How to Photograph Flying Birds: shutter speed, aperture, focus mode, exposure, and lighting

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[@TonyAndChelsea]

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[@MentalWhiplash]

I found a great way to "practice" photographing birds this weekend. I went to a radio-controlled airplane flying field and (with their consent) photographed their airplanes as they flew around. Not only did I get A LOT of practice in but I got a lot of email addresses so they could get copies of the photos after they saw what I was capturing. It was a great way to shoot, analyze, adjust, and shoot some more without having to wait for birds to fly by!

[@manny75586]

That is a really great idea. When I got started back in the stone ages I would practice on people flying kites at the beach. Really great idea for practice with the RC planes. Plus who knows, maybe photographing the planes will become a hobby too. (photographing kites did for me eventually)

[@TonyAndChelsea]

Yes, that's one of the hardest parts! I do have some tips in Chapter 8 of my book. It takes practice! Pre-focusing your lens on an area at about the same distance where you hope your subject will appear can help.

[@thr4iam151]

I was shooting a falcon yesterday and I kept getting blurry shots so I manually focused down on the ground where I knew he was going to grab his prey....getting better but still not sharp like I know they could be! I'll keep working on it!📷🦉🥰✌️

[@TonyAndChelsea]

For those in the Canon world, AF-S is like One Shot. Basically, it's Autofocus-Still. AF-S is useful for focus-recompose (which I cover in Chapter 4 of Stunning Digital Photography) and it's the focus mode I use for everything except moving subjects. Portraits, landscapes, night photography, etc. You're right, the combination of high FPS and AFS isn't as useful as a high FPS with AF-C. But, AF-C might be slower because the camera has to take a moment to refocus between shots.

[@TexMex421]

The 7D is a great compliment to any full frame. For 2 years I had a 5DII and a 7D, and thus always had a back-up, but also could choose the best camera for a particular shoot. All for less than any 1D series. My 5D + 300mm f4IS and sometimes 1.4X extender was a potent bird set-up.

[@TonyAndChelsea]

I just added this as a note to the video because so many people mention the pronunciation, but ISO isn't an acronym, so spelling it isn't technically correct (not that it really matters). ISO is a form of the Greek word "isos", which means equal, as in isometric. But all that really matters is that we all know we're talking about sensor sensitivity.

[@TonyAndChelsea]

Good choice; the 7D is perfect for wildlife. I normally use a 5D Mark III, but I've been considering getting a 7D just for wildlife; the 7D has excellent autofocus and the 1.6X crop factor would be tremendously useful. Because the 7D has a higher pixel density, you'll get more detail from a shot with the 7D than you would if you had to crop the same shot on a 5D Mark III.

[@TonyAndChelsea]

The 300 f/4, along with a 1.4x teleconverter. I've also been recommending the Tamron 200-500, which slower autofocus, but it has a bit more reach, zooms, and is very lightweight.

[@TonyAndChelsea]

Absolutely! If you check Chapter 8 of my book (links in the description) you'll see many of the examples were taken with shorter lenses. Your 70-300 was actually my second wildlife lens, but I've been at it for about 16 years. Also check out my recent videos for the video about using a bird blind. You can get closeup pictures with any lens using those techniques.

[@TonyAndChelsea]

Go for the D90. Usually you can overcome focus issues by sticking with the center focusing point and getting lots of practice keeping the focusing point over a contrasty part of the subject.

[@TonyAndChelsea]

Hey, let's keep this friendly, Timothy. BTW, if you do read those chapters, you'll see that the book is about photographic techniques, not buying gear. For wildlife, much of the focus is on getting close to the birds, which you need to do regardless of the equipment you have. I review reader photos every day, and shoot side-by-side with people using entry-level wildlife equipment, and they get FANTASTIC pictures. So, don't get distracted by the gear (a lesson in Chapter 1, BTW).

[@TonyAndChelsea]

It depends where you're going. Small alleys in old parts of Europe need a super-wide angle lens like the Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5. Your kit lens might be wide enough for many places, and you can make panoramas to get super-wide angles without having to carry an extra lens--read Chapter 2. Ch 6 covers portraits, but look at the Tamron 70-200 f/2.8. Ch 12 covers macro. It depends on your subjects (insects, still life) but I like the Sigma macros. Ch 3 covers flash, but go off-brand with ETTL.

