Conventional wisdom has it that we should always shoot at the lowest ISO setting permitted by the situation at hand. But as you can see from the quote in the lead photo above, some pros beg to disagree. In the interesting tutorial below, you’ll learn three reasons why increasing ISO settings can actually help you capture better images.

British landscape photographer Ian Worth has been a full-time pro for over a decade, so when he urges you to “stop shooting at ISO 100,” there plenty of experience backing up that advice. He’s also somewhat of a contrarian who regularly posts tutorials that reveal simple pro tricks (like you’ll find here) that amateurs who pay attention to the “rules” often ignore.”

In this behind-the-scenes lesson you’ll watch Worth visit a stunning coastal location while discussing ways to modify ISO settings to open up a new world of photographic opportunities. He begins by explaining how he prefers to shoot: “I never even consider what my ISO value is unless it gets above 6,400.” He also reveals that he typically shoots in Aperture Priority mode, and never lets his shutter speed drop below 1/100.

Interestingly, especially for a pro with a portfolio of great images, he adds that “I let Auto ISO take care of the rest.” So much for the “purists” who insist that you’re not a real photographer unless you shoot in Manual mode.

Worth defends the above approach like this: “I can control my exposure with the EV-Compensation dial. It’s such a quick and simple way of allowing me to take photos and concentrate on what’s happening around me.”

The first situation in which Worth recommends bumping up ISO is when you’re shooting hand-held. Here, Worth’s rationale is obvious: avoiding camera shake. As he says, “Camera shake will ruin an image to the point of no repair.” So how about setting up a tripod? Worth insists that doing so could make him miss a fleeting moment of spectacular light.

As the video continues, you’ll watch Worth capture some nice image as various ISO settings—in both color and b&w—so you can compare them and decide for yourself. There’s also a quick discussion regarding the ramifications of shooting at base ISO.

Worth also demonstrates how to use ISO to freeze motion, as well as how to control it to suit his creative vision. Be sure to watch until the end, because he offers a bonus tip about what he calls “ISO invariant cameras.”

There’s much more to learn on Worth’s instructional YouTube channel, so be sure to take a look.

And don’t miss another tutorial we posted recently, explaining five more pro techniques for shooting amazing landscape nature photos.

Yesterday we featured a primer on exposure bracketing, explaining how to get the light right by shooting three images of the same scene, and merging them during the editing process. Today you’ll learn how nail exposure in the camera by using the oft-ignored histogram that you can set to appear on the rear LCD.

Histograms are available in modern DSLRs and mirrorless cameras, and even with some full-featured compact models. Today’s tutorial discusses how a camera’s histogram works, make sure it’s available on your display, and use it to take the guesswork out of properly exposing photos in all kinds of light.

Instructor Darren J. Spooley is a seasoned Irish pro, specializing in landscape photography, who says the easy-to-use histogram is one of the photographer’s best friends. Despite the utility of the powerful tool, it only takes Spooley three minutes to explain “how it’s going to help you save your photos.”

Spooley describes the histogram as a graph that provides “a visual representation of the pixels on a sensor in the scene that you’re shooting.” It indicates the brightness of your image with pure black on the left, pure white on the right, and everything else in between.” Spooley notes that. “the taller the bar, the more pixels exist in that particular area.”

What all this means when shooting in the field is this: if you notice that the histogram is leaning to the left, it’s a sure bet that your photo will be underexposed. Conversely, overexposure occurs when the histogram trends to the right side of the graph. Armed with this information, it’s easy to use EV compensation to arrive at a “correct” exposure—with the histogram appearing as a “mountain on the graph,” sloping to either side.

Sometimes, however, a so-call “proper” exposure isn’t what you want. Perhaps you’re after a dark moody effect, or a bright-and-airy look. Spooley demonstrates how the histogram can still be used in such cases to quickly arrive at an exposure that reflects your creative vision.

