Explaining ISO to a youngster: I was explaining the exposure triangle to my granddaughter the other night and I was using the blinds on a window to demonstrate the shutter and the size...

Pepper Loc: Planet Earth Country USA

I was explaining the exposure triangle to my granddaughter the other night and I was using the blinds on a window to demonstrate the shutter and the size of window to explain the aperture but when I got to the ISO and trying to explain that was how sensitive the sensor she wasnt getting it. Any simple analogies I could use to help her better understand ISO? Thanks guys.

SpeedyWilson Loc: Upstate South Carolina

How old is your granddaughter?

tramsey Loc: Texas

Ingenious!! I probably could've understood that. As far as ISO that's a different matter, depends on the age of your granddaughter; six or sixteen. But with the analogy that you used for shutter and aperture; with a little thought you will come up with something.

Just Fred Loc: Darwin's Waiting Room

How about using the daylight streaming through the window as an example? During a bright, sunny day, more light would hit her eyes, causing her to squint. So she wouldn't need great sensitivity. Hence, a low ISO. At dusk, when the light isn't as bright, she'd need more sensitivity, or a higher ISO (wider eyes) to see.

Maybe it isn't a perfect analogy, but since you're using a window and blinds, the light coming through the window completes the triangle.

Pepper Loc: Planet Earth Country USA

SpeedyWilson wrote:

How old is your granddaughter?

She's 10 but a very bright 10 (I may be just a little bias though lol)

Pepper Loc: Planet Earth Country USA

Just Fred wrote:

How about using the daylight streaming through the window as an example? During a bright, sunny day, more light would hit her eyes, causing her to squint. So she wouldn't need great sensitivity. Hence, a low ISO. At dusk, when the light isn't as bright, she'd need more sensitivity, or a higher ISO (wider eyes) to see.

Maybe it isn't a perfect analogy, but since you're using a window and blinds, the light coming through the window completes the triangle.

Thanks Fred, that's a good analogy. Where I failed was when she asked why not use a high ISO all the time and I got into the graininess you can get by using higher ISOs and I was struggling trying to explain it to her.

GoofyNewfie Loc: Kansas City

I teach the Boy Scout photo merit badge and use the analogy of a bucket as the film/sensor, the diameter of the hose as aperture and the time it takes to fill that bucket.
A big bucket would represent a low ISO, a smaller one a faster ISO. They seem to get it pretty quickly.

boberic Loc: Quiet Corner, Connecticut. Ex long Islander

Pepper wrote:

I was explaining the exposure triangle to my granddaughter the other night and I was using the blinds on a window to demonstrate the shutter and the size of window to explain the aperture but when I got to the ISO and trying to explain that was how sensitive the sensor she wasnt getting it. Any simple analogies I could use to help her better understand ISO? Thanks guys.

I know that this explanation may not be tecnically correct but it sort of is and it will make it easier for yoe little one to grasp. When it's dark, you can open the window all the way forever, and a blind person still can't see. When there is a tiny bit of light and the window is fully open very sensitive eyes (like a cat) can see a little. You get the picture. Eye sensitivity is sort of lihe ISO. Hope this helps.

chiya Loc: Wellsboro, Pa.

Pepper wrote:

I was explaining the exposure triangle to my granddaughter the other night and I was using the blinds on a window to demonstrate the shutter and the size of window to explain the aperture but when I got to the ISO and trying to explain that was how sensitive the sensor she wasnt getting it. Any simple analogies I could use to help her better understand ISO? Thanks guys.

From Bryan Peterson, "Understanding Exposure"
To better understand the effect of ISO on exposure, think of the ISO as a worker bee. If my camera is set for ISO 100, I have , in effect 100 worker bees, and if your camera is set for ISO 200, you have 200 worker bees.
The job of these worker bees is to gather the light that comes through the lens and make an image. If both of us set our lenses at the same aperture of f/5.6 meaning that the same volume of light will be coming through our lenses - who will record the image the quickest, you or me?

Pepper Loc: Planet Earth Country USA

GoofyNewfie wrote:

I teach the Boy Scout photo merit badge and use the analogy of a bucket as the film/sensor, the diameter of the hose as aperture and the time it takes to fill that bucket.
A big bucket would represent a low ISO, a smaller one a faster ISO. They seem to get it pretty quickly.

I like it but how do you explain the grain one could experience at higher ISOs?

chiya Loc: Wellsboro, Pa.

Pepper wrote:

I like it but how do you explain the grain one could experience at higher ISOs?

To many bees so they trip over each other?

boberic Loc: Quiet Corner, Connecticut. Ex long Islander

Forgot to add that the better the eye sensitivity the lower the ISO. In the film days very sensitive film had ASA (now ISO) that were very low Lowest I think was 25. That way thw window didn't have to be open very wide and for very long to see out the window.

Highspeed1964 Loc: Issaquah, WA

Use a pair of sunglasses. On a bright day the sunlight hurts the eyes less when you wear the sunglasses and they won't be so strained. This is the lower ISO setting, obviously, and the strain experienced without them (higher ISO) represents the graininess.

On a darker day (cloudy, rainy, etc.) you wouldn't wear the sunglasses otherwise the eyes would have to work too hard to gather in the light.

Kristoes

chiya wrote:

From Bryan Peterson, "Understanding Exposure&... (show quote)

Really good, I like it alot! It seems something about the quality of the "honey" gathered, ie:

It's more "grainy" (less desirable) the more bees that are involved because as they bump into each other while making the image the pollen gets shaken off the bees and gets into the "honey" of the image?! ;)

SharpShooter Loc: NorCal

Try sunglasses.
As she looks straight out that window, the light is too strong.
Darker sunglasses=lower ISO or less sensitivity. ;-)
SS