[@TonyAndChelsea]

RAW always. I don't do much post-production on the average picture I put on Facebook, but if I'm selling a picture or putting it in the book, I'll often clean it up a little. Incidentally, my book (links in the description) has detailed information about RAW vs JPG (Chapter 4) and processing/culling/editing wildlife photos specifically (Chapter 8).

[@HoseGuerrero]

I just wanted to say, it's very cool that you're answering questions in the comments of your videos.

[@TonyAndChelsea]

Try using the center AF point only. Cameras have different AF systems, and the lens matters a great deal, too. They all require some practice to get right, but some cameras and lenses can be quite slow. Check Chapters 4 and 8 in Stunning Digital Photography for more information about focusing.

[@manoi54]

tony,i've been following you since i got my new toy d7200 n i must say my skills in taking pictures has improved a lot when i started watching your video tutorial.more power to you.thank u.

[@TonyAndChelsea]

+juno alonzo Glad I could help! Enjoy it!

[@TonyAndChelsea]

Often, yes. If you have one of the big pro telephotos, they can usually handle a 1.4x teleconverter without a noticeable loss in sharpness. Of course, the sharpness is technically reduced, but these big lenses have so much sharpness to begin with that the drop in sharpness might not be visible at, say, 20 megapixels (but you theoretically would see the sharpness drop if your camera had enough megapixels to resolve the difference).

[@TonyAndChelsea]

Well, many people do mount it to the lens, which is definitely better--I just didn't have the necessary hardware. I do have a Better Beamer to focus the flash a bit, but it's such a pain that I rarely use it. It's OK that the flash is at 105mm (or whatever it's at). Most of the flash output is wasted, but it's still powerful enough to fill in the shadows and give a catch light.

[@TonyAndChelsea]

Hi, Ross. Thanks for buying the book! Check Chapter 8 of Stunning Digital Photography for a complete overview, as well as Chapter 4. Nowadays, I use Tv, 1/2000th, auto ISO, AI-Servo, and exposure compensation as needed.

[@TonyAndChelsea]

I'm not sure; it depends how fast they're moving, how close they are, whether they're jets or props, and how bright the sky is. Start with ISO 200 (or auto ISO if your camera has it), shutter priority at 1/1000th, and use exposure compensation to dial in one stop overexposure. If they're blurred, go to 1/2000th. If you want the props to be blurred and they're frozen, go to 1/500th or slower. If the planes are too dark against the sky, increase the exposure compensation to two stops.

[@TonyAndChelsea]

The 400 f/5.6 will probably be a bit lighter and easier to use, and you don't have to buy the teleconverter. For me, I'd take the 300 f/4, because you can zoom back to 300mm when you're close enough by taking off the teleconverter and get that extra stop of light, which will halve your shutter speed and improve focusing. It's also shorter, making it easier to pack and carry. BTW, I discuss choosing and using telephoto lenses for birds and such in Chapter 8 of my book (link in the description).

[@TonyAndChelsea]

I would only use a 1.4x TC on the 70-200 f4. That'll bring you to f5.6, which is the highest you'll be able to AF with (on most bodies). It will definitely slow down AF; it's blocking half the light from reaching your AF sensors. I'm not a fan of TCs, myself. I have a thorough discussion of this in Chapter 8 of my book (links in the description).

[@TonyAndChelsea]

Sure, I shoot wide open when I can't get close enough for depth-of-field to be a problem. But if a pic is blurry from short DoF, shutter speed doesn't matter. It's a constant balance, as I'm sure you know. BTW, the faster aperture also gives you faster focusing and a brighter viewfinder, which helps a lot. I love that 400mm f/2.8. It's smaller than my 500mm, but MY GOD does it weigh a lot! I'm sure you get used to it but I couldn't hand-hold that lens for a minute.

[@TonyAndChelsea]

That's my photography book, Stunning Digital Photography (link in the description). This video is just part of that book; the book itself contains far more detail about bird photography.

[@TonyAndChelsea]

It was about $6k, but because I make money from my pictures, I needed the extra detail, and it paid for itself long ago. I always recommend far less expensive lenses for wildlife photography. This was my fourth telephoto lens and I only bought it after about 10 years of shooting wildlife. Check Chapter 8 of my book (link in the description) for more affordable recommendations.

[@tulle5586]

I was just kidding around. I love your video series and have gained very useful info. I thought you were shooting the 200-400 f/4 in this video. Keep doing your thing!

