ISO

ISO (International Organization for Standardization) in photography refers to the sensitivity of the camera's sensor to light. It's one of the three key components of the exposure triangle, alongside aperture and shutter speed. Higher ISO values (like 800, 1600, 3200) increase the sensor's sensitivity, allowing you to shoot in darker conditions or use faster shutter speeds, but at the cost of introducing noise or grain to the image. Lower ISO values (like 100 or 200) produce cleaner images with less noise but require more light. Modern cameras have increasingly better high-ISO performance, allowing photographers to shoot at higher sensitivities with acceptable levels of noise. Photographers balance ISO with their needs for light sensitivity against their desire for image quality.