Digital Camera Tricks: ISO Setting for Crisp Pictures

Occasionally there are times when softening up a photograph might provide the photographer with a bit of an artistic flare. Many times however, that soft blur isn’t exactly what you had in mind and can often times spoil an otherwise good picture, especially if you intend on enlarging it.

If you are interested in taking a digital photograph that results in a clear, crisp image, here is a tip to consider.

Back in the days when cameras used film before everybody had a digital camera, if you were going to take photographs of fast moving objects like race cars or birds or sporting events, we would choose a fast film speed. This is known as the films ISO. The larger the number, the faster the speed and the better suited it is for taking pictures of objects in motion.

What ISO really is in a nutshell is the films sensitivity to light. A digital camera has a sensor that works in a similar fashion to film with regard to it’s sensitivity to light. Most digital camera’s today allow us to adjust the ISO setting. If you are constantly having trouble taking pictures because of camera movement or you just can’t get your 5 year old to be still, adjusting the ISO can help.

The ISO setting on your digital camera changes the cameras light sensor making it more or less sensitive to light. For example, if you adjusted the ISO from a lower setting to a higher one, the digital camera becomes more sensitive to light. This may result in a flash not being needed in some indoor situations.

My Canon Powershot SD1400IS 14.1 MP Digital Camera ISO setting can be changed from 80 to 1600. (Most point and shoot digital cameras have similar setting options.) 80 would be considered a slow film speed and 1600 a fast one. For slow moving or stationary images in bright light, 80 would be a good setting. This is ideal for outdoor picture taking in bright sunlight. 1600 would be good for capturing images that are in motion such as at a NASCAR race or a hockey game. Those 2 examples would cover both ends of the spectrum so adjust accordingly to match the needs of the situation you are taking pictures in.

Now, these changes do not come without consequences. The higher the ISO setting, meaning the more sensitive to light the camera is, the more graininess or noise you will see in your digital photographs. Not a huge deal if you don’t plan on enlarging your images but could detract from an otherwise great image if you do. Definitely something to keep in mind.

So, how does tinkering with the ISO or speed solve the problem of blurring images? Because the faster the ISO, the less time the cameras shutter has to be open to achieve the desired result. This means that the photographic sensor is exposed to a shorter period of light. If your images are blurred because the subject is moving or because you are moving, the shorter period of time the sensor is exposed to light reduces the likeliness of a blurred image.

To the subject of shutter speed. If your digital camera is set to automatic mode, your camera will automatically conform the shutter speed to the ISO speed, thus making it dummy proof. This has worked in my favor on many occasions.

All of this might seem overwhelming, but it really is fairly straight forward. You are only making one adjustment, and that is to the camera’s ISO speed. Your digital camera does the rest. My suggestion is to experiment with all the different ISO settings when taking a great picture does not matter so you can take a great picture when it does.