How to Use ISO Settings in Digital Photography |  |
- How to Use ISO Settings in Digital Photography
- Dramatic Timelapse Photography Showing the Futuristic Side of Dubai
- Interesting Photo of the Day: Brave Photographer Captures Wild Polar Bear Swimming
- How a Professional Photography Printing Lab Works
| How to Use ISO Settings in Digital Photography Posted: 14 May 2013 04:40 PM PDT ISO should be one of the easiest aspects of digital photography to master, but many beginners in photography still have a hard time understanding this fundamental camera setting.  “Streets Of NYC” captured by Björn Lexius (Click Image to See More From Björn Lexius) I suspect this is because of the way it is being taught. You see, ISO started out as a property of film, and it was much easier to visualize it in terms of the old technology. So that’s where I want to start my explanation, before bringing you into the 21st century with ISO today. ISO actually started out as ASA, which stands for American Standards Association. Decades ago, a commercial film manufacturer came up with a set of numbers to define the sensitivity of different types of film. That set of numbers was accepted by the American Standards Association, so all American manufacturers could use the same system. Later, the American standard was adopted by the International Standards Organization, so ASA became ISO. What does all that mean? Well, it means that the letters ISO didn’t really stand for anything except for the name of an organization. What is important is what ISO referred to, which was the sensitivity of the film. The emulsion on some films reacted quite slowly to light, and on other films much faster. Slower films had a smaller ISO number, like 25, 64, 100. Faster films had a higher number, like 200, 400, 800. A slow film needed a relatively high level of light to create a well-exposed photo. That meant that to take a photo in darker conditions, you would need to use a fairly wide aperture and/or a fairly slow shutter speed to get a result. On the other hand, a faster film reacted to light a lot more quickly, so it needed much less exposure to light to take a photo. Fast film sounds pretty good, doesn’t it? A chance to take a photo in any conditions without a tripod, and to freeze moving subjects with very fast shutter speeds. So why didn’t everyone just use fast films all the time?  Photo captured by Beebo Wallace (Click Image to See More From Beebo Wallace) The answer is that the advantages of fast films came with a trade-off; loss of image quality. The grains of emulsion on a fast film were larger, so a photo taken on a film with ISO 400 or 800 had a rougher, ‘grainier’ look. This may not have been a problem in a small print, but became quite apparent with big enlargements. Consequently, most professional photographers preferred to use slower films of 100 or 64 ISO for most of their work. So is this just a lesson in ancient history? After all, you have a digital camera, so what does all this have to do with you. Well, it may surprise you to know that despite the huge revolution in technology, the essentials of ISO have not changed one bit. Your camera should allow you the option of adjusting your ISO setting. Just like in the days of film, if you set your ISO to a low number like 100, you will need more light to create a correct exposure. That means that you may need to keep a tripod handy for cloudy days, and in certain low-light situations you may not always get the aperture and shutter speed settings you want. If you set your ISO to 400 or 800, your camera will become much more sensitive to light; you will be able to shoot in exactly the same conditions without a tripod, and with greater flexibility to choose the aperture and shutter speeds you want. But here is the amazing part. Higher ISO settings still come with the same trade-off that once existed with film. Along with the speedier sensitivity to light, you can also expect the image to have a grainier finish. I don’t know if it is pixelation, or digital noise, or a combination of both, but it is generally understood that for all their advantages, high ISO photos come with a reduction of image quality that becomes more obvious the more you enlarge the image.  “Man at the metro” captured by Six Pixels (Click Image to See More From Six Pixels) So there you have a quick introduction to what ISO is all about. Perhaps I am just showing my age, but I find this subject easier to explain in old-technology terms. For many people it is easier to visualize when related to something solid like film, rather than something that happens on a computer chip. Anyway, I hope this helps you if you have had trouble understanding what ISO is all about. About the Author: For Further Training on Camera Settings:Check out Photo Nuts and Bolts - Know Your Camera and Take Better Photos by Neil Creek; ($30) an instructional eBook for any photographer who feels that they would like to know more about how their camera works, and how to become more confident at using it to take better photos. By the end of it you'll understand camera settings and be in a much better position to make decisions on how to best use them rather than just sit in Auto mode. It can be found here: Photo Nuts and Bolts eBook Go to full article: How to Use ISO Settings in Digital Photography |
| Dramatic Timelapse Photography Showing the Futuristic Side of Dubai Posted: 14 May 2013 03:53 PM PDT Much has been said about Dubai’s ultra-modern architecture and the crazy pace of the city’s development. Construction projects that range from the world’s tallest skyscrapers to incredible man-made islands have transformed the oil-rich city from a sprawling desert into a cosmopolitan metropolis. Photographer Sebastian Optiz attempts to showcase the wonder that is Dubai through a timelapse video which is scheduled for release in 2014. In the meantime, he has released a 1-minute trailer for the ongoing project (for those reading this by email, the timelapse can be seen here): Some of the perspectives from which Sebastian shoots are simply breathtaking. From the opening scene down to the last frame, the trailer holds a high promise for the completed short film. Truly, Dubai is a sight to behold.
For Further Training on Time-lapse Photography:There is a popular COMPLETE guide (146 pages) to shooting, processing and rendering time-lapses using a dslr camera. It can be found here: Time-lapse Photography Guide Go to full article: Dramatic Timelapse Photography Showing the Futuristic Side of Dubai |
| Interesting Photo of the Day: Brave Photographer Captures Wild Polar Bear Swimming Posted: 14 May 2013 12:11 PM PDT The polar bear: A large, beautiful, and powerful creature, and one you will most likely ever see in a zoo. However, for photographer Joe Bunni, that wasn’t enough. Bunni spent three days scouting out this polar bear in the waters of Repulse Bay in Canada. His patience and persistence paid off as he was able to snap this shot of the polar bear swimming only a few feet away:  Majestic polar bear swimming in the wild (Click to See Larger Size, imgur) Captured with a Nikon D2x in waterproof housing. Some have commented that the photographer is lucky to have not been eaten. Though polar bears are not naturally very aggressive, they’re not afraid to chase down a human if they’re hungry. And seeing as the polar bear is heading towards extinction, largely to starvation, Bunni should consider himself lucky that to have left with only a photo. Go to full article: Interesting Photo of the Day: Brave Photographer Captures Wild Polar Bear Swimming |
| How a Professional Photography Printing Lab Works Posted: 14 May 2013 09:54 AM PDT If you’ve ever wondered how the inside of a high-end printing studio operates, Miller’s Lab - America’s largest professional printing lab – gives us just such an opportunity in this video from Chris Marquardt. Shannon Butler, Miller’s Press Department Lead, walks Marquardt (and us along with him) through the process of printing their many different products, including prints, books, buisness cards, stickers, posters, and DVD cases (for those of you reading this by email, the video tour can be seen here): To create their products, Miller employs the use of dozens of huge and impressive machinery, including both Kodak and HP brand printing presses as well as specialized cutters, stitchers, punchers, and binders (and even ovens!). Between a wide array of automated processes and an expert staff of experienced operators, Miller produces gorgeous prints for photographers and other artists from across the United States and beyond.
Miller has grown to be a world leader in its business through the meticulous attention to detail displayed in this video (Via Petapixel), not to mention an exhaustive range of options when it comes to types of products and the exceptional quality materials available. In their fifty years of operation, Miller’s has perfected the printing process by streamlining production and whittling their methods down to a simple and repeatable science, allowing them to boast not only incredible volume, but perfection, too. Go to full article: How a Professional Photography Printing Lab Works |
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