Introduction to Photography Exposure Terms – Part 3: ISO

By Marc B

Last week we introduced beginners to aperture, and the week before we wrote about shutter speed. This week (in Part 3 of the Introduction to Photography Exposure Terms), we’re introducing ISO or sensitivity.  Using these settings effectively, will help you achieve the right exposure and therefore the right look and feel for the photo you want to take. Remember to play around with these settings and experiment. You will learn with practice, so start shooting!

ISO or Sensitivity

The ISO setting on a DSLR is used to increase or decrease the sensor’s sensitivity to light.  Current ISO sensitivity ratings are based on the original sensitivities of film i.e 100, 200, 400, 800 etc.  The ability to change the ISO quickly is very useful, as it allows you to adjust your photo according to the available light in the area you are shooting. 

If the shutter speed is too slow and you have no alternative then you can increase the ISO which will allow you to have a faster shutter speed with the same amount of light.  Be aware that as you increase your ISO you also increase the appearance of ‘digital noise’ in your image. ‘Digital noise’ shows up as a messy multi-coloured haze across the image and is particularly noticeable in block areas of colour or shadow.  The ‘digital noise’ gets worse as you increase the ISO.

Typically the ISO has a range from 100 ISO up to 25600 (or more, depending on your camera). When talking about ‘general photography’, most photos are shot in the range of 100 to 1600 ISO.  The best ISO to choose depends on a number of variables. One of these variables is when the content of the image is the absolute first priority (eg a time critical photo for a news story where the technical result is not as important as ‘just getting the shot’). In this case, a high ISO is fine. It will ensure the photo has a better chance at being sharp.

 

Examples

The photo on the left shows a cropped area of an image shot with an ISO of 100.  It is very clean with good contrast and next to no digital noise.

The photo on the right was shot at almost exactly the same time but with the ISO set to 6400.  The difference is less contrast and a lot of ‘digital noise’.

 

The ISO setting can be a powerful tool when deciding on your exposure settings.  Adjusting the setting will allow you to move to a faster or slower shutter speed while keeping your aperture consistent. Keep in mind that as you increase the ISO you also increase the appearance of digital noise in your image with a corresponding decrease in image quality.

Experiment and have fun!

Next week, Part 4 of our ‘Introduction to Photography Exposure Terms’ will be on Exposure (bringing it all together).

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Introduction to Photography Exposure Terms – Part 2: Aperture

By Marc B

Last week we introduced beginners to shutter speed. This week (in Part 2 of the Introduction to Photography Exposure Terms), we’re introducing aperture.  

Using these two settings effectively, along with ISO settings, are key factors in creating the type and style of photograph you want. Think about the outcome you want and adjust your settings. Experimentation is the best way to learn what works, and most importantly, what works for you. So start shooting!

Aperture

There are two reasons to adjust aperture settings. These are, to control the amount of light in your photographs, and creating your desired depth of field in each shot.

Light

The aperture or ‘f stop’ refers to the opening inside a lens that controls how much light passes through the lens to the sensor.  In most lenses this is variable so the photographer can control the light with a high degree of accuracy, choosing if they want a brighter or darker photograph.

The widest aperture of a lens is usually written on the front the lens, and is usually shown as, 1:2.8. This means that the largest aperture on the lens is f2.8. 

On some zoom lenses it may be expressed as something similar to, 1:3.5-4.6. This means that at the widest focal length of the lens the largest aperture is f3.5 and when you zoom all the way in, the largest aperture will be f4.6.  The different representation of the aperture on a zoom lens is because the lens itself absorbs light as it is extended or ‘zoomed in’.

Depth of Field

Controlling the area of apparent sharpness in an image is referred to as the depth-of-field (dof) in an image.  A large aperture (which is achieved by selecting a small number ie. f2.4) will give a shallow depth of field to an image, and a small aperture (which is achieved by selecting a large number ie. f22) will give a deep depth of field.

In the graphic below the relative sizes of the apertures are shown.  At f22 the image will have apparent sharpness from front to back.  At f1.8 the image will have a narrow band of sharpness, or a shallow depth of field.

Examples

The first image is shot with a large aperture of f2.8 and you can see how the depth of field drops off quickly and the image loses sharpness.

 

The second image was shot with a small aperture of f22 and the depth of field is now very deep and there is detail a lot further back into the image.

 

 

Keep in mind that if you want the entire image to be sharp you need to use a small aperture (choose a large ‘f stop’ number).  If you want to achieve a shallow depth of field, use a large aperture, such as f2.4 or f1.8.

Experiment and have fun!

Next week, Part 3 of our ‘Introduction to Photography Exposure Terms’ will be on ISO.

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Crumpler Bags & Accessories Arrive At DCW!

We’re thrilled to announce our new partnership with Crumpler and as of now are stocking the full range of Crumpler professional camera and photography bags online and in all of our retail locations! We’re super excited to be the largest photographic specialist stocking Crumpler’s pro photo and camera range in the country outside of Crumpler branded stores.



Our Crumpler wall-of-pretty is here!

Crumpler is an Australian owned company that designs and manufactures an extensive range of premium quality bags that include professional camera and photography bags, laptop and technology bags, backpacks, casual sling packs and travel luggage. Complimenting their wide range of bags are numerous accessories that include camera straps, tablet sleeves and even compact gadget pouches that are easily affixed to their larger bags. To top is all off, Crumpler offers a lifetime warranty on their products as they truly believe in the quality of their goods! 

 

So if you're in the market for a new camera bag or accessory, why not join the millions around the globe and see what the hype is all about? We know you will be pleased!

Click here to discover more!

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Facebook Fan Photography

We're VERY excited to launch our Facebook Fan Photography album! This segment of our Facebook page is an open forum for our talented fans to provide each other with feedback and suggestions on their submitted photos. We love seeing what our followers get up to behind a camera lens so we're buzzing to see what else gets submitted over the coming days.

The album may be viewed right here

If you would like to partake in this exciting journey with us, simply submit your photograph(s) to -

marketing@digitalcamerawarehouse.com.au

Don't forget to include -

• Your name
• Photograph title (if applicable)
• Camera and Lens used
• Settings and post-processing info.
• Ensure each file is 3mb or less and saved as a Hi-Resolution JPEG.

Happy Snapping Everyone!

- DCW Team.

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