Digital Camera World » shutter speed

Using shutter speed: take control of your shutter for cool, creative effects

jmeyer — Fri, 03 May 2013 10:00:37 +0000

In our latest photography cheat sheet we look at some of the different ways of using shutter speed to produce different digital camera effects.

With all the focus (no pun intended) these days on creative controls like aperture and depth of field, it seems like no one ever thinks about shutter speed anymore. But as we all know, shutter speed is an important tool in any photographer’s repertoire.

Once you learn how to take control of your shutter speed you’ll open yourself to a host of creative photography ideas.

To help you learn how to master your digital camera’s shutter speed our latest photography cheat sheet takes you through the basic of how to change your shutter speed settings and how each affects the look of our pictures.

We also show you how to identify the best shutter speeds to use for different shooting situations and decide the moments when it is better to go with a fast shutter speed vs a slow shutter speed.

To view the larger version of this photography cheat sheet, click on the infographic to expand the file, or drag and drop it to your desktop.

How to use a camera: pro secrets to using Shutter Priority mode

jmeyer — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 01:00:58 +0000

In our latest Shoot Like A Pro series post on how to use a camera, we venture beyond Program mode and your Aperture Priority setting to uncover the secrets behind using Shutter Priority mode

Shutter Priority mode is simply the opposite of Aperture Priority mode, so instead of choosing the aperture you have control over the shutter speed.

This mode is most useful when you are shooting moving subjects, especially when you don’t have time to set the aperture manually – when shooting sports, wildlife or action, for example.

To freeze fast-moving subjects like birds in flight or motor racing you’ll need a fast shutter speed of 1/1000 sec or faster.

Remember that you may need to increase the ISO to allow you to use these fast shutter speeds, especially in low light.

You can also combine a slower shutter speed with a panning technique – where you follow the movement with your camera to blur the background while keeping the main subject sharp.

Try using a shutter speed of around 1/125 sec when panning with fast-moving subjects like motorbikes or cars, while you can try a slower speed such as 1/30 sec for slower moving subjects.

You can use Shutter Priority for long shutter speed effects such as blurring moving water, people or traffic.

You’ll need a shutter speed of 1/4 sec, or slower to blur many of these subjects, so you’ll have to mount the camera on a tripod, and ideally use a remote shutter release to ensure the static areas are pin sharp.

PAGE 1: What is Shutter Priority mode?
PAGE 2: How to use Shutter Priority mode?

Understanding shutter speed as a creative tool: freeze and pan with confidence

jmeyer — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 11:30:27 +0000

Understanding shutter speed as a creative tool is essential if you want to produce images that are about movement – whether you’re freezing action, smoothing out running water or panning the camera to add motion blur.

The shutter speed often seems to take second place to more obvious creative controls such as aperture and depth of field, so we’re going to show you how important understanding shutter speed is to your creative repertoire; we’ll show you how to take control of your shutter speeds and how to turn what would have been a good shot into a great shot.

Whether it’s a ghostly seascape or the silken drapes of a cascading waterfall, the results you can get by modifying the shutter speed can show the world around us in a way that the eye can’t see. Capture the drag of a receding wave or pan a speeding motorcycle and your images will have not only dimension, but panache.

Contrary to most other types of photography, it’s the lack of light that’s often required for creative slow shutter-speed work, especially in the landscape. As night draws in, longer shutter speeds are required to correctly expose an image.

You can recreate low-light conditions during the day using neutral density filters to reduce light levels without altering the colour of the image.

Six- and 10-stop ND filters can give shutter speeds as slow as 30 seconds in bright daylight. This will make clouds drag across the sky, waves will lose all texture completely, and any movement at all will become merely a suggestion.

There are plenty of other accessories to help control shutter speed. A cable release is vital for timing the shutter presses with your hands off the camera to avoid camera shake. Similarly, tripods are essential, although some sports shooters prefer monopods because they give a great deal of rotational freedom.

When shooting long tripod-mounted exposures, you can ensure maximum sharpness by using the mirror lock-up feature. When you press the shutter, the mirror flips upwards, the shutter blades open and close, and then the mirror flips back down. This clattering action can cause image softness, especially at longer focal lengths.

