What is the “Shutter Speed” and When You Can Use It To Your Advantage?
As I promised a few posts back i would like to start talking about some basic aspects of the camera. Like Shutter Speed, Aperture, ISO, Camera Settings, etc.
Today I will talk about Shutter Speed. Here is a list o things you should know about this:
1. What is Shutter Speed?
As the name says, it’s the speed of the shutter is opening and closing. In fact it is measured in the time the shutter stays open (from 1/8000 of a second to 30 seconds and more in the bulb mode). So if you take your photo with 1/250th of a second the shutter stays open for 0,004 (1/250) seconds, or if you take it with 1/25 of a second the shutter stays open for quarter of a second.
- 1/500 speed to freeze the action
2. Use it to freeze the action.
Almost all the time you will use the shutter speed to freeze the action so the your subject is captured on you photo tack sharp. So keep in mind that high shutter speed are useful to freeze the photo when your subject moves, or your hands is that you won’t obtain a blurry photograph.
3. Use it to blur action.
Silk river (1/2 second shutter speed)
Although you might think that blur is a negative thing to photography, you are wrong. You can use it to obtain a lot of interesting photographs. For example you can use it when photographing a river or wave splashing on rock to obtain a silky look of the water. To do this you must have a low shutter speed from1 second to even10 or 15 seconds. In bright day light try lowering you ISO to 100 or even 50 and Aperture to at least f/22. If still its to much and your photographs come out over exposed, then you can use a ND filter (Neutral Density Filter). Because you are working with such low shutter speeds, don;t forget your tripod.
4. Use it to create light trails.
By using low shutter speed you can create abstract photos by moving around the camera
pointed to some light sources. You can even draw with light by using a flash light and drawing in the air with it while camera it’s exposing for 30 seconds or more . This is beautiful to capture the movement of the cars on a road. Don’t forget that this can only be used at very low light.
5. Use it for panning.
You can capture moving subjects without freezing them and their background but by freezing the subject and the background having a movement blur giving you photo a sense of movement. You can do this by ushing a shutter speed between1/30 and 1 sec and then as you subject is passing by press the button and pann with the subject.
