Photography, explained

The Logic of Light

A faucet, a basin, and three knobs. That's all photography is.

Scroll to explore

The Faucet

Turn the three knobs. Fill the basin exactly to the brim.

Correct exposure

The basin is your photo. Fill it to the brim and the picture is just right — too little and it's dark, too much and it spills over.

Aperture f/5.6
Wider pipe → more water at once → blurrier background.
Shutter Speed 1/125
Tap open longer → more water → moving things smear.
ISO 100
Smaller basin → fills faster → but you hear the noise.
Water in the basin 0%
Pipe width = Aperture
Flow time = Shutter
Basin size = ISO

Night Run

She runs through the city at night. Keep her sharp, keep the scene bright, keep the noise away.

f/5.6 · 1/125 · ISO 100
Aperture f/5.6
The width of the pipe — wider lets in more light, blurs the background, and turns point lights into soft bokeh balls.
Shutter Speed 1/125
How long the tap stays open — longer lets in more light and smears her run into light trails.
ISO 100
The size of the basin — a smaller basin fills faster, but you hear the noise.
Exposure 0.0
Under Normal Over

Real-world Recipes

Tap a card to load the settings.

Aperture decides how much.
Shutter decides how long.
ISO decides how much you need.

Together they balance. Change one, and you must change another.