Back to Basics: Shutter Speed

[comycus]

What is Shutter speed?

Defined most basically – shutter speed is ‘the amount of time that the shutter is open’.

In film photography it was the length of time that the film was exposed to the scene you’re photographing and similarly in digital photography shutter speed is the length of time that your image sensor ’sees’ the scene you’re attempting to capture.

• Shutter speed is measured in seconds – or in most cases fractions of seconds. The bigger the denominator the faster the speed (ie 1/1000 is much faster than 1/30).

• In most cases you’ll probably be using shutter speeds of 1/60th of a second or faster. This is because anything slower than this is very difficult to use without getting camera shake. Camera shake is when your camera is moving while the shutter is open and results in blur in your photos.

• If you’re using a slow shutter speed (anything slower than 1/60) you will need to either use a tripod or some some type of image stabilization (more and more cameras are coming with this built in).

• Shutter speeds available to you on your camera will usually double (approximately) with each setting. As a result you’ll usually have the options for the following shutter speeds – 1/500, 1/250, 1/125, 1/60, 1/30, 1/15, 1/8 etc. This ‘doubling’ is handy to keep in mind as aperture settings also double the amount of light that is let in – as a result increasing shutter speed by one stop and decreasing aperture by one stop should give you similar exposure levels (but we’ll talk more about this in a future post).

• Some cameras also give you the option for very slow shutter speeds that are not fractions of seconds but are measured in seconds (for example 1 second, 10 seconds, 30 seconds etc). These are used in very low light situations, when you’re going after special effects and/or when you’re trying to capture a lot of movement in a shot). Some cameras also give you the option to shoot in ‘B’ (or ‘Bulb’) mode. Bulb mode lets you keep the shutter open for as long as you hold it down.

• When considering what shutter speed to use in an image you should always ask yourself whether anything in your scene is moving and how you’d like to capture that movement. If there is movement in your scene you have the choice of either freezing the movement (so it looks still) or letting the moving object intentionally blur (giving it a sense of movement).

• To freeze movement in an image (like in the surfing shot above) you’ll want to choose a faster shutter speed and to let the movement blur you’ll want to choose a slower shutter speed. The actual speeds you should choose will vary depending upon the speed of the subject in your shot and how much you want it to be blurred.

• Motion is not always bad – There are times when motion is good. For example when you’re taking a photo of a waterfall and want to show how fast the water is flowing, or when you’re taking a shot of a racing car and want to give it a feeling of speed, or when you’re taking a shot of a star scape and want to show how the stars move over a longer period of time etc. In all of these instances choosing a longer shutter speed will be the way to go. However in all of these cases you need to use a tripod or you’ll run the risk of ruining the shots by adding camera movement (a different type of blur than motion blur).

• Focal Length and Shutter Speed - another thing to consider when choosing shutter speed is the focal length of the lens you’re using. Longer focal lengths will accentuate the amount of camera shake you have and so you’ll need to choose a faster shutter speed (unless you have image stabilization in your lens or camera). The ‘rule’ of thumb to use with focal length in non image stabilized situations) is to choose a shutter speed with a denominator that is larger than the focal length of the lens. For example if you have a lens that is 50mm 1/60th is probably ok but if you have a 200mm lens you’ll probably want to shoot at around 1/250.

[comycus]

Shutter Speed – Bringing it Together

Remember that thinking about Shutter Speed in isolation from the other two elements of the Exposure Triangle (aperture and ISO) is not really a good idea. As you change shutter speed you’ll need to change one or both of the other elements to compensate for it.

For example if you speed up your shutter speed one stop (for example from 1/125th to 1/250th) you’re effectively letting half as much light into your camera. To compensate for this you’ll probably need to increase your aperture one stop (for example from f16 to f11). The other alternative would be to choose a faster ISO rating (you might want to move from ISO 100 to ISO 400 for example).

http://digital-photography-school.com/shutter-speed

[Ketchup]

Nice guide Comycus, didn't know you like photography as well..

Well, for those who loves photography, do check out the books by Bryan Peterson, they are very good.

[comycus]

Nice guide Comycus, didn't know you like photography as well..

Well, for those who loves photography, do check out the books by Bryan Peterson, they are very good.

High 5 on that

lol I like, but $ not enough to spend on 2 expensive hobbies... I just make do with my lousy but trusty entry level camera. With the new tank upgrade to LEDs, stronger light = more options to play around with! hehe

[Ketchup]

Actually photography need not be very exp... if i think abt it, all the money i have spent on photography all these years, not even 50% of what i have spent on my tank.. LOL

[comycus]

Actually photography need not be very exp... if i think abt it, all the money i have spent on photography all these years, not even 50% of what i have spent on my tank.. LOL

lol! yeah I think it's the same situation too for my tank! I think 30% is a better estimation for me

Next time post some photography tips for us to learn on this forum too yeah? Need the experts to come in and share your 'secret manuals'

[teebs]

The photography master is back with his lessons...

[Ketchup]

Comycus, i am those type that just learn and forget... if not for my involvement with PSS, i doubt i will sustain in the hobby till now.

[desideria]

hee hee. here some pics leslie took .. he has some other photos with special effects which he took when we were in eastern europe last yr.. I will let him post it if he wants to.

[LaW]

where is this place?

oh man, look at the beach. thats really nice.

[desideria]

hee hee Law, it's maldives and the other non beach photos are Barcelona and Madrid.

[comycus]

The photography master is back with his lessons...

dun say that la! So many more experts out there! Me really considered noob. Just hoping such stuff help ppl

[LaW]

hee hee Law, it's maldives and the other non beach photos are Barcelona and Madrid.

its crystal clear beautiful. thanks for sharing desi

[comycus]

Comycus, i am those type that just learn and forget... if not for my involvement with PSS, i doubt i will sustain in the hobby till now.

lol well ure photos look great make me wanna go travel NOW!

[desideria]

found some nice photos which leslie took with some special effects..and some just simply nice ones to share. Budapest, Bratislava and PRague. Taken using Nikon D90 back in May 2009.

Enjoy... Comy.. save up your leave.. TRAVEL whilst you can!!!

[yikai]

Been to Budapest, hungary and prague before and it's lovely! but cold. ._.

[Ketchup]

yupzz... i think Budapest has loads of potential... it reminds me of Paris. Prague is very nice also but my favourite thing to do in Eastern Europe is to drink the beer. 1 Euro for a pint of top notch, 13 degree chilled beer on tap