In Search Of the perfect ISO for your photographic efforts? So many amateur photographers I meet are confused about what the ISO means and how to best tune it to their imaging needs. I thought I’d give a brief primer here on the topic.
Just What Is ISO?
ISO is equivalent to what we called ASA during film days. ISO is a measure of how sensitive a sensor is to light. The higher the ISO, the better its ability to record light, but the ‘grainier’ the image looks. There’s always a trade-off, …

To “ogle” means to look at someone flirtatiously or lasciviously, according to Webster’s. So, I invented the term “oogle” (a takeoff on Google, no doubt) to describe a behavior that many of us landscape photographers do.
Perhaps you’ve seen this in action. A pro photographer takes an image and as soon as it pops up on the LCD, he (or she) whips out a little black device from a belt holster or from around his neck, hunches over perilously close to his LCD screen and just… well… oogles.
The device in question …

Okay, I’ll admit it. I’m a senior photographer. Not senior as in jobsite seniority. I’m old. Maybe even ancient (well, 60 no longer seems as old as it did when I was thirty).
For us photo geezers, I offer the following: my favorite accessories that I employ in the field, whether I’m shooting landscapes in Ecuador or wildlife in Africa. I’m a professional photographer, so use or modify these suggestions to suit your photographic needs. And, send in your own suggestions which I will post on my site and credit to …

If there is one question that amateurs most often ask about my images, it’s: “How do you get those clouds to pop out so much?” The alternative question is how I get the blue skies to render so… well, blue.
Use a Polarizing Filter
The short answer is that I use a polarizing filter probably 80% of the time when I’m shooting outdoors during the daytime. It’s the not-so-secret ingredient that pros use all the time because our editors, and people who buy our images for their home or office, want to …