[@TonyAndChelsea]

Well, you'll probably love wildlife photography. The strategies and challenges are almost exactly the same, and your hunting experience will make you instantly much better at it than most people. More importantly, while you're only allowed to hunt the most boring and common of birds, with a camera you can shoot anything--bald eagles, osprey, condors, whatever. In fact, the more exotic and rare, the better.

[@TonyAndChelsea]

Sounds like you're discussing a focus trap (I have a separate video on focus, and I discuss focusing in detail in Chapter 4 of Stunning Digital Photography). You wouldn't really use a focus trap (or AF-S) for flying birds, however. AF-S and 6fps could be useful with perched birds.

[@barrycohen311]

Tony is ok in my book, Most of his videos are geared towards beginners. Nothing wrong with that. When I was starting photography several years ago, I picked up a lot of useful info from him.

[@TonyAndChelsea]

It depends on the subject and the background. Check Chapter 8 in Stunning Digital Photography for more information, but basically, use a single AF point unless the background is the sky.

[@TonyAndChelsea]

That's pretty vague so it's hard to answer, but generally IS/VR is useful, but there might be better ways to spend your budget. Check the Lens Buying Guide chapter that's part of my Photography Buying Guide (available using the 'Worldwide' link in the description).

[@TonyAndChelsea]

Yes, use continuous shutter and focus. If you're serious about bird photography, you should read Chapter 8 of Stunning Digital Photography (links in the description).

[@KansasA]

Excellent advice! I used it to take photos of hummingbirds and instead of a couple lucky shots I was getting quite a few! Thank you!

[@billleib7727]

Tony, I enjoyed the video, and it was informative.. I've been shooting songbirds recently, and was somewhat frustrated about getting them focused well enough to get good detail, so I've found that shooting in Manual mode allows me to use a smaller aperture like F11 and shooting at 1/2000 and ISO auto gets good results as long as I can keep them in the frame. The Idea is to use the increased DOF to help the camera AF out. Big birds like eagles can be shot easily with the settings you use.

[@TonyAndChelsea]

Well, this isn't a question I get asked every day. I guess I'd use a 70-200 to get sufficient working distance. Re: lighting, you'd want a good light on the backdrop to make masking easier later... but how you light the doves needs to be determined by the background you're photoshopping the doves into. The lighting needs to be consistent with the background.

[@TonyAndChelsea]

In my experience the 400 f5.6 focuses faster than the 70-200 with a teleconverter. There are many factors that influence focusing speed, and minimum f/stop number is just one of them.

[@bonniebarbey]

Thanks, Tony. I was using all manual settings and was having problems with exposure as the falcon rose above the mountain background and then came back down. I will try shutter priority, check the spot metering, and see how that works. Nice to see your easy video. Bonnie Northrup Barbey, just by coincidence.

[@PinkRmenia]

Thank you so much for the advice! I purchased the Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM Lens, it's ok so far, not as great as I thought it would be. Haven't purchased the flash and the macro lens yet, will read your book before doing that. Thanks again.

[@TonyAndChelsea]

My book works equally well for any camera... but because every camera has different buttons and settings, I do recommend you learn where the buttons and settings are. I'll show you *how* they work and explain when you should use them to get great results.

[@TonyAndChelsea]

Yeah, exposure is tough when shooting the sky. I like to shoot at sunrise and sunset with the sun to my back (and I just got back from a morning shoot, in fact). All the same rules apply to shooting airplanes; use the golden hours when you can and keep the sun to your back, increase exposure compensation for dark subjects, try to shoot on days with low humidity. I cover exposure for these types of subjects in Chapters 4 and 9 of Stunning Digital Photography (link in the description).

[@TonyAndChelsea]

Yeah, auto ISO in manual mode is a technique I describe in Chapter 8. Unfortunately, it's more useful for Nikon than Canon uses, because Nikon supports exposure compensation in Manual mode, but Canon doesn't, so you're always stuck with the auto-exposed settings.

[@Ramal4umusic]

Thanks a lot Tony, this was short, brief and to the point. I will try this soon using Shutter Priority and the shutter speed you recommended.

[@TonyAndChelsea]

Lamar Webster Glad to help!

[@TonyAndChelsea]

That approach is identical to using manual mode and using auto ISO, but yeah, that will work. Re: using a low f/stop number to isolate the subject, has that been a problem? The depth of field is so shallow with these big telephotos that I always try to stop it down to f/8 or f/11 just to get the entire bird sharp, especially when working at close range with larger birds like osprey.

