Category: editing
Understanding ISO in photography – one part of the exposure triangle.
Photography is an art form that has evolved over time with the advancement of technology. One of the essential aspects of photography is ISO, which determines the sensitivity of the camera’s sensor to light. ISO stands for International Organization for Standardization, which sets the standard for sensitivity ratings in photography.
In this short post we will discuss what ISO is and how it works and categorize it into three categories: basic, in-depth, and advanced understanding.
Firstly three images .. starting from 100 in picture one 3200 in picture 2 and 6400 in picture three. to see the way images have less detail and also more noise the higher the ISO
Basic understanding of ISO:
ISO is a measure of the camera’s sensitivity to light. The lower the ISO number, the less sensitive the camera is to light, and the higher the number, the more sensitive it is. In simple terms, ISO determines how bright or dark an image will appear. For instance, a low ISO number of 100 will produce a darker image, while a higher ISO number of 800 will produce a brighter image.
In-depth understanding of ISO:
ISO is one of the three essential elements of exposure, along with aperture and shutter speed. Aperture refers to the size of the opening in the lens that allows light to enter, while shutter speed is the duration of time the shutter remains open. ISO plays a vital role in exposure because it allows the photographer to adjust the camera’s sensitivity to light to achieve the desired exposure.
A low ISO setting is ideal for shooting in bright conditions, such as outdoors on a sunny day. On the other hand, a high ISO setting is suitable for shooting in low light conditions, such as indoors or at night. However, a high ISO setting can introduce digital noise or graininess to an image, which can result in a loss of detail and clarity. It’s essential to strike a balance between the ISO setting, aperture, and shutter speed to achieve the best exposure and image quality.
Advanced understanding of ISO:
In addition to its role in exposure, ISO can also affect the overall mood and style of an image. A low ISO setting can produce a sharper and cleaner image with less noise, while a high ISO setting can create a grainy or gritty look, which can be desirable in certain types of photography, such as street or documentary photography.
Another advanced technique is ISO bracketing, which involves taking multiple shots of the same scene with different ISO settings. This technique is useful for capturing images in unpredictable lighting conditions, such as during a sunset or sunrise, where the light changes quickly. By taking multiple shots at different ISO settings, the photographer can choose the best exposure and eliminate any unwanted noise or graininess.
In conclusion, ISO is an essential aspect of photography that determines the camera’s sensitivity to light. It plays a vital role in exposure, image quality, and overall style and mood of an image. Understanding the basic, in-depth, and advanced aspects of ISO can help photographers make informed decisions when setting up their camera and capturing their vision.
This is part of basic learning with photography. There are more technical details to iso but I don’t want these posts to resemble a ikea instruction manual lol! And more make it a simple understandable read.
Best types of lenses for portrait photography.
Portrait photography is the art of capturing a person’s likeness in a photograph. It is a popular form of photography that is used for a variety of purposes such as family photos, headshots, and engagement photos. To achieve the best results in portrait photography, it is important to use the right lens.
One of the best lenses for portrait photography is a telephoto lens. Telephoto lenses have a longer focal length, which allows you to capture a subject from a distance. This is particularly useful in situations where you are not able to get close to your subject. Telephoto lenses also have a shallower depth of field which helps to blur the background and make the subject stand out. This creates a more pleasing and natural-looking portrait.
Another great lens for portrait photography is a prime lens. Prime lenses have a fixed focal length, which means that you can’t zoom in or out. However, they are known for their sharpness and clarity, which is especially important for capturing fine details in a person’s face. They also typically have a wider aperture, which allows for a shallower depth of field, making the subject stand out even more.
A third lens that is great for portrait photography is a medium telephoto lens. These lenses have a focal length of around 85mm to 135mm. They are great for capturing a more natural-looking portrait as they are able to capture a subject with a more natural perspective. They also have a shallower depth of field which helps to blur the background and make the subject stand out.
In summary, the best lenses for portrait photography are telephoto, prime, and medium telephoto lenses. They are all great choices for capturing stunning portraits because of their ability to create a shallow depth of field and focus on the subject, while blurring the background. They can also capture the fine details of a person’s face, which is essential for creating a pleasing portrait
Low light photography! A few simple things to know and understand when working in low light conditions.
Low light photography can be a challenging but rewarding experience. It requires a combination of technical knowledge and creative thinking to capture beautiful and unique images in dimly lit environments. In this essay, we will explore some tips and techniques for getting the best results from your camera in low light situations, and how to avoid common pitfalls that lead to blurry
images.
