Your Guide to using ISO for Hockey Photography
What is ISO?
As you might expect, ISO is an acronym.
What you might not expect is that it is an incredibly boring and mostly unhelpful acronym.
International Standards Organisation.
Wow, that’s boring. The guy who gives things cool names like “aperture” and “digital single lens reflex camera” must have been asleep on the job that day.
Well, there’s actually a pretty decent explanation for the boring name. ISO is a holdover from the days of film cameras. Film was made with different amounts of sensitivity to light. In order to guarantee what kind of result you’re going to get, it’s important to have a good standard.
Thus, ISO.
If you were out in bright sunlight, you would use film with a low ISO sensitivity. If you were in the dark, you would use film with a high ISO sensitivity.
When the digital age came around, the name stuck. In simple terms, turning up the ISO on a modern digital camera gives a “boost” to the image sensor, allowing it to capture more light.
But, this comes at the expense of more digital noise, which makes colours more dull and reduces sharpness.
Equal crops of unedited images taken at ISO 1600 (Left) and ISO 100 (Right). Notice that the high ISO in the left image has caused lots of noise in the dark areas of the image, as well as dull colours.
With that said, you acceptable ISO also depends on where you are going to use your image. If you’re planning on print your picture for a billboard, using a low ISO might be pretty important. On the other hand, if the image is just going on social media, ISO noise won’t cause you much trouble.
Using ISO at the Rink
Yes, you will be shooting with high ISOs at the rink. No matter what kind of gear you have, you will not be able to shoot a hockey game at ISO 100.
(Unless perhaps you have some seriously powerful flash or video lights. The players might not appreciate being blinded like that though)
Once you have your shutter speed and aperture set, it’s just a matter of dialing in an ISO that gives you a nice, even exposure.
When shooting hockey, your histogram should look something like this. The big peak on the right side is because of all the white ice and boards. Notice that nothing is touching the right side though, as that would mean parts of the image are going full white and the highlights are being clipped.
With that said, you acceptable ISO also depends on where you are going to use your image. If you’re planning on print your picture for a billboard, using a low ISO might be pretty important. On the other hand, if the image is just going on social media, ISO noise won’t cause you much trouble.
Using ISO at the Rink
Yes, you will be shooting with high ISOs at the rink. No matter what kind of gear you have, you will not be able to shoot a hockey game at ISO 100.
(Unless perhaps you have some seriously powerful flash or video lights. The players might not appreciate being blinded like that though)
Once you have your shutter speed and aperture set, it’s just a matter of dialing in an ISO that gives you a nice, even exposure.
1/500, f2.8, ISO 1600
When is your ISO Too High?
There will be different opinions about whether or not a picture is “beyond saving” due to ISO grain.
It’s possible that you’ll like what comes out of your camera at ISO 1600, even though the same shot makes your friend vomit. That’s just what it is. If this happens, stay proud of your photos and maybe consider getting some new friends.
The latest posts from the Photography Blog
What are the benefits of commercial photography for your small business?
What are the benefits of commercial photography for your small business?How do you quickly grab a potential customer’s attention? People don’t read anymore and there are a million different distractions competing for interest, so anything mundane or expected...
What is the Best Lens for Ice Hockey Photography?
Welcome to the world of hockey photography! You’re up against low light and fast action. Without a little bit of planning, it’s the perfect recipe for blurry pictures.
You ready for a challenge?
I’m going to compile a list of some excellent lenses that you should think about getting if you want to take your hockey photography to the next level.
5 Tricks for Getting Great Natural Smiles for your Family Portraits
5 Tricks for Getting Great Natural Smiles for your Family Portraits One of the most important skills you can learn as a family photographer is how to coax natural smiles out of your subjects, whether they are young or old, during a photoshoot. Taking great...
Street Photography in Tulum, Mexico
Photography on the Streets of Tulum, MexicoI’ve always been drawn to candid photography. Sure, posed portraits are also fun to envision and create, but candid photography has always seemed like a more authentic expression of life. For me, photography is a way to...
Review of the MIOPS Smart Trigger and Mobile Remote
Review of the MIOPS Smart Trigger & Mobile Remote I recently got the chance to test some photography gear from MIOPS, a rather innovative company that produces triggers and remotes that can help inject some creativity into your photography. Now, I already had a...
Hockey Photography: Tips for Hitting your Focus
Your Guide to Hitting Your Focus for Hockey Photography Read more in the Hockey Photography Series: Introduction Aperture Shutter Speed ISO FocusWhat Lens to UseHitting your focus is quite possible the hardest part of hockey photography. Even if you have the greatest...