[@TonyAndChelsea]

Hi, Heidi. Make sure you're using continuous autofocus with just the center autofocus point. Autofocus on moving subjects is never a perfect science, so sometimes the camera might completely miss the subject and hunt around a bit, but it should get close most of the time. Don't set the lens to infinity. Chapters 4 and 8 in my book (link in the description) have more info. Also, avoid using the teleconverter on your lens with moving subjects--autofocus will be too slow if it works at all.

[@MsMustangGal]

What should the lens be set at, if not infinity?

[@GotCamel]

To-may-to, to-mah-to, po-tay-to, po-tah-to, ees-oh, eye-ess-oh.... who cares how he says it? We all understand what he meant! Tony thank you for all the good info! Keep up the good work!

[@noureddineelaroussi7680]

ESO...ISO...whatever, your video is very informative sir, well done and well explained to the core, few people can say all that with details in few minutes...Good job!!!

[@TenPester]

Watched this last year and didn't understand anything. Today its made every bit of sense.

[@TonyAndChelsea]

Not specifically, but much of my book (links in the description) covers composition, lighting, planning, posing, and more fundamentals that apply to all types of cameras.

[@TonyAndChelsea]

You actually don't need a super wide angle lens for most nature landscapes; I bet you'll do most of your shooting at 15-25mm (EF-S). Re: the pancake lens, I'm not much for prime lenses myself. They're not flexible enough for me.

[@TonyAndChelsea]

Thanks, Andres!! As long as I can sell enough books to pay the bills, I'll keep making new videos :)

[@TonyAndChelsea]

Any of those lenses would work great. I personally use a 500 f/4; it's as big as I can hand-hold comfortably (but I often use a monopod).

[@TonyAndChelsea]

The lens was $5600, which I realize is still expensive. It just happens to be the lens I'm holding in the video. I've been doing wildlife photography since 1996, and I've used these lenses for wildlife over that time: 75-300, 75-300 IS, 100-400 L IS, 400 f/5.6 (which I still use often), Tamron 200-500, Canon 70-200 with 1.4x and 2x, Canon 400 f/2.8, Canon 500 f/4... and with a variety of different bodies. My point is, my lessons are relevant for a wide variety of equipment.

[@guffygolfer]

Thanks for the tips. I use 2500th sec shutter speed. F 5.6 and 400 ISO all manual settings except focus of course. Full morning,sun. Center area focus and spot metering. Canon 7D 7 frames/sec. 300 mm 4.0 Canon Lens. I am in my 70's and have shaky hands so many be one in 30 0r 60 frames are keepers and 1 in 100 + are 4 stars but that I am happy with

[@TonyAndChelsea]

In English it's "eye-soh" and in Spanish and many other languages it's "eee-soh" (like I pronounce it). Interestingly, it's not an acronym. It's the name of the International Organization for Standardization (which would be IOS). It's taken from the greek word "isos", which means equal. It's the same prefix used in the word "Isometric". So, it's just a three letter word, but they capitalize it like an acronym, which confuses everyone. Look up ISO in Wikipedia if you're curious about it.

[@sbcwinn]

BTW - Got your book "Stunning Digital Photography " as a present. Great present. Great book. Simple. Clear. It really helps. Thanks!!!!!!

[@TonyAndChelsea]

Yes, that will work well, though for flying birds, a longer telephoto lens (such as a lens that reaches to 300mm or 400mm) will get you better results.

[@amitray6614]

Very good video. I wish I'd seen this before I went on to shoot Puffins and Arctic Terns last weekend. Was kinda hard to catch them in focus, especially the puffins. I now have huge respect for bird photographers :-)

[@TonyAndChelsea]

Yes, as long as you can get close enough. Check my latest video upload, and Chapter 8 of Stunning Digital Photography (link in the description).

[@DanielErickson]

All good points. I've found I get more shots in focus when I use motor drive as well. The focus tracking feature on my D800e seems to improve focus as you continue to shoot.

[@TonyAndChelsea]

You won't be able to autofocus if you use a TC, and AF is really important. To autofocus with that lens, you need to use either a 5D Mark III or a 1DX. However, those combinations still won't get you as close as you are with your crop sensor. So, in a nutshell, I'd focus on using technique to get closer to the animals, rather than trying to get longer focal lengths. Check Chapter 8 in Stunning Digital Photography for lots of information about getting close (links in the description).

