When we pick up the camera and start taking snaps right away, we barely think about the magic cooking inside that device to capture an actual image.
Digital cameras make photo taking as simple as it may seem, but capturing visually astonishing photographs requires an in-depth understanding of the fundamentals of photographic exposure.
A photograph is captured by the process of the shutter opening and closing, allowing light coming in through the lens and the sensor inside the camera registering the image.
ISO, Shutter Speed and Aperture- the "Exposure Triangle" of photography, control the amount of light coming into a camera.
Understanding the interaction between these three allows a photographer to get the best out of the camera and take some splendid snaps.

• Shutter Speed: how long the lens allows light in for-

The name explains itself.
It defines the length of time that controls opening and closing of the shutter when the trigger is pressed.
The shutter time of a device can vary, starting from a range of 1/8000th of a second to 30 seconds.
Faster lets in very little light but supports freeze motion; slower shutter speed allows more light and it is preferable for night and low light photography.

• ISO: how much light sensitive the sensor/film is -

ISO is the sensitivity of the chip inside a camera that captures the image.
Basically it is calculated by numbers and the higher the number is; the more sensitive is the sensor to light.
However, a higher ISO increases the amount of noise/grains of a photograph degrading the image quality.
ISO is measured in numbers: 100,200,400 and so on.
Each time the ISO number doubles, so does the stop of light.
So, 200ISO is one stop light brighter than 100ISO and 400ISO is twice of 100ISO.

• Aperture(f/stop): how fast light gets in -

Aperture aka f/stop is the diameter of the opening of a lens controlled by an iris which determines the quantity of light reaching the sensor.
The "f" stands for "focal ratio" (ratio of the diameter of the lens to the length of the lens); larger numbers indicate smaller aperture and vice versa.
Let's make the concept easier by comparing it with the game of golf- smaller scores wins.
How the elements of "exposure triangle" work together In order to get a perfect exposure, all three elements of the "Exposure Triangle" need to be balanced.
There is an inverse correlation between aperture and shutter speed.
To keep the same exposure effect, adjusting these two is crucial.
Most cameras come with the auto adjustment feature; but in the manual mode, experimenting with different settings will result in fresh and fun impacts.
Suggested Exposure settings for common photography scenarios: It's time to go over some suggestions to get proper exposure under different light conditions -

• Low Light photography:

The aperture should be at its minimum while keeping both shutter speed and ISO to the maximum.
Although in very dim environment, the shutter speed will be still very small despite increasing ISO.
In such cases, use a tripod or flash.

• Motion blur effect:

For excellent motion blur snaps, keep ISO to its lowest and balance between aperture and shutter speed.
For example: keep shutter speed to a reduced number below 1/50 of a second by shifting aperture to a higher number.

• Freeze action photography:

Broad daylight is great for freeze action shots.
The camera should be set to its lowest aperture and very fast shutter speed (1/500th of a second or less).
Change the ISO setting from auto to on.
Learning how to adjust the exposure settings is the first step towards pushing it to its limits of taking excellent photographs.
While altering the settings, keep "noise/grain" in mind.
Tuning into the base ISO of your device will keep that to a minimum.