Shutter speed

Shutter Speed (Part 2)

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Haven’t read Part 1 yet? Click HERE

Besides having fast shutter speeds and stopping an object in motion, you can also have slow shutter speeds and create incredible shots. (See part 1)  Long exposures, as they are sometimes called, can create beautiful night shots, star trails/ light trails, or even create a moving body of water into a smooth graceful subject (See profesional example below).

With longer exposures the shutter speed will be set anywhere from a couple seconds to a couple hours.  Keep in mind when doing longer exposures: the shutter is open for long amounts of time and much light will be let into the image, therefore adjustments to aperture and ISO will be necessary.

This is a shot I took recently.

Shot with a 15 second shutter speed at ISO 640
Shot with a 15 second shutter speed at ISO 640

Night Highway

Here is an example from a professional.


Starry Night in Florence by Michael Woloszynowicz on 500px.com

Starry Night in Florence by
Michael Woloszynowicz

Shutter speed can be a lot of fun to play around with and can yield results that you had no intention of creating in the first place. Try some different shutter speeds out for yourself the next time you have a chance and share what you have done with me @onlineartera.

Also check out more great examples of star trails by clicking HERE.

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Shutter Speeds (Part 1)

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Say you want crisp action shots, perhaps at a football game.  You are using an D-SLR camera and are shooting still images.  How can you capture that perfect shot without any motion blur?  By adjusting the shutter speed on the camera.  In order to change the shutter speed you will need to have the camera in Manual or Shutter Priority mode, “Tv” on a Canon body or “S” on a Nikon body.

Something to keep in mind is that shutter speed ties directly into exposer.  The faster the shutter speed the darker your image will be.  To ensure good exposer you will need to adjust aperture, ISO, or even add some of your own light. Personally, I take several test shots until I have my settings set just right.

Here are some examples I have done with a fast shutter speed.

Notice how the image on the left the action is blurred, while the one on the left has a shutter speed to stop the motion and give much detail.

Continued in Part 2

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