[@swiftnick3]

Very useful: thank you. 1/1000 on ISO 400 with continuous autofocus (AF Servo) with all autofocus points and IS turned off. The Buzzard was taken with Eos 5DM2 Canon 100-400 f/4 USM L series lens.

[@TonyAndChelsea]

Read the other comments or at look up ISO in Wikipedia. International Organization would be IOS, except the organization didn't want to use an acronym because it wouldn't translate well in other languages. ISO is a form of the Greek word "isos", which means equal, as in isometric. Just a bit of meaningless trivia that I wouldn't mention except people are constantly busting on my pronunciation :). It's terribly confusing that they capitalize it like an acronym.

[@TonyAndChelsea]

Hi! Check Chapter 4 of my book (links in the description) for detailed information about different focusing modes and how to use them.

[@BryanConover]

Interesting reply Tony...thanks for your sense of humor.

[@PinkRmenia]

Mostly nature, Sequoia, Zion, Grand Canyon and so on. Thank you so much for the advice, will check those out. Also, what do you think about the new pancake lens by Canon?

[@TonyAndChelsea]

So many people have mentioned this that I added an explanation at 2:38. FWIW, I've been involved with ISO (not an acronym, BTW) for a long time, too, but often worked with members in countries that pronounce it EE-SO, hence my bad habit.

[@MonteComeau]

You are right on that account. No fun hiking with it for too far. I use a mono pod a lot.

[@TonyAndChelsea]

What country is that, Nieckq? Perhaps I'll move there. :)

[@MandurahConsumer]

A few years ago I shot some aircraft flying over my house using a Canon 30D and I don't recall which lens, it might have been a kit lens, the aircraft were approaching Perth Airport and so not very high. They were close enough that they filled the frame. The planes were flying in (very low) clouds/rain, so contrast and exposure weren't difficult. I did wish I had a cannon, not a canon though. They rattle the house.

[@taos52]

Excellent information and very helpful as I want to improve my shots on flying birds. Well done.

[@TonyAndChelsea]

I'ts warp stabilizer; this was a handheld shoot. And yes, I sometimes mispronounce ISO.

[@mvbhaktha]

Hi Tony Nice informative video here, thanx a lot......I have started shooting birds very recently, I dont call myself a photographer as yet coz there is a lot more to learn. My question is I have Canon EF 400mm f5.6 L USM using with my 500D body, can I use 1.4X or 2.0X TC with this lens.....?? Are there any prerequisites before using a TC

[@narutoniraj]

Excellent Video Tony!!! And i loved your photos too ..can you please tell me that Can I go for the Bird Photography with Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM Lens for Canon EOS SLR Cameras.. Your lens is way too big.. so I have this doubt

[@jasonburnett5028]

VERY helpful video man!! I just picked up a new Sigma 600mm super tele-photo lens (no, I couldn't afford he $5,000 dollar Canon model, haha!), and was having trouble figuring out what settings worked best for panning/birds in flight shooting. trial and error was a slow process! these tips were a big help!!

[@TonyAndChelsea]

Not really. The image stabilization pulls some battery power when it's in use, but I've never run out of battery, even during a long session.

[@seldblog]

Excellent, I always been a keen bird watcher this adds to my interest.

[@sbcwinn]

I use a bridge camera for bird pics. They turn out great. I was wondering what your comments would be about using bridge cameras in general.

[@TonyAndChelsea]

Sheldon Cwinn Heya, Sheldon! Bridge cameras are certainly capable. Some of them are a bit misleading about the lens capabilities, but any camera can make great bird pics if you get close enough.

[@kickassm9]

thank you tony for the videos,, it helps me so much, even though i'm a newbie in photography,and i don't have any good gears, but it doesn't matter anyway, i watch all of your videos uploaded, and i apply it into my self,and to become my photos getting better,(now i understand what is ''Patience'')i try to took some wildlife photos last week, and i have plan to post a picture in your FaceBook after i finish editing those photos.. im planing and hoping that i can buy your book,,

[@TonyAndChelsea]

Yeah, I didn't realize I had forgotten my sunglasses until I edited the video. Sorry about that.

[@TonyAndChelsea]

For birds, a Canon 5D Mark II or Mark III with the Canon 500mm f/4 L IS.

[@sgrasmick82]

Great video, Shooting with a Canon 7D and a 1-400 L lens, what is the best AF point selection? Spot, single point, af expansion etc? Thanks Scott

[@jomen112]

That really hard yes, partly it comes down to experience with you lens - you learn to aim it by shooting a lot. If you have a zoom lens you can try zoom out a bit to get the subject in field and then zoom back in on the subject (that may also helps the AF system a bit if it has problem to find focus).

