers just call it ISO.

Often things have a scientific name and a common name.

Bellis Perennis is the scientific name for a daisy.

ISO 12232:2006 is the scientific name for the sensitivity to light rating in photography.

I have come up with a common name that works very well for both describing what it is and what it does.

My common sense name for ISO is Image Sensor Optimization.

In a digital camera you can change the sensitivity to light of the electronic image sensor which captures the light to be more sensitive or less sensitive to light.

If you are working in low light you will want to raise the sensitivity to light rating to make the image sensor more sensitive to light since you don’t have much light to work with.

If you are working in bright light you can lower the sensitivity to light rating to make the image sensor less sensitive to light since you have more light to work with.

You are optimizing the sensitivity to light setting on your digital camera according to how much light you are working in.

If you wish you can call it by its’ catalogue name ISO 12232:2006 or use my common sense name Image Sensor Optimization.

We have a wonderful visual of ISO as well as Shutter Speed and Lens Opening in a quick reference card you can download from our website www.EasyPhotoClass.com in our Photo Tips section which you can find at the top of the page in the Menu.

Have fun taking photos. Take care.

PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOPS

Learn your digital camera settings. Learn how to set shutter speeds, lens openings and ISO to stop action, blur backgrounds and take photos in low light. Learn how to see creatively. LEARN MORE…

PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHEETS/CARDS

Photography worksheets to learn your digital camera settings and test ISO image noise on your digital camera. Exposure card explains ISO, Shutter Speed and Lens Opening settings. DOWNLOAD WORKSHEETS & CARDS

PHOTOGRAPHY BLOG

Great articles on many different aspects of photography. Learn helpful tips for cell phone cameras to digital SLR cameras. Learn both technical and creative photography ideas for taking great photographs. READ BLOG