Spooley says using the histogram will help you nail exposure every time. Or as he puts it, there’s “nothing worse” than wrestling with an over- or under-exposed image during the editing process.

We encourage you to visit Spooley’s YouTube channel for more helpful advice like this.

And be sure to check out the exposure bracketing tutorial mentioned above.

Enter to win a Tamron All-In-One Zoom lens ($729 Value) we are giving away. The winner will have their choice between three remarkable all-in-one zoom lenses:

• Tamron 28-200mm F2.8-5.6 Di III RXD (Model A071) for Sony E-mount
• Tamron 18-300mm F3.5-6.3 Di III-A VC VXD (Model B061) for Sony E or Fujifilm X-mounts APS-C mirrorless
• Tamron 18-400mm F3.5-6.3 Di II VC HLD (Model B028) for Canon and Nikon APS-C DSLR

NO PURCHASE IS NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. A PURCHASE DOES NOT INCREASE THE CHANCES OF WINNING.

The Tamron All-In-One Zoom Lens Sweepstakes is only open to legal residents of United States and Canada and 18 years of age as of the date of entry. 

Entry Period: June 22 – July 9, 2023
Winner Announced: July 10, 2023

ENTER HERE

Good Luck! 

Learn more about the Tamron lenses included in the Sweepstakes:

Tamron 28-200mm F2.8-5.6 Di III RXD Lens (Model A071)
Innovative all-in-one lens that does it all.

The Tamron 28-200mm F/2.8-5.6 Di III RXD lens for Sony E-mount features a bright maximum aperture of F2.8 at 28mm, which is a world first for all-in-one zoom lenses for interchangeable lens cameras. It delivers high-level performance across the entire zoom range while remaining lightweight and compact even with such a broad range. The Tamron 28-200mm has a length of 4.6 in and weighs just 20.3 oz. And with its 7.5 in MOD at the wide end and 31.5 in at the tele end, the lens also offers high-level close-up shooting performance. When it comes to all-in-one zooms, the innovative 28-200mm F2.8-5.6 is in a class by itself and vividly captures virtually all possible scenes, from landscape photography to portrait photos and snapshots and close-ups.

Tamron 18-300mm F3.5-6.3 Di III-A VC VXD (Model B061) 
An all-in-one lens that zooms from wide-angle to ultra-telephoto for Sony E and FUJIFILM X-mount.

The Tamron 18-300mm F/3.5-6.3 Di III-A VC VXD for Fujifilm X-Mount and Sony E-Mount is an all-in-one zoom lens that’s the first with a zoom ratio of 16.6x (27-450mm full-frame equivalent) for APS-C mirrorless cameras. Effectively able to zoom from wide-angle to ultra-telephoto without compromising image quality, it covers a broad array of shooting situations, including landscape, sports, wildlife, snapshots, and portraits. Its compact design makes the zoom easy to carry every day, and it is ideal for travel and family activities. With an astonishing 5.9 in MOD at the wide end and a maximum magnification ratio of 1:2, you can photograph subjects with a unique perspective. With fast VXD autofocus and Tamron’s VC image stabilization system, the Tamron 18-300mm is an all-in-one zoom lens that makes photography more fun because you can use it in an unlimited number of situations.

Tamron 18-400mm for Canon and Nikon Cameras
Go to extremes with the worldls only 22.2x ultra-telephoto all-in-one zoom.

With a focal length ratio of an unprecedented 22.2x, the all-in-one zoom Tamron 18-400mm for Canon and Nikon APS-C cameras delivers an ultra-telephoto range equivalent to 620mm in the full-frame format. From wide-angle to ultra-telephoto, it offers exceptional optical performance across the entire zoom range. And with a maximum magnification ratio of 1:2.9, you can even enjoy tele-macro photography. Tamron lenses like the 18-400mm for Canon and Nikon cameras bring the creative art of photography to the joy of travel because it’s the only lens you need to pack to capture everything from stunning landscapes and neon-lit cities to detailed street portraits, delicate flora, and local culinary specialties.