There is virtue in technology.

People may disparage or blame technology for whatever reason, and yet they cannot deny that it has brought progress to the field. Just think about this: did you (people born before the year 2006) have as many baby pics as compared to you (people born after the year 2006). Yes, go to a corner and ponder and then weep, people born before 2006.One of the many technological benefits we are seeing today is the Nikon-led high ISO revolution. Sensor technology has gone leaps and bounds since it was first developed. And we are hearing ISO numbers that were unheard of back during film days. I’ve never seen a roll of film with the number 12600 written across it.; none whatsoever that was accessible to mortals like myself.

Personally, I never actually pushed my gear myself to shoot beyond ISO800 and expect a decent print-ready picture. Honestly, I think I took the high-ISO capabilities for granted because I was taught to be conservative with ISOs. But last month, when I saw the Milky Way spread on the sky above me, I said “Why not?”.

Truly, high ISO can be one of the gifts of the gods. If you enjoy stargazing like me, and put shooting the Milky Way as part of your bucket list, you will feel the same way. The high-ISO capabilities helped overcome some of the obstacles in shooting the stars. Firstly, it is very dark at night #mindblown. Secondly, the stars actually move.

The first obstacle means you need to open your shutter and your aperture as long and as wide as you can. The second obstacle means, there’s a limit to how long you can open them. If we were back in film days, you are hard-pressed to pick between loads of noise, elongated stars, or really dark prints. But with the recent ISO innovation, you can afford to let the shutter open for a shorter period, and get enough light for a very decent print-worthy picture.
I am not sure if you get me, but if you can only take home one thing from all this then: let us all be grateful for things we were never gracious about. Thank God for high ISO.