{"id":7514,"date":"2015-03-03T12:02:49","date_gmt":"2015-03-03T12:02:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dev.wordpress\/?p=7514"},"modified":"2022-07-20T11:36:18","modified_gmt":"2022-07-20T15:36:18","slug":"adoramau-a-quick-guide-to-shutter-speed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/adoramau-a-quick-guide-to-shutter-speed\/","title":{"rendered":"#AdoramaU: A Quick Guide To Shutter Speed"},"content":{"rendered":"

Make 2015 your BEST photography year yet! #AdoramaU is a year-long tour through twelve essential photography topics. This lesson will give you a better understanding of Shutter Speed.<\/p>\n

By Adorama Learning Center Editors<\/em><\/p>\n

March 1, 2015<\/em><\/p>\n

Welcome to Lesson 2: Shutter Speed.<\/h3>\n

If this is your first month joining us for #AdoramaU<\/a>, we strongly recommend beginning with our first lesson<\/a> on aperture and f\/stops, which builds on some of the foundational concepts discussed below.<\/p>\n

\"Camera
Photo by Fidel Fernando on Unsplash<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Shutter<\/h4>\n

If you already have a solid understanding of how your lenses\u2019 aperture works, we can move on to the second variable that determines how an image is exposed- the shutter.<\/p>\n

There are two types of modern shutters, a leaf shutter and a focal-plane shutter. Because most mirrorless and DSLR cameras use the latter, we\u2019ll be focusing on the focal-plane shutter for illustrative purposes. The shutter is a mechanical device with two metal or carbon fiber curtains that open and close at precise intervals to expose your image. This concept is illustrated perfectly in Figure 2.1. The time between the shutter opening and closing is defined as the shutter speed. Although it\u2019s a simple concept, understanding how a shutter works and the effects of a shorter and longer shutter speed will give you further control to get you the results you want.<\/p>\n

Shutter Speed as a Measurement of Time<\/h4>\n

Shutter speeds use seconds and fractions of seconds as a unit of measurement. Figure 2.2 depicts a sequence of full-stop shutter speeds, with each successive number delivering exactly half the light as the previous one. Keep in mind when looking through your viewfinder, most DSLRs won\u2019t display the shutter speeds as fractions, just whole numbers. So the 250 that is sitting next to the aperture readout really stands for 1\/250 of a second. Anything above a fraction will have a double apostrophe, such as 1\u201d and 1\u201d5, which indicates a 1.5\u201d second shutter speed.<\/p>\n

Conveniently, these speeds also correspond to the f\/stop sequence, so closing down one stop on your lenses\u2019 aperture (letting in half as much light) and choosing a full stop slower shutter speed (twice as much light) will give you the exact same exposure. Shutter speeds can be set in shutter-priority mode much like apertures in aperture-priority. This mode gives you control to choose your own shutter speed and the camera chooses the aperture that is best for the exposure. This is especially handy when you know you\u2019ll need a fast or slow shutter and aperture or if ISO settings aren\u2019t important.<\/p>\n

There is no rule that says images have to be tack sharp. Quite the contrary, use of motion blur can make an otherwise mundane image more dynamic and emotive, causing the viewer to look at it longer and move their eyes around the frame more than normal. For example, creative use of a slower shutter speed in this portrait evokes the sense that this violinist is actually playing as opposed to statically holding a bow to a violin.<\/p>\n

\"Violinist<\/p>\n

Handheld Rule of Thumb<\/h4>\n

If you\u2019re trying to avoid camera shake<\/a> for a sharp image, there\u2019s a handy trick for selecting shutter speeds when shooting handheld. Take the focal length of the lens you\u2019re using and set the shutter speed to the next full stop up from that number. In other words when shooting at 100mm lens, the slowest shutter speed you can safely handhold without the risk of camera shake is 1\/100 sec, and to be on the safe side you would use 1\/125. Similarly, when shooting with a 50mm lens, the slowest handheld shutter speed would be 1\/60 sec, and when shooting with a 400mm lens it would be 1\/500 sec.<\/p>\n

These recommendations only refer to eliminating the effects of camera shake, not for freezing the action of a moving subject. In general, when shooting high-speed action subjects such as sports, use the fastest shutter speed you can (1\/500 sec or faster) in combination with the widest aperture your lens allows. Using a fast enough shutter speed when taking a shot can freeze the subject\u2019s motion and capture images of things that are essentially invisible to the human eye, such as the wings of a hummingbird in flight! For people walking at a normal pace and at least 15 feet from the camera, a shutter speed of 1\/125 sec or faster should be sufficient. Freezing the motion of subjects moving across the frame will require a faster shutter speed than those moving diagonally or toward the camera.<\/p>\n

\"People
Photo by Helena Lopes on Unsplash<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Using Tripods to Capture Dynamic Blur<\/h4>\n

There are times when freezing the motion of a subject with a very high shutter speed yields results that look unnatural and static. A classic example is a waterfall, which often appears much more realistic and compelling when shot at \u00bc or \u215b of a second rather than frozen in time. Even photos of racing cars or sprinters often feel more realistic if the main subject has a bit of blur that conveys the movement. In order to achieve such images without introducing unwanted blur due to camera shake, the camera should be mounted on a sturdy tripod and use a cable or electronic release if sharpness is critical. This way only the moving elements in the scene will show motion blur, and the rest of the image will be tack sharp, enhancing the overall visual effect.<\/p>\n

\"Woman
Photo by Yannes Kiefer on Unsplash<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Panning to create a blurred background<\/h4>\n

Panning the camera is another classic technique for achieving dynamic images of moving subjects by blurring the background to enhance the feeling of motion. The trick to keeping your moving subject sharp is by turning (panning) the camera or your body in the same direction and speed as the moving subject while the shutter remains open. There are no hard and fast rules of panning<\/a>, but depending on the speed and distance of the moving subject, shutter speeds in the 1 sec to 1\/15 sec range can get really fun. If you time it just right, the moving subject should be reasonably sharp and with a blurred and streaked impression left on the background.<\/p>\n

\"Panning
Photo by Harsh Raghavani on Unsplash<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Many memorable panning shots have been made panning the camera handheld, but for a greater degree of control mount the camera on a tripod and use your tripod\u2019s pan control. Having control over your camera\u2019s settings<\/a> can give you an under appreciated sense of freedom and ownership of your own images. Not allowing your camera full automatic control will truly make each image your own creation and not the other way around.<\/p>\n

To give you some practice with shutter speeds and reward your participation, check back each week in March for our weekly #AdoramaU assignments.<\/p>\n

March Assignments:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Week 1 – Use a fast shutter speed (1\/500 or faster) to freeze a moment in time and share your image with #AdoramaU.<\/p>\n

Learn More about Shutter Speed:<\/strong><\/p>\n