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Lighting

Controlling lighting

A guide to exposure settings on your camera

In photography, such as flash or spotlights can give more control over the end result.

How a subject is lit can have a dramatic effect on the final image. This can depend on:

  • how strong the light is
  • whether it is direct or indirect light
  • whether the light comes from above, below, in front, side-on or from behind
  • the colour of the light

Most cameras have a light meter in them to help decide on the exposure settings needed for the conditions. However, or can also achieve a desired effect.

ISO settings

In analogue photography ISO refers to how sensitive the film in the camera is to light. The same scale is now used in digital photography to describe the light sensitivity of the chip.

A higher ISO makes the chip or film more sensitive, so a photograph can be taken with less light. At higher ISO settings an image is more likely to be affected by digital noise or grain - this can be used intentionally.

An ISO of 200 is the average daylight setting.

Diagram containing nine pairs of high-fiving figures becoming progressively more grainy as the ISO value increases
Image caption,
The images are becoming progressively more grainy as ISO increases. At the top left of the scale, ISO 100 shows a clear image. The bottom right image representing 25600 shows a grainy image covered with speckles.