📷 Reviewing Your Photos: Getting to Know the Aperture Triangle

Most of us in the WGPC use either mobile phones or cameras set to fully automatic. That’s absolutely fine for capturing the moment. But if you want to understand why some photos work better than others — and start taking more control — it helps to know how the exposure triangle works: that’s the relationship between aperture, shutter speed, and ISO.

Even if your device chooses these settings for you, they are still recorded — and reviewing them later can teach you a lot.

🧠 Why Bother?

Let’s say you take two photos of the same subject, but one is sharp and the other blurry. Or one looks great and the other is dark and noisy. The answers often lie in the camera settings — specifically, the exposure triangle. Reviewing those can help you learn what to repeat, what to avoid, and when you might want to override automatic choices.

🔍 How to View Photo Settings (EXIF Data)

These settings — known as EXIF data — are recorded by most digital devices. Here's how to see them:

📱 On Apple Devices (Photos app)

1. Open the Photos app.

2. Tap the photo you want to review.

3. Swipe up or tap the ⓘ (Info) button.

4. You'll see lens, ISO, shutter speed, and if available, aperture (on iPhones with dual lenses).

5. You may also see the time, location, and even camera model.

📝 Tip: Newer iPhones (e.g., iPhone 11 or later) record more technical data. If you're using Live Photos, remember to switch them off if you want consistent results and easier editing.

🤖 On Android Devices (Google Photos app)

1. Open Google Photos.

2. Tap on a photo.

3. Swipe up or tap the three-dot menu (⋮) or ⓘ button.

4. Look for settings like ISO, shutter speed, aperture, and exposure compensation.

5. If they’re missing, your camera app might not store them — try using Google Camera, Open Camera, or ProShot.

💻 On Windows 10/11 (Photos app or File Explorer)

• File Explorer:

  1. Right-click the image > Properties > Details tab.

  2. Scroll down to the Camera section.

• Photos app:

  1. Open the photo in the Photos app.

  2. Click the ‘i’ (Info) icon top-right.

  3. You’ll see ISO, aperture, shutter speed, and file format.

🌐 In Google Photos (Web version)

1. Go to Google Photos.

2. Click a photo.

3. Tap the ⓘ icon or press i on your keyboard.

4. On the right panel, you’ll see:

   • Camera make and model

   • ISO

   • Aperture

   • Shutter speed

   • Date/time and location (if enabled)

🎯 Final Thought

You don’t need to shoot in manual mode to learn how your camera works. Just look back at what it did. Each photo is a free photography lesson — if you check the settings.