Artistic Photography Tutorial: Basic Camera Settings

Learn how to control your speed, aperture and ISO settings to create artistic photos, with Irene Cruz

In a world in which mobile phones have become the basic tools for taking photos, adjusting the settings on your (digital or analogue) camera to personalize your results is now practically an art form!

In this tutorial, Spanish photographer Irene Cruz (@irenecruzfoto), who works in art and film, as well as teaching at universities and learning centers in Spain, the UK, Germany and Switzerland, teaches you the basic settings you need to take photos like a pro.

Discover how in the video.

3 basic tips for adjusting your camera settings

1. Understand the role of speed

If you want a perfectly frozen frame, in which your model or focal point and background are totally in focus, then you need to select the top shutter speeds (over 1/250).

But if you want your photo to suggest movement and look blurred or shaky, pick a shutter speed below 1/30.
You can do this by selecting “Priority Speed”.

2. Control the aperture

If you want the background to look totally blurred, you need a low depth of field. In other words, an F aperture below 3.5 may be suitable.

But if you want your photo to have more depth, i.e. for everything to be in focus, you need to close the diaphragm. Which means the aperture needs to be above 7.1. Remember your image will have a lot less light with the aperture this tight. So you need to take your shot in a pretty bright setting.

3. Explore ISO

Another way to build your photo is by using ISO sensitivity. In low light, you need a high ISO setting, but remember that this will add “noise” and make your photo look more grainy.

Be careful not to over-expose (your photo will be very light) or under-expose (your image will be very dark). It’s all a question of testing things out, looking at your results and understanding your equipment and the language you want to use for each project.

If you’d like to learn to express your inner world through a lens and to direct models to achieve more personal photos, don’t miss Irene’s online course: Artistic Photography: Transforming Concepts into Images.

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- Analog and Digital Artistic Photography, a course by Berta Vicente
- Fine Art Self-Portrait Photography, a course by Danny Bittencourt
- Introduction to Narrative Photography, a course by Dara Scully
- What is Light Painting Photography?
- The PhotoBook That Vindicates the Memory of Argentina’s Trans Community