What ISO Should I Use for a Specific Style of Photography?
Now that we’ve looked at how ISO can greatly affect the appearance of a photograph let’s take it one step further and discuss what ISO settings are common in different styles of photography. Of course, these are just general guidelines, and the ideal ISO level will change depending on conditions and personal preference.
Landscape Photography:
Landscape photographers often strive to capture images with maximum sharpness and detail. In well-lit landscapes, lower ISO settings such as ISO 100 or 200 are commonly used. By keeping the ISO low, photographers can achieve optimal image quality and ensure crisp details throughout the scene without any unwanted noise. Tripods are also frequently employed to stabilize the camera, allowing for longer exposure times without the need for high ISO settings.
Wildlife Photography:
Photographing wildlife often requires a flexible approach to ISO settings due to changing lighting conditions and the need to freeze motion. In well-lit situations, lower ISO values can be used to capture sharp and noise-free images. However, in low-light scenarios or when photographing fast-moving subjects, higher ISO values, typically ranging from 400 to 1600 or higher, may be necessary to maintain a fast shutter speed and freeze the action.
Long-Exposure Photography:
Long-exposure photography involves using extended exposure times to capture creative effects such as light trails, smooth water, or starry skies. When shooting long exposures with ample light, it's common to use the lowest native ISO of your camera, typically ISO 100 or 200, to maintain maximum image quality. By utilizing a tripod and longer exposure times, photographers can compensate for the low ISO setting while capturing stunning long-exposure images.
Night Sky Photography:
Photographing the night sky, including stars, the Milky Way, and astrophotography, presents unique challenges. This is a form of long-exposure photography but the key difference is that there is often very little ambient light to work with. To capture the faint light of the night sky, higher ISO settings ranging from 1600 to 6400 or even higher are often employed. Higher ISO values allow the camera's sensor to gather more light and reveal the intricate details of the night sky.
However, it's important to carefully manage noise levels at high ISO settings. Advanced cameras with better noise performance can help minimize the impact of noise on image quality. Additionally, post-processing techniques such as noise reduction can be applied to reduce noise without sacrificing critical details.
Portrait Photography:
When it comes to portrait photography, the choice of ISO setting depends on the available light and the desired mood. In well-lit studio environments or outdoor settings with ample natural light, lower ISO values such as ISO 100 or 200 are commonly used. These lower ISO settings help maintain image sharpness and minimize noise, resulting in clean and detailed portraits.
However, in low-light situations or when shooting indoors with limited lighting, higher ISO values may be necessary to ensure proper exposure without sacrificing shutter speed. It’s also quite common to use a wide-open aperture in portrait photography allowing you to use lower ISO values.