Knowing when to use high ISO camera settings will improve your overall photography experience. I know what you’re thinking! Why use a high ISO when the image turns out grainy? There are two reasons.
Number one reason for using high ISO camera settings is in museums, art galleries, aquariums and indoor sporting events. Such places are usually no flash zones. Unfortunately they are also places where you need it most, as they are darker indoor surroundings.
Without a flash your camera may take too long to shoot, resulting in images that are blurry and out of focus. So to compensate for this, a photographers alternative option is to increase the ISO number to 800 or higher.
It is after all, better to get the shot than not at all. Yes, you will see grain in your images, however there are ways to deal with this in post processing. I’ll discuss that more later. For now it’s just important to know that there are times when high ISO camera settings are good.
The second reason for using high ISO camera settings is to purposely shoot a grainy effect to help give mood to a scene. Yes you heard me right, a lot of photographers love the grainy effect! Take the images below for example.
Old and dusty antiques found in museums are perfect subjects for high ISO
The photo of the doll above was taken with a very high ISO camera setting of 12800 on a Canon 5D mark III.
I raised the ISO this high for the pure reason that I didn’t have my flash with me and it was in a dark corner of the room. Looking at it later on, I realized I loved the grainy effect for museum shots.
It’s also important to note that an image taken on ISO 12800 on one camera, may not be possible or look that good on a lower end brand. That’s why I always recommend an ISO of 800 to start with when shooting indoors. Then adjust settings from there depending on the result you’re seeing.
The amount of grain you see will lessen when the image is resized for internet viewing. The same happens when printed in a smaller size compared to poster size images. For those who aren’t sure what I mean by grain, I’ve posted a section of the doll image below that shows the top left corner of the basket seen in its original size. Notice the grain?
More examples of photographs taken on the same day with a high ISO camera settings
The Capella Pioneer Village contains thousands of antique furnishings, bric-a-brac and farming implements from the early settlement days of the local area. The main building is an old homestead, moved and restored to almost original condition.
The image above of an antique spinning wheel was photographed with an ISO 2500. The room lighting where this image was taken was by natural light from the windows. The room was heavily draped with the curtains partially opened.
The suitcases above were photographed with an ISO 4000. They were on top of an old cupboard in a dimly lit room.
Quick Summary – When to use a high ISO camera setting
- When photographing in a place where flash is not permitted. i.e. it’s better to get the shot and deal with the grain later on in post processing if need be. Remember, if resizing for internet viewing or printing in small format, post processing may not be required anyway!
- You can purposely set a high ISO to shoot a grainy effect and help give mood to a scene. Any subject that is old, antique or dusty is perfect for this.
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