Photography Exposure Triangle Mastery 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What does 'stopping down' a lens mean?
- Reducing shutter speed
- Increasing ISO
- Using a smaller aperture opening (higher f-number) (Correct answer)
- Switching to a shorter focal length
Correct answer: Using a smaller aperture opening (higher f-number)
Stopping down means closing the aperture to a smaller opening (e.g., f/2.8 to f/8), reducing the light entering the lens.
Question 2: Why might a photographer choose ISO 800 over ISO 100 even in adequate light?
- To increase depth of field
- To allow a faster shutter speed for freezing action (Correct answer)
- To reduce the need for a lens hood
- To increase color saturation
Correct answer: To allow a faster shutter speed for freezing action
Raising ISO allows a faster shutter speed to be used for the same aperture, which is valuable when freezing motion is the priority.
Question 3: You're shooting a dark indoor event and can't add flash. You've already opened to f/1.8 and raised ISO to 3200. What is your ONLY remaining option to brighten the image?
- Decrease shutter speed (Correct answer)
- Increase shutter speed
- Use a narrower aperture
- Lower ISO
Correct answer: Decrease shutter speed
With aperture maxed out and ISO at its practical limit, only slowing the shutter speed admits more light — though it risks motion blur.
Question 4: The 'sunny 16 rule' states that in direct sunlight, a correct exposure is achieved at f/16 with which shutter speed?
- 1/ISO (e.g., 1/100s at ISO 100) (Correct answer)
- 1/500s regardless of ISO
- The same as the focal length in mm
- 1/60s at any ISO
Correct answer: 1/ISO (e.g., 1/100s at ISO 100)
The sunny 16 rule: at f/16 in direct sunlight, set shutter speed to 1/ISO (so 1/200s at ISO 200) for correct exposure.
Question 5: Which statement about aperture and diffraction is correct?
- Wider apertures cause diffraction, reducing sharpness
- Very small apertures (f/16–f/22) can cause diffraction softening (Correct answer)
- Diffraction only occurs above ISO 800
- Diffraction increases sharpness at f/22
Correct answer: Very small apertures (f/16–f/22) can cause diffraction softening
At very small apertures, light diffracts around the aperture blades, causing a slight loss of sharpness known as diffraction softening.
Question 6: A histogram shows data bunched hard against the right edge. What does this indicate?
- The image is underexposed
- The image has blown highlights (overexposed) (Correct answer)
- The image has perfect exposure
- The image has high contrast shadows
Correct answer: The image has blown highlights (overexposed)
Data clipped against the right edge of the histogram indicates overexposure with blown-out highlight detail that cannot be recovered.
Question 7: Why is 'expose to the right' (ETTR) a technique used by photographers shooting RAW?
- It makes shadows noisier for artistic effect
- Brighter exposures capture more data in highlights (Correct answer)
- It prevents blown highlights by underexposing
- RAW files store more shadow data at low exposure
Correct answer: Brighter exposures capture more data in highlights
Exposing to the right (just short of clipping) maximizes captured data and signal-to-noise ratio, reducing noise when shadows are lifted in post.
Photography Exposure Triangle Mastery 5
What does 'stopping down' a lens mean?