Mastering the Golden Triangle of Photography: Aperture, Shutter Speed & ISO Explained

In a world filled with feature-packed cameras and endless customization, photography can easily feel overwhelming—especially for beginners. From white balance and autofocus modes to metering and drive settings, the list of menu options seems never-ending.

But what if you could boil down the core of photography to just three key settings?

That’s exactly what I break down in a recent episode of The Wild Photographer podcast. If you wish to listen to the full episode you can do so here, but it's my pleasure to bring you a summary of the lessons in this article here.

Let’s dive into the major takeaways and lessons from the episode.

What is the Golden Triangle?

The “Golden Triangle” refers to the three most critical settings in photography:

• Aperture

• Shutter Speed

• ISO

These three elements work together to control exposure, or how much light hits your camera sensor. The reason it's described as a triangle is not just because there are three components, but because they are interconnected—changing one will usually require you to adjust one or both of the others to maintain a balanced exposure.

Mastering this triangle isn’t just about correct exposure—it’s about making both practical and artistic decisions that define the mood, sharpness, motion, and depth in your images.

1. Aperture: The Key to Depth of Field

Aperture is the opening in your lens that lets light through to your sensor. It’s measured in f-stops, like f/2.8, f/5.6, f/11, and so on. A lower f-number (e.g., f/2.8) means a larger opening—more light gets in, and the depth of field is shallow, making backgrounds blurry and subjects pop. This is ideal for portraits or wildlife.

A higher f-number (e.g., f/11 or f/16) means a smaller opening—less light enters, but you get a deeper depth of field, which is perfect for landscapes where you want everything in focus from foreground to background.

Pro Tip: Memorizing the standard aperture stop sequence (1.4, 2, 2.8, 4, 5.6, 8, 11, 16, 22) helps you make fast, intuitive decisions in the field.

2. Shutter Speed: Freezing or Blurring Motion

Shutter speed controls how long your camera’s sensor is exposed to light. Fast shutter speeds like 1/1000s freeze motion (great for wildlife or sports), while slower speeds like 1/15s or 1 second can blur motion creatively (think waterfalls or night scenes).

Shutter speed is intuitive because it's directly numeric—doubling or halving the number changes exposure by one full stop of light.

• Going from 1/100 to 1/200 cuts light in half.

• Going from 1/100 to 1/50 doubles the light.

Pro Tip: If you're shooting handheld, keep your shutter speed at 1/(focal length) (e.g., 1/200s for a 200mm lens) to avoid blur from camera shake. However, if you have image stabilization in your camera and/or lens, you can usually cut this in half and still be quite safe.

3. ISO: The Light Sensitivity Wildcard

ISO doesn’t control how much light physically enters the camera but rather how sensitive your camera sensor is to light. Higher ISOs (e.g., 1600, 3200) are useful in low light, allowing you to shoot with faster shutter speeds or narrower apertures without underexposing the shot.

But there’s a catch: higher ISO levels introduce noise or grain, especially on older or entry-level cameras with smaller sensors.

• ISO 100 = clean, detailed shots (ideal)

• ISO 3200+ = usable, but may show grain (depends on camera)

ISO is your “silver bullet” for tricky lighting situations. While it doesn’t offer artistic control like aperture or shutter speed, it gives you flexibility to capture the shot you want—even in challenging conditions.

The Hose Analogy: A Way to Visualize Exposure

One of the most helpful analogies from the episode compares the exposure triangle to filling a bucket of water with a garden hose.

• Aperture = width of the hose (or spigot)

• Shutter speed = how long the hose is on

• ISO = the bucket’s sensitivity to filling

If you have a wide hose (large aperture), you only need to turn the hose on for a short time (fast shutter) to fill the bucket (get the right exposure). If the hose is narrow (small aperture), you’ll need to leave it on longer (slow shutter speed).

ISO enters the picture when conditions are tough—like if the water pressure is low (low light). Cranking up ISO is like reducing the size of the bucket.

This analogy illustrates how changing one setting (aperture, shutter speed, or ISO) requires adjusting one or both of the others to maintain a balanced exposure.

Practical Examples of Exposure Balancing

Here are a few real-world scenarios to show how the triangle works in action:

• Freezing motion (e.g., a polar bear walking):You must increase shutter speed from 1/100s to 1/400s (2 stops) in order to freeze motion.To compensate, you must either open the aperture by two stops (e.g., f/5.6 to f/2.8) or increase ISO two stops (e.g., ISO 400 to 800 is one stop, then 800 to 1600 is the other).

• Deep depth of field for landscapes:Want to move from f/4 to f/11 (3 stops narrower) for a deep depth of field and everything in focus? Compensate by slowing the shutter (e.g., 1/400s to 1/50s) or raising ISO.

  
  

Bonus Tips from the Episode

• Manual Mode + Auto ISO is a great workflow. Set your desired aperture and shutter speed, and let your camera adjust ISO automatically.

• Invest in a full-frame camera if possible. Higher-end sensors handle high ISOs better, giving you more flexibility.

• Memorize the aperture stops. Unlike shutter speed and ISO, the f-stop values are not linear, so you’ll benefit from internalizing them. Remember, they are f/1.4, 2, 2.8, 4, 5.6, 8, 11, 16, 22.

Final Thoughts: Why the Golden Triangle Matters

Learning to master aperture, shutter speed, and ISO is the foundation of photography. These three settings control not only exposure but also your creative voice. Whether you're shooting action, landscapes, portraits, or night scenes, the golden triangle gives you the tools to create the images you envision.

Understanding how they interact empowers you to:

• Make decisions faster

• Adapt to changing light

• Create consistent, artistic results

So next time you pick up your camera, don’t get lost in the menus. Go back to the basics—the golden triangle. It’s where technical mastery meets creative freedom.

Want to See These Principles in Action?

Check out Court’s photo gallery at shop.courtwhelan.com for examples of real-world images that balance the triangle beautifully.

Listen to the Full Episode

If you haven’t already, go listen to the full episode on The Wild Photographer. It’s packed with insights that make these concepts easy to grasp and apply.

Until next time!

Court