5 What is ISO?

The last two episodes concentrated on aperture and shutter speed. This time we’re going to look at ISO and how this connects with the other two.

What is ISO?

Basically, ISO is a measurement of how sensitive your camera is to the available light. The lower the ISO number on your camera, the less sensitive it is, while the higher you go with the ISO numbers, the more sensitive it is.

When you increase your ISO above a certain level, you can get more light in low light conditions, but that increase in light comes with a trade-off in terms of picture quality.  The higher the ISO, the more digital noise or grain becomes apparent in your images. Noise literally looks like small grains all over your image.

You can see an example of this below. This image was taken at high ISO, and if you look closely, you can see tiny specks all over the image, but it’s especially noticeable in the sky areas.

Watch a video and read more about ISO here: https://photographyandfriends.com/what-is-iso/

About this podcast:

Are you a beginner photographer who wants to learn how to improve your photography? This is the perfect photography podcast for you.

In this podcast series, you'll learn how to expose with your camera - using the aperture, shutter speed, and ISO settings. You'll learn about composition, and what it takes to compose a better image using photography rules of thumb, as well as knowing how to break those rules. And finally, you'll learn how to tell stories with your photos.

If you want to take your photo skills even further, head over to PhotographyandFriends.com for free tutorials, premium courses, one-on-one coaching, and the friendliest photography community online.