Taking a photo has become more accessible and less creative as the years have gone on. It may not seem like there is much that goes into taking a picture, but there are many technicalities that make the process more effective and can increase the quality of your photos.

I have had a passion for photography since high school, and I never knew how to use half of the buttons on my camera until I started my internship at Keene State College.

That being the case, I blame cell phones for the loss of creativity. The downside of an iPhone is that you can’t adjust your International Standard of Organizations (ISO), shutter speed or aperture. I’m willing to bet that most people who have a camera or iPhone don’t even know what those three words mean.

Now, I don’t expect everybody to know digital camera lingo. But I wish that people would take more of an interest in what it takes to capture a great photo. Becoming familiar with the settings on a camera, in order to compensate for the current lighting situation, will make for better photos.

Each setting affects each other, so if one setting is adjusted you may need to adjust the others as well. Aperture controls the amount of light that is let in through the camera lens. A smaller number for an aperture means more light will pass through and there will be less depth of field. According to cambridgeincolour.com, depth of field is the range of distance which appears sharp. The website added that the depth of field varies on the camera and the print size can influence perception as well.

ISO is the film speed. By adjusting the ISO, the film can become more or less sensitive to light. Setting a camera to ISO 800 is usually best for most places where it may not be very bright.

The shutter speed is how long light is being let in. A lower shutter speed will capture more motion and objects will become blurred. A higher shutter speed will keep the object still without being blurred.

I admit that I had no idea what any of these terms meant or how they worked when I first started learning about them. I’m still getting used to adjusting each setting in order to capture a good quality photo.

I believe social media apps like Instagram and Facebook have been the cause of the lack of creativity in photography. They have allowed anybody to create an account and post whatever and whenever they want. These apps make uploading pictures easy because you can take a photo and upload it within seconds. Throw a filter on there, crop it a little bit and the picture is good to go. As technology has progressed it’s made it easier for anybody to feel like a professional photographer. You take one “artsy” picture of your cat and before you know it you have 50 likes on Instagram and you’re feeling confident about your picture-taking abilities.  There are not very many cellphones anymore without a camera. This has  opened a door for people to show where they are, what they’re doing and who they’re with. Award-winning, London based Mexican photographer Antonio Olmos said that the iPhone is taking people away from the viewers experiences.

I agree with him to a certain degree. I don’t think there is anything wrong with people taking pictures to capture moments because I like to do the same thing. It becomes less of an experience when a person is consumed with taking a good selfie at the beach instead of taking pictures with friends. Sometimes it would be a good idea to put the phone away and cherish the moment while it’s there.

Taking pictures on my camera makes me feel more in control because I can choose my focus point and adjust whatever setting that needs to be adjusted. I feel accomplished when my photos come out good because I know that I worked for that and was able to figure out the right settings.

Heather O’Brien can be contacted at hobrien@kscequinox.com