March 28, 2010
Film Speeds for the Beginner
Cameras have tons of small dials, knobs and meters. If you glare at your camera long enough, you’ll be amazed at how many ways you can adjust your camera and change how your pictures look. But did you know that one of the most important decisions you can make when taking pictures happens before you even load your film?
The speed of the film you use is one of the very few unalterable qualities of Brisbane portrait photography . There are plenty of ways to toy with aperture, exposure, and focus. However, once you select your film and load it into the camera, there is no way to change how the film reacts to light. In every Brisbane corporate photography you ever shoot with real film, you are adapting to the film speed. Film doesn’t automatically change to suit your needs, so it’s important to choose the right film before you start taking pictures.
What is ISO?
Film speed measures how sensitive your film is to light. Low film speeds mean that the film is much less sensitive and needs a longer exposure while high speeds are very sensitive and need shorter exposures. The film speed is referred to as ISO (International Standards Organization). Any film will have the ISO listed on the box. Some common speeds are 400, 800 and 1000 with 400 being the closest to “standard.”
The ISO of your film affects every aspect of the way your camera works. Your light sensor (if you have one) has to be set correctly for the film you’re using, your aperture will be more or less limited depending, and your shutter speed will likely have to decrease or increase to accommodate the film. Even digital cameras have a simulated (and adjustable) film speed that they base their calculations on. Brisbane portrait photographer can help you a lot.
Selecting the Right Speed
The ISO of the film determines what you’re able to photograph and how. Because high speed film needs less time to expose (ISO 800 or higher is a good general rule), you can take images with much higher shutter speeds than with slower film.