Below, I have created many posters/diagrams depicting the basics of manual camera usage. From aperture, to shutter speed, to depth of field, each is demonstrated below. But first, here are some key terms for understanding the explanations.
Terminology
The Language:
Pixel: The smallest unit of a digital image that can be represented or controlled.
Megapixel: One million pixels gridded into a pattern in the shape of a rectangle.
Resolution: The number of pixels that make up an image. An image that is 2048 pixels in width and
1536 pixels in height has a total of 2048×1536 = 3,145,728 pixels or 3.1 megapixels. One could
refer to it as 2048 by 1536 or a 3.1-megapixel image.
Image Size: Image size is a direct product of resolution, but may be "scaled" visually by resorting resolution.
For instance, a 5x7 inch image at a resolution of 300/inch would appear as 10x14 inches when the resolution is lowered
to 150/inch. The amount of pixels doesn't change, but the number of pixels per inch can change (the size of each pixel)
without changing the image size.
The Theory:
Aperture: Diaphramatic opening in lens that increases or decreases in size to control
amount of light that passes through. They are measured in fStops: f2.8, f4, f5.6, f8, f11, f16, f22.
Shutter: Curtain that opens for a specified amount of time, or “shutter speed” to
control the amount of light that passes through. These are measured in fractions of seconds.
Exposure: A combination of an aperture and a shutter speed that results in a specific
amount of light entering the camera.
Overexposure: Too much light entering the camera.
Underexposure: Too little light entering the camera.
Equivalent Exposure: Two combinations of aperture and shutter speed that allow an
equal amount of light into the camera. For instance, f8@1/30 equals f5.6@1/60...different
numbers, same amount of light.
Depth of Field: The distance between the nearest and farthest objects in a scene that appear sharp.
The Language:
Pixel: The smallest unit of a digital image that can be represented or controlled.
Megapixel: One million pixels gridded into a pattern in the shape of a rectangle.
Resolution: The number of pixels that make up an image. An image that is 2048 pixels in width and
1536 pixels in height has a total of 2048×1536 = 3,145,728 pixels or 3.1 megapixels. One could
refer to it as 2048 by 1536 or a 3.1-megapixel image.
Image Size: Image size is a direct product of resolution, but may be "scaled" visually by resorting resolution.
For instance, a 5x7 inch image at a resolution of 300/inch would appear as 10x14 inches when the resolution is lowered
to 150/inch. The amount of pixels doesn't change, but the number of pixels per inch can change (the size of each pixel)
without changing the image size.
The Theory:
Aperture: Diaphramatic opening in lens that increases or decreases in size to control
amount of light that passes through. They are measured in fStops: f2.8, f4, f5.6, f8, f11, f16, f22.
Shutter: Curtain that opens for a specified amount of time, or “shutter speed” to
control the amount of light that passes through. These are measured in fractions of seconds.
Exposure: A combination of an aperture and a shutter speed that results in a specific
amount of light entering the camera.
Overexposure: Too much light entering the camera.
Underexposure: Too little light entering the camera.
Equivalent Exposure: Two combinations of aperture and shutter speed that allow an
equal amount of light into the camera. For instance, f8@1/30 equals f5.6@1/60...different
numbers, same amount of light.
Depth of Field: The distance between the nearest and farthest objects in a scene that appear sharp.