Ideas about making a Shutter Speed Photography

Ideas about making a Shutter Speed Photography

Shutter Speed is measured in fractions of a second, and indicates how fast the curtains at the film plane open and close. The shutter speed controls how long light enters the lens and hits the image sensor or film plane. The shutter speed enables you to capture the world in split seconds, but it can also absorb the world at speeds upwards of three and four seconds (or remain continually open up until the photographer wants to close the curtain). Snapping the shutter in a fraction of a second, also gives you control on how motion is recorded. If the shutter speed is faster than the object or background, then the image will be tack sharp. If the shutter speed is slower, then you’ll get blurred objects. Think about the rain in a rainstorm, how fast is that water falling? Well, at 1/30th the raindrops are streaks of undistinguishable white. But at 1/250th, the raindrops hover in mid air and you can see the full swell of each water drop.

If you find yourself with a camera that has settings for "shutter speed" (have a browse through your manual if you're unsure), then you're lucky! You'll be able to make use of the effects outlined here.

Setting the Shutter Speed

Most cameras handle shutter speeds automatically through in-camera metering. When the camera is set to “Auto” mode, both shutter speed and aperture are automatically selected by the camera. When you shoot in “Aperture Priority” mode, you set the lens aperture, while the camera automatically sets the shutter speed.

There are two ways to manually set the shutter speed:
a) By setting the camera to “Shutter Priority” mode, where you set the shutter speed and the camera automatically selects the aperture.
b) By setting the camera to “Manual” mode, where you set both shutter speed and aperture manually.

I recommend letting the camera select the correct shutter speed for you. I personally shoot in “Aperture Priority” mode 99% of the time and I let my camera calculate the shutter speed for me.

Fast Shutter Speed is typically whatever it takes to freeze action. For me, it is typically above 1/500th of a second for general photography and above 1/1000th of a second for bird photography.

Slow Shutter Speed is considered to be the slowest shutter speed that you can handle without introducing camera shake. Some of the newer Nikon lenses such as the Nikon 70-200mm VR II have special “vibration reduction” technologies within the lens that can handle shutter speeds of up to 1/10th of a second (depending on photographer’s technique), hand-held.

When to Use Fast Shutter Speeds

You will want to shoot at a fast shutter speed in quite a few different photography situations. When shooting photos of sports, for example, a fast shutter speed is important to “freeze” the action, meaning the athletes will be stopped without any motion blur in the photo.

Other appropriate subjects for a fast shutter speed include photos of children, running water, or pets. Basically, anything that is moving can require a fast shutter speed.

When to Use Slow Shutter Speeds

A slow shutter speed is appropriate for any type of low-light situation. If you’re shooting at night, or if you’re shooting fireworks photos, a really slow shutter speed is required to allow enough light to reach the image sensor to actually record a photo.

If you’re shooting a photo where a bit of blur is desired, again, a slower shutter speed can achieve this. As shown in the photo included here, a slower shutter speed was used to photograph the race horses, resulting in a blur that provides an artistic look.

If you’re shooting with a flash, you will be limited in the shutter speeds you can use, as the camera’s shutter speed must be synched to the flash unit. You will have a difficult time stopping the action with a flash because you cannot select the fastest shutter speed you may want.

Don’t be afraid to play with the shutter speed to create some interesting effects. When taking a night time shot, use a tripod and try shooting with the shutter speed set at 4 seconds. You will see that the movement of the object is captured along with some light trails. If you choose a faster shutter speed of say 1/250th of a second, the trails will not be as long or bright; instead you will freeze the action. This technique works well if you are using a tripod and if you are photographing a moving object.

Keep that shutter open even longer. See what happens. Get creative with your composition and framing. Go nuts. And the most important thing? Is to have fun while you are harvesting the light. Of course.

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