# Exposure Settings > Set the aperture, shutter speed and ISO of an AI image or video from 20 options, for a soft background, frozen action, light trails or film grain. Source: https://nodaro.ai/docs/nodes/creative-controls/exposure-settings The **Exposure Settings** picker sets the exposure of an image or a video like the dials of a camera. You choose up to three settings — aperture, shutter speed and ISO — for example a wide f/1.4 aperture for a blurred background. Nodaro adds tested wording for each choice to the prompt of every node you connect it to. The picker never calls a model, so it costs no credits. - Found in: Creative Controls › Camera - Output: text - API type: `exposure-settings` ## When to use it - A portrait with a shallow depth of field: **f/1.4** with **ISO 100 (clean)**. - Light trails from a long exposure: **Long exposure (1s)** with **ISO 100 (clean)**. - A gritty low-light look: **ISO 3200 (heavy grain)** with a slow shutter, such as **1/30 (handheld blur)**. - Frozen sports or wildlife action: **1/1000 (action freeze)** with **ISO 400**. ## How to use it ### Add the picker Open the node picker and choose **Creative Controls › Camera › Exposure Settings**. A new picker starts with **Aperture** set to **f/1.4**. ### Choose the settings you need Select the node to open its settings panel. **Aperture**, **Shutter Speed** and **ISO** each have their own section and switch. Click an option to choose it; a setting that is off adds nothing to the prompt. ### Connect it Drag from the picker's output to the **Look** input of a [Generate Image](https://nodaro.ai/docs/nodes/image/generate-image) or [Generate Video](https://nodaro.ai/docs/nodes/video/generate-video) node. You can also connect it to a [Text](https://nodaro.ai/docs/nodes/automate/text) or [Prompt](https://nodaro.ai/docs/nodes/automate/prompt) node to include the wording in a longer text. ### Run the image or video node The exposure wording is added to the end of the prompt when the connected node runs. Workflow: Exposure Settings and Lens pickers feed the Look input of Generate Image for a long-exposure night shot with light trails. - Text → Generate Image (prompt) - Exposure Settings → Generate Image (look) - Lens → Generate Image (look) ## Settings | Setting | What it does | | --- | --- | | **Aperture** | The depth of field, from **f/1.2** (razor-thin focus) to **f/16** (everything sharp). The default is **f/1.4**. | | **Shutter Speed** | How motion looks, from **Long exposure (1s)** (streaks and trails) to **1/1000 (action freeze)**. | | **ISO** | How much grain the image has, from **ISO 100 (clean)** to **ISO 3200 (heavy grain)**. | | **Custom text (before)** | Your own words, added before the exposure wording. | | **Custom text (after)** | Your own words, added after the exposure wording. | | **Prompt hint** | **Full** adds a longer description of each choice. **Compact** adds only the short term. See [Creative Controls](https://nodaro.ai/docs/guides/creative-controls). | To see the exact words the picker will add, switch the node to the **Prompt** or **Both** display mode. The settings panel shows the same text under **Will inject into prompt**. ## What each option does | Setting | Option | Look | | --- | --- | --- | | Aperture | f/1.2 | Razor-thin focus, dreamy bokeh | | Aperture | f/1.4 | Strong subject isolation | | Aperture | f/1.8 | Classic portrait separation | | Aperture | f/2.8 | Sharp subject, soft background | | Aperture | f/4 | Balanced everyday depth of field | | Aperture | f/5.6 | Sharp across the subject | | Aperture | f/8 | The sharpest setting of most lenses | | Aperture | f/11 | Deep landscape depth of field | | Aperture | f/16 | Everything in focus, star-shaped sun | | Shutter Speed | 1/30 (handheld blur) | A hint of handheld motion | | Shutter Speed | 1/60 | Standard everyday shutter | | Shutter Speed | 1/200 | Crisp on most subjects | | Shutter Speed | 1/500 | Sharp on quick action | | Shutter Speed | 1/1000 (action freeze) | Frozen sports and wildlife | | Shutter Speed | Long exposure (1s) | Streaks and motion trails | | ISO | ISO 100 (clean) | Minimal noise, fine grain | | ISO | ISO 400 | Slight texture for everyday shots | | ISO | ISO 800 | Visible but pleasant grain | | ISO | ISO 1600 (visible grain) | Editorial low-light texture | | ISO | ISO 3200 (heavy grain) | Gritty documentary feel | ## What it adds to the prompt The picker joins your choices with commas, in the order aperture, shutter speed and ISO. For example, **f/1.4**, **1/1000 (action freeze)** and **ISO 100 (clean)** add this text in **Compact** mode: ```text f/1.4 aperture, 1/1000s shutter speed, iso 100 film speed ``` In **Full** mode, each choice adds a longer description. For example, **f/1.4** adds `shot at f/1.4 — extremely shallow depth of field, aggressive subject isolation against a smoothly melted background`. ## Every aperture, shutter speed and ISO Search the catalog or filter it by setting. The words under each name are the term the picker adds in **Compact** mode. **Aperture** - f/1.2: `f/1.2 aperture` - f/1.4: `f/1.4 aperture` - f/1.8: `f/1.8 aperture` - f/2.8: `f/2.8 aperture` - f/4: `f/4 aperture` - f/5.6: `f/5.6 aperture` - f/8: `f/8 aperture` - f/11: `f/11 aperture` - f/16: `f/16 aperture` **Shutter Speed** - 1/30 (handheld blur): `1/30s shutter speed` - 1/60: `1/60s shutter speed` - 1/200: `1/200s shutter speed` - 1/500: `1/500s shutter speed` - 1/1000 (action freeze): `1/1000s shutter speed` - Long exposure (1s): `one-second long exposure` **ISO** - ISO 100 (clean): `iso 100 film speed` - ISO 400 - ISO 800 - ISO 1600 (visible grain): `iso 1600 film speed` - ISO 3200 (heavy grain): `iso 3200 film speed` ## Tips - **Pair it with a lens.** A [Lens](https://nodaro.ai/docs/nodes/creative-controls/lens) such as **Portrait (85mm)** and a wide aperture together give the softest background. - **Match grain to the medium.** High ISO grain suits a [Camera / Film Stock](https://nodaro.ai/docs/nodes/creative-controls/camera-format) such as **16mm Film**. - **Light the long exposure.** For light trails, add [Lighting](https://nodaro.ai/docs/nodes/creative-controls/lighting) set to **Night** or **Blue Hour**. - **Push the exposure.** Use **Custom text (before)**, for example `push +1 stop`, or **Custom text (after)**, for example `with halation`. ## Frequently asked questions ### What does the Exposure Settings picker do? It adds the exposure triangle of a camera to the prompt of every connected image or video node. Aperture sets the depth of field, shutter speed sets how motion looks, and ISO sets the grain. It never runs a model. ### Does the Exposure Settings picker cost credits? No. Pickers only change the prompt. You pay only for the generation node that uses it. ### How do I get a blurred background? Turn on Aperture and choose a wide aperture, such as f/1.4 or f/1.2. Pair it with ISO 100 (clean) for a smooth, noise-free portrait. ### Do I have to set all three settings? No. Each setting has its own switch, and a setting that is off adds nothing. A new Exposure Settings picker sets only the aperture, to f/1.4.