Don't Fear High ISO for Sharper Wildlife and Landscape Photos

Summary

Photographer Matt Shannon advocates for a more flexible approach to ISO settings, suggesting that rigidly sticking to ISO 100 can hinder capturing sharp images, particularly for wildlife and landscapes. He explains that ISO acts as an amplifier for light, and while low ISO is suitable for static scenes with long exposures, it becomes problematic when subjects are moving. Shannon illustrates this with examples of photographing trains and wildlife in challenging light, where higher ISOs were necessary to achieve faster shutter speeds and freeze motion, even at the cost of some image noise. He also offers practical advice, such as composing shots carefully to avoid cropping, avoiding underexposure for post-processing, and utilizing manual mode with auto ISO for dynamic situations.

Key points

• Sticking to ISO 100 can lead to slower shutter speeds and missed shots of moving subjects.
• Higher ISO settings are often necessary to achieve fast shutter speeds for sharp images in low light or with moving subjects.
• Proper composition and avoiding underexposure in post-processing can help mitigate noise from higher ISOs.