Photography
Exposure Triangle
Aperture—Controls depth of field & light
Shutter speed—Controls motion blur & light
ISO—Controls sensor sensitivity & noise
Stop up (+1 EV)—Double the light
Stop down (-1 EV)—Halve the light
Reciprocity—Change one, compensate another
Meter reading 0—Camera thinks exposure is correct
Histogram—Graph of tonal distribution
Aperture Guide
f/1.4 - f/2.8—Very shallow DOF — portraits, low light
f/4 - f/5.6—Moderate DOF — general use
f/8 - f/11—Deep DOF — landscapes, sharp
f/16 - f/22—Maximum DOF — diffraction risk
Lower f-number—Wider opening, more light, less DOF
Higher f-number—Smaller opening, less light, more DOF
Sweet spot—Usually f/8 — sharpest for most lenses
Bokeh—Aesthetic blur from wide aperture
Shutter Speed Guide
1/4000 - 1/2000—Freeze fast action (sports, birds)
1/1000 - 1/500—Freeze general motion
1/250 - 1/125—Handheld minimum (standard lens)
1/60—Slowest safe handheld (no IS)
1/30 - 1/15—Intentional motion blur, use tripod
1" - 30"—Long exposure — light trails, stars
Bulb mode—Shutter open as long as pressed
Reciprocal rule—1/(focal length) = min safe speed
ISO Guide
ISO 100-200—Base ISO — cleanest, least noise
ISO 400—Slight noise — overcast, indoor
ISO 800-1600—Noticeable noise — dim indoor
ISO 3200-6400—High noise — low light, events
ISO 12800+—Very noisy — emergency only
Auto ISO—Camera picks within set range
Native vs expanded—Native = true, expanded = digital
Noise reduction—In-camera or post-processing
Composition Rules
Rule of Thirds—Place subject on 3x3 grid lines
Leading Lines—Guide the eye into the frame
Symmetry & Patterns—Balanced, pleasing structure
Framing—Use doorways, arches, branches
Negative Space—Empty area emphasizes subject
Fill the Frame—Get close, eliminate distractions
Depth layers—Foreground, middle, background
Odd numbers—Groups of 3 or 5 feel natural
Golden Ratio—1.618 spiral — natural composition
Breaking rules—Learn rules first, then experiment
Lighting Types
Golden Hour—Warm, soft light near sunrise/sunset
Blue Hour—Cool, diffused light pre-dawn/dusk
Harsh midday sun—Hard shadows — use fill or shade
Overcast / diffused—Soft, even light — great for portraits
Backlighting—Light behind subject — rim light, silhouette
Side lighting—Dramatic shadows, texture emphasis
Rembrandt lighting—Triangle of light on cheek — portraits
Bounce / reflector—Fill shadows with reflected light
Camera Modes
M (Manual)—Full control — aperture, shutter, ISO
A / Av (Aperture Priority)—You set aperture, camera sets shutter
S / Tv (Shutter Priority)—You set shutter, camera sets aperture
P (Program)—Auto with manual overrides
Auto—Full auto — camera decides everything
Scene modes—Presets: portrait, landscape, sport
Exposure compensation—+/- EV to override metering
Bracketing—Multiple exposures for HDR
White Balance
Auto WB (AWB)—Camera guesses — usually good
Daylight (~5200K)—Sunny outdoor conditions
Cloudy (~6000K)—Slightly warm compensation
Shade (~7000K)—Warmer to counter blue shade
Tungsten (~3200K)—Cool to counter warm bulbs
Fluorescent (~4000K)—Corrects green cast
Flash (~5500K)—Matches strobe color temp
Custom / Kelvin—Set exact color temperature
Lens Types
Wide angle (10-35mm)—Landscape, architecture, interiors
Standard (35-70mm)—Everyday, street, documentary
50mm ("nifty fifty")—Close to human eye perspective
Telephoto (70-200mm)—Portraits, sports, wildlife
Super telephoto (200mm+)—Wildlife, birding, astro
Macro—1:1 magnification — close-up detail
Prime vs Zoom—Fixed focal = sharper, lighter
Image stabilization—Allows slower handheld speeds
Post-Processing Tips
Shoot RAW—Maximum flexibility in editing
Correct white balance first—Foundation for all other edits
Adjust exposure & contrast—Set overall brightness and range
Recover highlights/shadows—Pull back clipped details
Sharpen last—Apply after all other edits
Crop to improve composition—Straighten and tighten framing
Less is more—Subtle edits look more natural
Calibrate your monitor—Ensures accurate color editing
allprintabledoc.com