Camera settings explained through three real photographs

A mountain view at 1/250 second

“The folds of the mountains” records 35 mm, f/8, 1/250 second and ISO 100 on a Canon EOS R6 Mark II. The foreground and distant slopes give you several areas to inspect for detail.

At a given focal length and focus distance, a smaller aperture generally increases depth of field while admitting less light. The recorded f/8 is one part of this photograph; it is not a guarantee that everything in another landscape will be sharp.

Further reading: Canon — Aperture and the exposure triangle

Flowing water at one second

“Water over stone” records 168 mm, f/11, one second and ISO 250. Compare the moving water with the edges of the rocks around it.

A longer exposure allows subject movement to register across more time. Camera movement can also soften a photograph, so a stable support is useful when experimenting. The file does not establish whether a tripod or a filter was used for this image.

Further reading: Canon — Aperture and the exposure triangle

Station movement at one second

“Between arrivals” also records one second, this time at 15 mm, f/8 and ISO 100. People moving through the concourse appear differently from the architecture around them.

The shared exposure time connects the station and waterfall photographs, but it does not make their settings interchangeable. The scenes, focal lengths, light and subjects differ. Compare the visible result before deciding what you would try yourself.

What the numbers cannot tell us

Recorded settings do not establish the photographer’s intention, the full lighting conditions, the use of a tripod or the editing history. Where a supplied file has no settings, the photograph page says so.

Use these examples to ask a clearer question on your next shoot: do you want movement to remain visible, more of the scene to appear sharp, or a different framing? Then change one setting deliberately and review the result.