Work, life, and culture in Japan and Asia

For this set your camera to 'M' for Manual, then put the brain in gear and give it a rev'. This is going to be one hell of a ride. You only need to think of three things, the shutter speed, aperture, and iso.

Let's begin with an analogy. When you drive an automatic transmission car, your feet more or less juggle the accelerator and the brake, controlling acceleration and deceleration, which we term as 'speed'. Sometimes we want to speed up, sometimes slow down, and other times, just cruise or even coast. The abilities you have in this, is also governed by the strength of the engine. Managing the aperture and the shutter speed is pretty much like the accelerator and brake, and managing the iso is much like being able to change engines (if it were possible). However, generally we need to keep the needle on the light meter in the middle (so like cruising), and so we adjust the shutter speed and the aperture around this. Below, I explain how to do this juggling act in a rough order of priority.

If your using your camera handheld with a short lens, like a 28-70mm zoom, then 1/125 should be your minimum shutter speed to prevent blur. If you think you're holding steady, then consider that when you go to push the shutter button, you're introducing movement to the camera which in itself often causes blur. So I make 1/125 my minimum, otherwise I consider using a tripod.

As a general rule, the longer the focal length, the higher the shutter speed you need. With long lenses, say in the 70-300mm range, consider always using a tripod, or at least a monopod, as this helps to assure an extra degree of sharpness.

> F13, 1/20, iso100; 18-70mm lens at 35mm, with Cokin P160 linear polariser and Cokin P152 ND, tripod, and remote shutter release.

This varies, but firstly depending on the light available. If you're handheld, then make adjusting the aperture your second priority. If you're in low light, and you still can't get the needle in the middle, then third priority to adjust is your iso (see below). However, there are times when I want a shallow depth of field (DOF), and so I choose my aperture, then shutter speed (and perhaps use a tripod if necessary).

> F9, 1/160, iso400, 75-300mm lens at 200 (handheld, but held steady against a pole)

Firstly, is conditions are good, I prefer iso100, as it gives the best results in terms of picture quality. If you have set your shutter speed to what you need, but can't get the aperture you want, then adjust your iso to perhaps iso200 or so.

There are of course times when you should adjust your rule book. As already stated, if you're looking for a shallow depth of field, then adjust the aperture to the f-stop you need and the shutter speed is then adjusted second, and thirdly iso. Experiment, and try different settings and see what you like for each given situation. Remember, what works in one situation, may not work in another. For macro photography (see ladybird picture above), be sure to always use a tripod and don't go handheld, as it's impossible to keep the damn little things in focus when your whole body is swaying.