Cameras

What Does ISO Mean? And Other Photographic Abbreviations

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Below you will find the answer to "What does ISO mean?" and other photographic abbreviations. They're not need-to-know but good-to-know!

ISO

ISO stands for International Organization of Standardization. In photography it refers to a unit (number) which quantifies the sensitivity of photographic film or an image capturing system. Higher ISO numbers mean a higher sensitivity to light.

Example Usage: "Set the camera to 100 ISO."

JPEG

JPEG stands for Joint Photographic Expert Group, and is a file format most commonly used for digital images. JPEG is a compression type that allows the stored amount of detail to vary resulting in smaller or larger files sizes.

Example Usage: "Send me some JPEGs of the show."

EVIL

what does iso mean?

Electronic Viewfinder Interchangeable Lens. A type of hybrid camera with the small body and style of a compact camera but with professional features of an interchangeable lens system and an electronic viewfinder (mirrorless).

Example Usage: "I must have the EVIL Sony RX100III now."

MP

Megapixel (you knew that!). A measurement of the resolution of a digital camera or image equal to one million pixels.

Example Usage: "The new Canon 5Ds has a 50MP sensor"

LCD

Liquid Crystal Display. A common type of screen used on cameras to display images and information relative to interaction with the camera.

Example Usage: "Careful not to scratch the LCD screen please."

LED

Light Emitting Diode. Often used on the rear of cameras as activity indicator lamps, such as an indication the camera is busy writing images to the card. They can also be used as a continuous video light, arranged in an array of 1 to 126 or more LEDs typically with an adjustable brightness wheel. LEDs have low power consumption and emit almost no heat.

Example Usage: "Why is my LED still blinking?"

NFC

what does iso mean

Near Field Communication. A short range wireless connectivity technology becoming an increasingly popular feature in newer cameras. NFC enables wireless transfer of images from your camera to a phone or tablet without the use of wires or a desktop/laptop computer.

Example Usage: "Does that camera have NFC?"

SD

Secure Digital. A small removable memory card used in many cameras. Most computers have a slot for SD connectivity.

Example Usage: "Oh no, I forgot my SD card..."

SDHC

Sony 64GB SDHC | $27.99

Secure Digital High Capacity. An SD card with a capacity higher than 32GB (that's Gigabytes!).

Example Usage: "You'll want the best SDHC for a Panasonic GH4"

 

Elements of a Great Photo: Quadrants for Composition

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What makes a great photograph?

A once in a lifetime capture? Drama or silence? Love or war? There is no formula per se; but there is a sort of track record of successful ingredients. I would describe it as the right mixture of technical know-how, telling a story or evoking emotion, and an artistic composition that supports the two. In this article I'd like to either introduce or resurrect the principle of Quadrants for better composition. Using the principle of quadrants in your photography can help add an appealing form and function to your work, and further help tie the elements of a great photo together.

Take a look at this video by YouTube user Every Frame A Painting. His page is packed with thought provoking analysis of film form. This video will reverse engineer quadrants from their final form in a particular film, down to their most elemental functions.

What is a Quadrant?

Quadrant

A quadrant is simply an equilateral division of a frame into four equal parts, used to guide you in framing of your subject, subjects, or photographic elements.

Quadrant Example Cameraplex

Quadrant Example Cameraplex

It is similar to the more commonly known Rule of Thirds.

Rule of Thirds

Rule of thirds is a compositional technique where the frame is divided, horizontally and vertically, into three parts, using two equally spaced lines.

Rule of Thirds Example Cameraplex

Rule of Thirds Example Cameraplex

The compositional focus of each is slightly different. In the quadrant system the focus of the objects or subjects in your frame lie within a zone, while with the rule of thirds grid they lie on the lines and the intersections.

Some cameras have build in grid overlays (typically rule of thirds), check you camera settings for this. Try shooting either with an actual grid overlay or with a grid in mind. This will help form the story you are tying to tell. If you already have experience with this, revisit it and dig deeper. Tell a different part of the story in each area of the quadrant. Contrast the story and light of one quadrant with that of another, give your photos a new dynamic built upon the elements of a great photo.