How to Select ISO Settings for Boudoir Photography: Michael Sasser Explains His Approach

If you follow Michael Sasser's boudoir photography, which he shares on his popular YouTube channel, then you know he often "breaks the rules" when capturing images. One area that has seen some criticism from commenters to his channel are his ISO settings for his boudoir shots.

Because Sasser shoots exclusively in natural light, oftentimes his ISO settings will be on the higher end, starting at ISO 400 and up. Some commenters were aghast that he would shoot at anything higher than ISO 100 because, they argued, it would introduce unwanted to noise into the photos. Sasser, however, thinks this is hogwash.

In the below video, titled "Why I Shoot at Bizarre ISOs for Boudoir," he explains his approach.

"I get a ton of comments on why I shoot 400 ISO instead of 100 ISO and I thought it was time to start to talk about this camera setting and the reason behind it," he says. " With modern cameras like a Sony A9 or Canon 5D Mark IV or anything else, you shouldn't be able to see any noise in the image until about 2000 or higher ISO. This means that keeping my camera at 400 ISO I am able to only worry about one of the exposure compensation methods, which is shutter speed. And you won't be able to tell a difference in the image, other than its brightness.

"I think photographers worry about the wrong thing too often. The amount of noise in a boudoir picture isn't what matters. The important things are in the client experience, the client comfort, the angle or the photo, the presentation and so much more. Let's start focusing on the things that are most important in boudoir photography."

Check out the clip and then go visit his channel, which is one of the best things on YouTube for boudoir photography.

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