Shutter speed. Digital cameras have a shutter similar to this film camera. Shutter open. Shutter closed

Digital cameras have a shutter similar to this film camera Shutter open Shutter closed

Fast shutter speed 250/1 sec at f/5.6 Slow shutter speed 30 sec at f/16 Bulb (for shots longer than 30 seconds)

1/350 th in this photo 1/180 th in this photo Increase shutter speed to reduce motion Decrease shutter speed to increase motion bur

Shutter speed is measured in seconds or in most cases fractions of seconds

What is shutter speed? Shutter speed is the length of time the camera s lens shutter is open in other words, how long the camera spends taking the picture

What is shutter speed? Long shutter speeds spend more time letting light in, which can help in dark environments and create artistic blur effects with movement

What is shutter speed? Short shutter speeds spends less time letting light in, which allows for quicker pictures and the ability to freeze time in great detail

In most cases you ll probably be using shutter speeds of 1/60th of a second or faster Anything slower than this is very difficult to use without getting camera shake

The shutter speed needed to control the sharpness of a moving object is determined by the subject's speed, direction of movement, and distance Shutter speed needed Speed of subject Slower Faster Direction of moment Focal length of lens and distance to subject

Shutter speeds available to you on your camera will usually double (approximately) with each setting 1/1000 1/500 1/250 1/30 1/15 1/8 1/125 1/4 1/160 1/2

Set the shutter speed control on your camera to 500 This number denotes a fraction 500 represents 1/500 of a second 1/500

Some cameras also give you the option for very slow shutter speeds that are not fractions of seconds but are measured in seconds 1 Second 10 Seconds 30 Seconds

Very slow shutter speeds 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

When considering what shutter speed to use in an image, you should always ask yourself whether anything in your scene is moving

If there is movement in your scene, you have the choice of either freezing the movement or letting the moving object intentionally blur

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

There are times when motion is good

A waterfall - and you want to show how fast the water is flowing

A shot of a racing car - and want to give it a feeling of speed

A shot of a starscape - and want to show how the stars move over a longer period of time

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) 1/160 50mm lens 200mm lens 1/250

To capture fast action To capture fast action, point the camera toward where the action will occur and press the shutter button halfway down to set focus and exposure Hold the button down until the action happens and you'll be able to get a shot off a lot faster

Increase sharpness of moving objects Photograph fast moving subjects heading toward or away from you

Tip: Increase sharpness of moving objects Move farther back from the subject or use a shorter focal length lens

Tip: Increase sharpness of moving objects Switch to shutterpriority mode and select a fast shutter speed such as 1/500

A fast shutter speed can freeze fast action

A slow shutter speed used for a fast moving subject creates a motion blur - often to very good effect Time exposure: 50 seconds

Photographer has made the choice to set their camera to capture the movement as blur rather than freezing it Time exposure: 1/30 second Time exposure: 25 seconds

Time exposure: 8 seconds Time exposure: 4/5 second Time exposure: 20 seconds

Time exposure: 10 minutes Time exposure: 1/30 second Time exposure: 43 seconds

Shutter: Controls amount of time that the light hits the sensor or film plane Shutter open 1 second Shutter open 30 seconds

: To freeze action Children: 1/250-1/1000 seconds

: To freeze action Moving water/waterfalls: 1/1000 seconds or more

: To freeze action Sporting event: 1/500-1/2000 seconds

: To freeze action Birds in flight: 1/1000th a second and above

: To capture motion Amusement park rides: +/- one second

: To capture motion Moving water/waterfalls: 4 or more seconds

: To capture motion Fireworks: 1/2-4 seconds

: To capture motion Moving cars at night: 8-10 seconds

: To capture motion Night photography: One or more seconds

Suggested Shutter Speeds To freeze action* Children: 1/250-1/1000 seconds Moving water/waterfalls: 1/1000 seconds or more Sporting event: 1/500-1/2000 seconds Birds in flight: 1/1000th a second and above To capture motion** Amusement park rides: +/- one second Moving water/waterfalls: 4 or more seconds Fireworks: 1/2-4 seconds Moving cars at night: 8-10 seconds Night photography: 1 or more seconds *The closer action is to your digital camera, the faster the shutter speed needed ** Tripod or other camera support recommended whenever using slow shutter speeds... Also, use the self-timer or remote to trigger the shutter to prevent camera movement

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