The first step in low light photography is to understand the limitations of your camera. Most cameras perform best in bright light, and as the light level decreases, the camera’s ability to capture sharp and detailed images also decreases. This is because the camera’s sensor needs a certain amount of light to function properly, and in low light situations, the sensor may not be able to gather enough light to produce a clear image.
To compensate for this, you will need to use a longer shutter speed, which allows more light to reach the sensor. However, using a longer shutter speed also increases the risk of camera shake, which can result in blurry images. To avoid this, you will need to use a tripod or some other form of support to keep your camera steady. Additionally, you can use the self-timer function on your camera to avoid camera shake caused by pressing the shutter button.
Another way to increase the amount of light reaching the sensor is to use a wider aperture. Aperture is the opening in the lens that controls how much light reaches the sensor. By using a wider aperture, more light can enter the camera and reach the sensor. However, this also affects the depth of field, which is the area of the image that is in focus. A wider aperture will result in a shallower depth of field, which can be useful for creating a sense of depth and separation in your images.
Another important aspect of low light photography is ISO. ISO is a measure of the camera’s sensitivity to light. The lower the ISO, the less sensitive the camera is to light and the less noise in the image. However, in low light situations, you may need to use a higher ISO to get a well-exposed image. But, as you increase the ISO, you will also increase the amount of noise in the image, which can be unsightly. So, it’s a balance between having a well-exposed image and having noise in the image.
In addition to adjusting these technical settings, you can also use creative techniques to enhance your low light images. For example, you can use a flashlight or other light source to illuminate specific areas of the image. You can also use long exposures to capture the movement of light in the scene. This can create interesting and dynamic images that are not possible in bright light.
In conclusion, low light photography can be a challenging but rewarding experience. It requires a combination of technical knowledge and creative thinking to capture beautiful and unique images in dimly lit environments. By understanding the limitations of your camera, using a tripod or other form of support, adjusting the aperture, ISO and shutter speed, and using creative techniques, you can get the best results from your camera in low light situations and avoid the common pitfalls that lead to blurry images.
My ten tips to create beautiful lighting that flatters for that perfect selfie or as a professional photographer.
This is My Ten simple tips to create beautiful lighting that flatters for professional photos or perfect selfies
1: Use natural light whenever possible.
Natural light is often the most flattering and easiest to work with. Putting your subject in the right place at the right time of day with natural light can be the softest lighting to work with, and most effective.
2: Experiment with different times of day.
The quality of light can change significantly depending on the time of day, so try shooting at different times to see what works best for you or your subject.
3: Use reflectors or a white card to bounce light back onto the subject.
This can help fill in shadows and add dimension to the subject. Bring out a glow to the eyes and under the chin to make an image more appealing to the eye.
4: Experiment with different light sources.
In addition to natural light, you can also use artificial light sources such as studio strobes or continuous lights. Even a simple ring light can be a creative tool or a small video light will add a pop to your pictures.
5: Pay attention to the direction of the light.
Light that is coming from the side or from behind the subject can create a more dramatic effect, sometimes a bright light from behind will result in a more silhouetted looking image.
6: Use diffusers to soften the light.
This can help reduce harsh shadows and make the light more flattering to the subject. A simple white sheet over a window will give a soft touch to any image.
7: Avoid shooting directly into the sun.
This can create harsh shadows and cause lens flare and in turn make the images soft with less contrast. Though this rule isn’t always bad. It can also be creative if used in the correct environment .
8: Use negative fill to create shadows. By placing a dark object near the subject, you can create shadows and add depth to the image.
If you have a very light room from natural light through a window or a white bedroom this idea will be great, even a dark sheet/ blind or black card will reduce some light giving more depth to a subject.
9: Experiment with different apertures. Aperture controls the amount of light that enters the camera, as well as the depth of field.
This can be found on all manual settings in camera or on smartphones. This is perfect to add a little creative look when using a low F number ..
10: Keep an eye on the colour temperature of the light. Different light sources can cast different color temperatures, which can affect the overall mood of the image. Use a colour checker or white balance tools to help ensure accurate colour. For instance house lighting and sunlight can produce a warm tone to an image.. where a window lit by indirect light or even a snow scene will have a cooler more white look..
Please remember that these are my personal tips, we all have our own ideas. There’s nothing wrong with using a bunch of the above methods and then in your preferred editing software creating something much more refined or dramatic.
Let me know what you try and how it works out for you.
Follow me on here or on Instagram http://www.instagram.com/adriandayphotography to see more !
The 85mm lens every photographer should own one!
This is my Five reasons I love my 85mm lens it’s one of my bread and butter lenses.
