DIY Network

Pet Portraiture: ISO, Sensitivity and Making Test-Shots From "The Whole Picture" episode DTWP-105

Some test shots, using our very cooperative stand-in, help ensure the proper lighting and camera settings.

Professional photographer Erin Manning offers advice on how you can coax cooperation from your pets for better indoor portrait shots. She also covers lighting tips, adjusting the camera's ISO setting for proper exposure and, finally, having some fun with pet portraits through creative use of backgrounds.

Materials:

Digital camera
Camera owner's manual
Tripod
Clamp lights
Roll of seamless paper
or a sheet or blanket

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	An ordinary snapshot of our subjects using direct flash results in the unwanted "green eye" effect.
	Shutter Speed: 1/55 sec Aperture: f/3.7 ISO: 200 No Flash
	Shutter Speed: 1/240 sec Aperture: f/3.7 ISO: 800 No Flash

In order to get bold, beautiful pictures of your canine or feline friends, simple snap-shots with a direct flash just won't make the grade. For really distinctive indoor pet portraits, you'll need to take time to set everything in place before bringing in your subject. Choose a suitable background and adjust your lighting to bring out the best in your pet's appearance. You'll then need to find your digital camera's settings to get the best balance between detail and image quality.

ISO and Sensitivity

In the previous lesson on pet portraiture, Erin Manning discussed the proper set-up and lighting for shooting indoor photos of pets, and she suggested working out your set-up while the pet is still out of the room. But before you bring in your pet, you'll need to adjust one more thing--the ISO or sensitivity on your camera. ISO is essentially the same thing that was termed ASA or film speed in traditional photography. In Europe the film speed was always known as ISO, and that term has now become the worldwide standard. Regardless of what it’s called, it's purpose is adjusting the sensitivity of your camera’s sensor.

The reason you're working with the sensitivity is because, in pet portraiture, you want to avoid using the flash. The flash may startle your pet and limit the number of pictures you can take. In addition, some digital cameras have a problem adjusting for indoor studio type lighting.

Changing the ISO affects the way the shutter speed and lens opening combine to give you the best exposure. If you're accustomed to 35mm film photography, you'll recall that higher ASA settings (800, 1600, etc.) allowed you to shoot in lower light situations without using a flash. But that ability came at a price--a more grainy texture to the photo. In digital photography, that phenomenon is essentially the same. Higher ISO will allow you to shoot in lower light situations, but the trade-off in image quality is referred to as "noise." Whether it’s dealing with grain or noise, the balance of light and sensitivity is the equation that you'll be working with in striving for the best results in your shots. Perhaps the most reliable technique for getting those good results is to take test shots at various ISO's before shooting your actual subject to determine the best exposure. Fortunately, with digital photography, you can take as many test shots as you want at no real cost. Simply take them and delete them after you've determined the best settings.

	Figure A
	Figure B
	Figure C

Making Test Shots

Here are the basic steps to for making test shots, using varied ISO, to determine which exposure will work best under your lighting conditions.

1. To change the ISO or sensitivity of your camera, put your camera into menu mode and navigate through the menus until you find ISO (figure A).

2. Press OK to select the menu option.

3. Navigate to the middle ISO speed (figure B) and press OK again (figure C).

4. Put the camera back into camera mode and take your first picture.

5. Repeat the process selecting a lower and higher ISO and taking a picture at each speed.

6. When you have three pictures, compare them to see which one gives you the best compromise between image quality and detail. Then set your camera back to that ISO for your actual pictures. You may have to take more test photos to get the setting just right.

Working With the Real Thing

Once you have your lighting and backdrop set up, and your camera is set for proper exposure, you can bring in your live subjects (figures D and E). Remember that, in pet photography, time is of the essence. Get them settled down as soon as possible. It may help to use treats or afavorite toy to help them "focus."

Figure D

Figure E

Don't waste time trying to get them in the perfect position. Instead, concentrate on getting them to settle down. Once they're in place, start snapping right away. Remember that, in this type of photography, it's usually the subject who will decide when the shoot is over!

RESOURCES :

PC Photo magazine
Website: www.pcphotomag.com
Online version of the magazine devoted to digital photography and related technologies.

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Digital Photography
Model: 002864235X
Author: Steven Greenberg
Order this book from Amazon.com.
Prentice Hall
Paramus, NJ 07652

Digital Photography For Dummies
Model: 0764506463
Author: Julie Adair King
Order this book from Amazon.com.
Hungry Minds, Inc.

Complete Digital Photography
Model: 1584500077
Author: Ben Long
Order this book from Amazon.com.
Charles River Media
Website: www.charlesriver.com/