[@TonyAndChelsea]

I would use a 7D if all I did was flying bird photography. I'm considering trading my backup body (a 5D Mark II) for a 7D Mark II, whenever that comes available, specifically to take advantage of it for longer range wildlife.

[@TonyAndChelsea]

With proper planning, yes. Check Chapter 8 in Stunning Digital Photography (links in the description).

[@Mark2025]

Thanks, got your book yesterday, the kindle edition.

[@wanneske1969]

Very interesting. Best is to start practicing on 'easy' birds, like ducks, swans, goose, seagulls... Especially for birds in flight seagulls are a very good test object ! Don't forget to overexpose for +2/3 until +1.

[@GrandmasterBBC]

Excellent tips and advice. I recently went out to shoot some wildlife at a nearby lake. I literally just turned my camera on and a mallard took flight off the lake. I got lucky and I caught the composer perfectly. Unfortunately I had not had time to change my camera settings and caught image at 1/500 of a second. It had just motion blur to ruin what would have been an excellent shot. 1/1000 of a second minimum is key.

[@TexMex421]

Great Video. The best I've seen on this subject.

[@photoadventures]

Hey Tony! Awesome inspiration, I remember watching this video when it first came out! There is one thing that you may have missed and that is prepare to put tons of hours into getting the shot! because it becomes way too addictive. I have even started to document my adventures with short videos and I must say I am having a blast! All the best!

[@TonyAndChelsea]

For flying birds manual focus isn't going to be workable. I'd suggest getting a used body that has a focusing motor built into it. Otherwise, the best you can do is to check my focusing tips for using focus traps in Chapter 4 of Stunning Digital Photography.

[@ElGringoRojo]

Thank you! Love these short clips to learn a specific topic. Got some really cool humming bird shots :)

[@dunstun365]

I used a newish canon 50x superzoom cam to photograph airliners from my back yard for practise. They were very high though so appeared to move much slower than birds. They appeared small thou, even at 50x zoom but were easy to track. Birds are much more difficult. Still I managed to get one decent flying bird photo, hand held too. I can even underexpose a stop if the bird is light colored against the sky, not only to get faster shutter speeds but so the feathers show up in the wings. AF isn't that quick on the canon bridge camera though & need bright or sunny days to shoot as the min aperture is very slow at high telephoto settings. Now I just bought a sony NEX mirrorless cam and was given 3 sony / Minolta 'a' mount lenses. One is a sigma 70-210 zoom , it's equivalent to a 105-320mm focal range with the NEX cams crop sensor, great for wildlife & with the sony a mount adapter the AF is super fast too. Can't wait to test it out if the weather improves.

[@PinkRmenia]

Mr. Northrup, I am a starter and I have the Canon Rebel XS. Me and my husband travel a lot and I want to capture all the memories. I want to purchase a good wide angle lens but don't know which one to choose. I also love macro & portrait photography annnd I need a good flash. Can you help me decide what to get so I can take nice, clear and high quality pictures? I would really appreciate your help. Great job on your videos btw, I am going to purchase the book as soon as I get new lenses.

[@TonyAndChelsea]

I don't recall off the top of my head, but check out my Tripods video--there's a link in the description.

[@TonyAndChelsea]

BTW, I discuss the gear you need for landscapes in Chapter 9 of my book Stunning Digital Photography (links in the description).

[@TonyAndChelsea]

Hi, Samar. Read Chapter 4 of Stunning Digital Photography for detailed information about exposure and camera settings (links in the description). In your case, I think the simplest solution would be to use auto ISO.

[@teomandemirhan]

How many years has it been since you started photography? That is some gear you got there. Thank you for the video.

[@PCEngineer2007uk]

Excellent video Tony. I shall be purchasing your book ASAP! :)

[@TonyAndChelsea]

It's actually just "eye-so" in English. It's not an acronym, the word "Iso" is written in all capital letters for no particular reason. It's the official name of the standards organization that developed film speeds, International Organization for Standardization. It's a shortened form of the Greek word "isos", which means equality, It's the same prefix as isometric.

[@glennshoemake4200]

Thanks Tony for making this great video, just a quick question. On the photo with the monopod and the telephoto lens is there a reason why the flash is mounted on the camera? Most flashes go up to 105mm and the lens looks much larger. Just trying to understand, thanks!