1: It’s great for Portrait photography:
The 85mm focal length is ideal for portrait photography because it allows you to capture flattering, up-close shots of your subject without distorting their features. This is especially useful for capturing headshots and full-body portraits.
2: Bokeh:
The 85mm lens is known for its ability to produce beautiful, creamy bokeh in the background of your photos. This is especially useful for isolating your subject and drawing attention to them.
3: Low light performance:
Many 85mm lenses have a wide maximum aperture, which allows them to perform well in low light situations. This makes them a great choice for indoor photography or for shooting at dusk or dawn.
4: Compact size:
85mm lenses are generally smaller and more lightweight than other lenses, making them a convenient choice for photographers on the go.
5: Versatility:
While the 85mm lens is often used for portraits, it can also be used for a variety of other subjects, including landscape, street, and event photography. It’s a versatile lens that can be used in many different situations. The 85mm is always with me!
In closing:
So, in all honesty this lens is one lens I would recommend any photographer purchasing.
These days the 85mm 1.8 isn’t that expensive and if you’re a multi shooting photographer who likes shooting landscapes events or models, this lens would pay for its self ! Low cost, high quality prime lens that will get plenty of use!
To finish … if you’re a photographer or someone just starting out. And own an 85mm lens let me know in the comments if you agree that it’s worthwhile buying one..
ARE BLOG POSTS STILL WORTH DOING IF YOUR’E A PHOTOGRAPHER IN 2022?
Okay help me out here? I’ve been a photographer for many years in fact this year – I’m hitting 25 years, So most would say that I’m pretty old school.
Now, I do a number of styles of photography; landscapes, Fine art, Seascapes in the formats that I sell. Then there are the formats like Weddings, portraits, boudoir, lifestyle and locations shoots that I’m paid to do.
Over the years along with the photography I’ve tried to do it where I post on my blog and also show a little of who I am and what I do, maybe even what I could be doing for you, the client.
This has been great, But over the last few months I have seen a vast decline in interactions on blog posts and also website views have decreased. this could be that life is starting to get back to normality what with covid restrictions being lifted or less and less people are interested in reading blogs
Looking at research from the leading social media’s such as facebook, tiktok and instagram its looking like more and more people are switching over to short form video content because life is super busy and we can flick through 50 videos faster than reading a few lines of written content.
QUESTION ? HAVE YOU READ THIS FAR..
If you have answered yes well I would like to say a
big thank you ..
See I’ve never been one to get in front of a camera .. hey I’m the photographer not a good looking subject, person or object.
This post is really a question to those who actually read and maybe come across some of my images.
Do you enjoy blogs? would you want to see more interactive posts on Adrian Day Photography?
leave me a comment below i would love to interact with real people and followers
Also if you have a moment could you answer a poll for me …
okay guys thank you for reading this post and I hope to hear from you on this subject .. keep eyes out for more posts coming soon as we have some new products coming up for sale .
Free Arrow video assets yes these overlays are free completely free.
Hey guys I’m giving these simple arrow assets / overlays away these are simple and all you need to do is download these and add them as a picture then use chroma to clear the green around the edge.
Resize them to suit your video add a little transition and you will have a fantastic yet simple overlay ..
Watch the reel that goes with these overlays
Would you buy this style of art? Prints and products by Adrian day
This is only a short post! While I have a few moments
The last few weeks I’ve Been working on new product and new digital art.. The new images I’ve had printed really look amazing and more like paintings. Than photographs.
But that’s the look that I’m going for .. we all love art in some way. And though I’m first and foremost a portrait photographer I have a love for capturing the world and giving it a painted look.
Here are a couple of images that I’ve been working on let me know what you think?
Please leave me a comment if there is any of these image you would see as a potential wall art for you..
New one minute video just gone live on YouTube
Hey guys and girls just a quick message to let you all know that there is a very short video just been posted !
Please go show a little support and follow like subscribe!
Let me know what you think of the images !
YouTube post click here to go see it !
2022 limited edition Maldon Calendars
Well we are just in the process of going to print with the limited edition Maldon Calendars.
We tested the water just after Christmas and was amazed that the five we had printed sold out in just seconds !
Not kidding! one single post on facebook and they was all accounted for .. with one person wanting two right away.
Will post the images below of what each month looks like and if you’re interested please send me a message below. (Scroll to the bottom and comment) or simply email adrianday@photographer.net
These limited Edition calenders will be priced around £14.99 +P&P total £17.49
Limited edition Maldon Calender
See carousel above for more details of the product. Twelve months of beautiful images from around the sea side town of Maldon district .. these limited edition calendars are 1 /100 printed.
£15.00
Adrian Day Photography 
