During your photographic journey you may encounter many different types of cameras but they all operate on the same principle. The camera is essentially a dark box. At the front of this box is an aperture, or an opening, that allows the light to come in, and at the back of the box is a photosensitive material that captures the image formed by this light. Modern cameras are extremely sophisticated. They come with loads of buttons and automated functions that can be very difficult to make sense of. Therefore, to make things easier to understand, in this short course we will start by looking at a simple analogue camera first. Once we grasp the basic concepts, even the more advanced cameras will be easy to comprehend.

How the Cameras Work, will help you understand and demystify the main controls of the photographic camera- the ISO, shutter speed, and aperture. By the end of it, you will clearly understand what each control does, and how it affects the image. You will understand how these three main controls form what is known as the exposure triangle, and how they are interrelated. This understanding will allow you to use your camera with confidence, help you reverse-engineer images of other photographers, and turn your ideas into photographs.