| If you have been taking photographs for years | | | | shot you want to take. For example, say you |
| or just now starting there is one quick rule | | | | go to a Nascar race and you want a picture of |
| of thumb that is key to understanding how | | | | your favorite Nascar Driver going over 200 |
| cameras work. I call it the Ambient Light | | | | miles per hour. In this case you may want to |
| Rule. There are two standard agencies that | | | | take your film or digital camera off auto and |
| regulate camera speeds; in the old days film | | | | go with shutter preferred and choose a fast |
| used ASA (American Standards Association) now | | | | stutter speed probably at least 1/500th of a |
| film cameras and digital cameras use ISO | | | | second. The faster the better, but this |
| (International Standards Organization) with | | | | setting does effect how clear the items are |
| both the higher the ASA or ISO number the | | | | in the foreground and background.Another |
| faster the film or computer chip will accept | | | | situation is when you want to take a close up |
| light therefore allowing the camera to | | | | and want as clear of shot that is possible. |
| manipulate shutter speed and aperture | | | | Here you may want to go with aperture |
| opening.Ambient Light Rule is quickly this, | | | | preferred. In this case the higher the |
| the faster the shutter speed (stop motion) | | | | aperture (means the smaller the light source |
| the lower the aperture opening (depth of | | | | kind of like squinting your eyes to see |
| field). This can be changed by using a | | | | better) means that you will get a sharper |
| higher or lower ASA or ISO. This all depends | | | | photograph. But the higher the aperture the |
| on what kind of picture you want to take. | | | | slower the shutter speed. You either need |
| Automatic cameras make it easy to take | | | | more light or you may want to use a |
| pictures they will adjust the shutter speed | | | | tripod.Today with all the advancements in |
| and aperture without you needing to know the | | | | computers photography has been made quite a |
| Ambient Light Rule.However sometimes it is | | | | bit simpler. |
| necessary to go off automatic mode for the | | | | |