A useful photography reference wall answers the question you keep stopping to look up. Before choosing prints, decide whether you need a reminder of camera controls, ideas for portrait lighting, or a simpler view of exposure. You do not need every chart to start.
Choose the job before the poster
- “Which camera setting should I change?” Start with the Camera Settings Cheat Sheet. Its six sections cover aperture, shutter speed, ISO, white balance, metering and shooting modes. It is the broader reference for someone learning several controls.
- “How could I light this portrait?” Choose the Photography Lighting Setup Guide. Its nine illustrated examples include natural, split, loop, Rembrandt, butterfly, broad, short and back lighting, plus a three-point setup. This adds a different subject rather than repeating the camera-controls chart.
- “How do aperture, shutter speed and ISO fit together?” Consider one Exposure Triangle design. This is a focused alternative to the broader Camera Settings print, or an optional extra if you want that topic displayed separately.
One, two or three prints?
One print: Pick the subject you return to most. Camera Settings is our starting choice for a general practice desk; Lighting is the more targeted choice if portrait-lighting ideas are your main need.
Two prints: Camera Settings and Lighting cover different decisions: operating the camera and planning light around a subject. They are separate products at $24.95 each, totaling $49.90 before tax at current individual prices. This is a full-price companion recommendation, not a discounted bundle.
A third print: Add an Exposure Triangle only if a separate, focused reminder earns its wall space. Camera Settings already covers those three controls. Three $24.95 prints total $74.85 before tax at current individual prices; no photography-set discount is included.
Two Exposure Triangle designs: check the actual artwork
The similar names describe different prints, not different sizes:
- Exposure Triangle Photography Poster: orange aperture, green shutter-speed and blue ISO sections around a central camera illustration, with numeric examples.
- Exposure Triangle Poster – Photography Basics: a blue, teal and gold layout with wide/narrow aperture, fast/slow motion and low/high ISO comparisons. Choose this version if you prefer those paired visual comparisons.
For a first reference wall, choose the layout you find easier to follow rather than buying both to cover the same topic. Open each product image before ordering; the Photography Basics version is the optional third print suggested here.
Measure the wall and plan the display
Each of the four prints linked here is one physical, portrait-format, 13 × 19-inch glossy paper poster. They are not downloads. Frames and display hardware are not included.
Mark out paper rectangles before ordering. Two unframed prints side by side with a 2-inch gap need a 28 × 19-inch area; three need 43 × 19 inches. A vertical pair with the same gap needs 13 × 40 inches. These are poster-only measurements. If you use frames, calculate the layout from the frames’ outer dimensions instead of the paper sizes, and allow room for mounting.
Place the reference near the spot where you pause to make decisions, not automatically high above the desk. Check whether your normal chair position, room lights or a nearby window make the glossy surface difficult to read. Try another position before mounting. The charts contain small details, so plan for close reference rather than assuming every line will be readable across a classroom. Paper posters are not sold here as waterproof or wipe-clean teaching boards.
Turn the reference wall into a practice routine
Use a short cycle: choose one question, make a test photograph, note the settings, and compare the result with what you intended. For a motion exercise, compare faster and slower shutter speeds on the same moving subject. Shutter speed changes the time light reaches the sensor; aperture controls the lens opening, and the settings work together. Your camera may adjust other settings automatically, so check its manual and note which exposure mode and Auto ISO setting you used. Nikon explains these relationships in A Basic Look at the Basics of Exposure.
For lighting practice, select one illustrated idea, make a test image, and record the position of the subject and light. Compare the shadows in your own photograph rather than expecting an illustration or a fixed angle to guarantee the result. Use your equipment instructions and practical lighting instruction alongside the print.
Keep your notes beside the wall: “What did I change? What happened? What will I try next?” The poster is a reminder between experiments, not a replacement for your camera manual or a complete photography course.
Before you order
- Check the exact design image and the 13 × 19-inch size.
- Allow for a separately purchased frame or suitable mounting method.
- Choose one focused reference or the complementary Camera Settings and Lighting prints; add a third only if it serves a different need.
- Review the shipping policy and refund policy, including the change-of-mind return restriction, before buying.
Browse Hobbies & Creative Work, or start with the Camera Settings Cheat Sheet.