Photography for Beginners: Pt 3: Demystifying ISO
- Blue Jay
- Oct 13, 2023
- 6 min read
Updated: Nov 10, 2023
In the last post we talked about the different settings on your camera and how to start playing around with them. ISO is one of the many settings you want to become familiar with to be a successful photographer.
Regardless of what kind of camera you use, understanding ISO settings plays a big role in all photography.
Good ISO settings are important to getting good shots, especially in low lighting.
This has been hands down one of the most difficult things for me to get right as a photographer, so don't feel discouraged if it takes you a while to learn!!
Sections: What is ISO in Photography?, ISO Settings and Sensitivity, ISO and Exposure Triangle, The Impact of ISO on Image Quality, Best Practices for Using ISO, Finding the Right ISO for Different Photography Styles, How to Adjust ISO on your camera
What is ISO in Photography?
ISO stands for International Organization for Standardization (I know, it sounds fake... I was surprised to learn that too). The origin of the word is a bit confusing, but I found this explanation that I stole directly from this website because I couldn't word it better myself:
It is an international standard-setting body composed of representatives from various national standards organizations. The ISO makes standards and guidelines for a variety of businesses and purposes and publishes technical reports. It was founded on 23 February 1947 and the organization promotes worldwide proprietary, industrial and commercial standards. - byjus.com
Now that's where it comes from, but specifically in photography ISO refers to how much your camera will brighten or darken your photo. The origin of the term doesn't really matter, I just wanted to nerd out.
Adjusting the ISO settings on your camera allows you to get good exposure in your photos in various lighting scenarios.
Knowing how and when to adjust ISO will also help you whenever you want to change your shutter speed and aperture settings.
ISO Settings and Sensitivity
A higher ISO setting on your camera makes it more sensitive to light, making it ideal for low-light settings.
A lower ISO setting is perfect for well-lit scenes because it reduces the risk of unwanted noise and grain showing up on your camera.
The lowest ISO setting is typically 100, but some cameras can go as low as 25 or 50. The highest ISO setting is over 1 million!! But most cameras only go up to 3000. Older cameras only go down to a 200 ISO setting.
You want a camera that can give you the lowest possible ISO settings because that will give you the highest level quality of photos (in circumstances where you don't need high ISO).
ISO and the Exposure Triangle
Understanding the relationship between ISO, shutter speed, and aperture is essential for getting good exposure in your photos.
ISO is just one of the 3 components of the exposure triangle, and learning how to master the balance takes time and practice. Once you get a good feel for it, the quality of your photos will greatly increase.
ISO does NOT physically let in more light like shutter speed or aperture do.
ISO brightens the photo you already took. The ISO setting on your camera is simply telling the camera how bright to make the final result.
Using your camera's ISO settings to brighten your photo gives you a better quality photo than brightening the photo in editing software.
The Impact of ISO on Image Quality
While it's true that increasing the ISO will give you more brightness in low-lighting conditions, there is a caveat.
Turn your ISO settings up too high and you'll be introducing all sorts of noise and grain into your photo, which will dramatically lower its quality.
This is why finding the perfect ISO settings for your specific lighting is so crucial, but this knowledge tends to come only with practice.
To my utter dismay, I've ruined many beautiful photos because I wasn't very good at adjusting my ISO settings.
In the test shot I took of a night sky below, you can see my DSLR camera was able to illuminate the very dark surroundings. However, the photo has a lot of noise and grain and is overall unflattering, essentially unusable. Some of this can be fixed with editing, but the photo will never have the same crisp quality that it could have had with proper ISO settings.
Avoid high ISO as much as you possibly can. High ISO is usually only necessary in very well lit conditions where the subject is moving fast (which means you need a faster shutter speed and a higher ISO to make up for it).
Best Practices for Using ISO:
When shooting in bright daylight, use a lower ISO setting to maintain image sharpness and clarity.
In low-light conditions or indoor settings, gradually increase the ISO to capture well-exposed images without compromising on image quality.
Experiment with different ISO settings to understand their impact on image noise and overall picture quality.
Most cameras have an Auto ISO setting. With this setting, you can tell the camera not to go above a certain ISO value. That way, no matter what, you won't end up with ISO that is too high. This isn't a magical cure however, because the camera will adjust the shutter speed to make up for it, which could still ruin your photo.
Finding the Right ISO for Different Photography Styles
Understanding the appropriate ISO settings for different photography styles can significantly enhance your creative process. Here's a quick guide:
Low Light Photography: Increase the ISO to capture clear and well-exposed images in dimly lit environments without using flash. Use a tripod and try a slow shutter speed with a still subject.
Portrait Photography: Maintain a moderate ISO setting to preserve skin tones and minimize noise, ensuring high-quality portrait shots. Become familiar with lighting options for a "studio" look that will give you good exposure without needing high ISO.
Landscape Photography: Try the lowest ISO setting to capture sharp and detailed landscape shots, especially in well-lit outdoor settings. Use a tripod and a slow shutter speed when possible.
How to Adjust ISO on your camera:
Smartphones:
Many smartphones have automatic settings for ease of use, but the ability to adjust the ISO settings manually is there for those who want more control.
A smartphone camera may not perform as well as a DSLR or Mirrorless camera even with an adjustment in ISO, but your shots will still look better with the extra help.
To adjust the ISO on a smartphone camera, you typically need to access the manual or pro camera mode within the camera app. Once in this mode, you can look for the ISO settings and use a slider or numerical input to adjust the ISO value.
Specific steps for adjusting the ISO may vary depending on the make and model of the smartphone.
There are many third party apps that can give you more control.
Point and Shoots:
A lot of point-and-shoots put more emphasis on automatic settings for the sake of simplicity.
You may not have the ability to fully adjust ISO on your point-and-shoot.
Check your menu settings and look for "ISO" or "ISO Settings".
It's also worth looking into the different scene modes or automatic modes that may be programmed into your camera.
I've experienced my worst ISO issues with point-and-shoots unfortunately, and would not recommend them for anything other than bright, outdoor lighting scenarios.
DSLR and Mirrorless:
Find the ISO button on your camera body (it's usually clearly labeled ISO). It's likely near the shutter button or on the top or back of the camera.
Some cameras have a dial you turn to adjust the ISO instead of a button.
Once you press the ISO button you will activate the ISO setting. From there you can adjust the ISO, with the results showing in real-time on your LCD screen.
Alternatively, you can access your camera's menu settings and find ISO settings there.
Mastering ISO settings is essential for any photographer looking to capture stunning images across different lighting conditions. Experimenting with various ISO settings will ultimately help you find the perfect balance between exposure and image quality for every shot.
Remember, practice makes perfect, so grab your camera and start experimenting with ISO!
If this post was helpful to you, share it on social media for others! It helps me a lot. :)
Your Homework
-Find a place with good lighting
-Take 3 photos in the good lighting- one with low ISO settings, medium ISO settings, and high ISO settings
-Do the same in a place with low lighting
-Observe how the pictures are affected. Save these pictures for future reference.
-Pick a subject to photograph for a "mini photoshoot"(at least 10 photos)
-How many photos were you able to take with no noise or grain in them?
Take the poll below!
Quiz: Which of these photos was taken with high ISO?
Photo 1
Photo 2
Photo 3
Since we're on the topic of lighting, let's continue to the next post all about shutter speed.
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