By engaging mirror lock-up, the first shutter press flips the mirror upwards, and the second press takes the shot. But use a cable release (or the self-timer) so your hands can stay completely off the camera. Turn to page 74 for more tips on mirror lock-up.

Creative use of shutter speed isn’t all about slowing down exposures, however. Using fast shutter speeds and flash to freeze action or capture the magnificence of a splash of water in mid air – as the image on the previous pages demonstrates – is also important to consider.

Cheat Sheet Friday: how a camera shutter works

jmeyer — Fri, 24 Aug 2012 14:42:42 +0000

Have you ever thought about how your camera shutter actually works to regulate the brightness of your photos? Shutter speed is one of those fundamental controls on our camera that we take for granted, but knowing how it works will give you the knowledge you need to start taking pictures with more authority. Our latest photography cheat sheet illustrates how each component of your camera’s shutter works in tandem.

The shutter in your camera controls how long the sensor is exposed to light. It uses a pair of ‘curtains’ or blinds. One opens to start the exposure, and the other is closed to end it.

At slower shutter speeds, both curtains on your camera’s shutter are open for some of the exposure. At faster speeds (any speed above the ‘flash sync speed’ – 1/200sec on many models), the second curtain closes the opening as the first is still opening.

So your sensor is effectively exposed to the light through a moving slit. In our latest photography cheat sheet below we’ve aimed to illustrate where each of these components sit within your camera shutter, and how they work.

Panning: how the pros capture motion (and the best shutter speeds to use)

jmeyer — Sat, 21 Jul 2012 04:00:10 +0000

Panning is a great way to capture a sense of movement in your action photography, by blurring the background, but keeping the subject sharp. Panning is often thought to be quite difficult, but in reality, with sound technique and some practice you can capture motion blur quite easily. Below we’ll show you how it is done and reveal the best shutter speeds to use for different common subjects.

1 Get set for panning
Use the Tv or S mode to set a slower shutter speed than you would normally need to freeze the action. What speed depends on how fast your subject is moving and your position in relation to them: are you on a fast or slow corner?

Are they coming at you three-quarters on, or hammering past you down the straight?

For most motorsports on a mid-speed corner, try shooting at around 1/125sec and see how sharp your subject is and how much motion blur is in your background. Increase your shutter speed if your subject is too blurred, decrease your shutter speed if the background is too sharp.

Experiment with different shutter speeds for different events and different locations on the track – see the table, right, for suggested speeds.

2 Pan and focus
There are two ways to focus when panning; autofocus (AF) or manual focus (MF). Autofocus can produce mixed results if you’re not at the right speed to follow the focus on your moving target.

On the other hand, manual focus can produce more consistent results, but it takes practice and patience. If you are using autofocus, focus on a part of the track that you know the car or bike is going to go over, then switch to manual focus mode to lock the focus.

Frame widely, so that you have plenty of space to fit in the fast-moving vehicle. Use motordrive, then track your subject, pressing the shutter just before they hit your spot on the track.

3 Move your body
The trick to panning is get a good spot trackside, with room to swing your big lens from left to right without anybody being in your line of vision.

Take a wide stance and, moving in a 90-degree arc with your upper body, smoothly track the car/bike throughout and shoot continuously.

Always remember to follow through the arc – avoid starting or stopping abruptly, otherwise the motion blur will be messy.

Best shutter speeds for every situation

jmeyer — Tue, 26 Jun 2012 15:00:03 +0000

Do you struggle with finding the best shutter speeds when shooting unfamiliar subject matter? It can be difficult to know how to set up your camera to freeze movement, capture motion blur and other popular digital camera effects.

In the latest of our ongoing photography cheat sheet series, we’ve put together our list of what we believe are the best shutter speeds for every situation.

We spell out each shutter speed and what it is typically used for, and we also have provided a super-quick guide on how to adjust your shutter speed.

Of course, no list is definitive and you may have some other suggestions for what these shutter speeds are best used to photograph. If so, let us know in the comments!

To download the large version of this photography cheat sheet, simply drag and drop it on to your desktop.

And if you liked this infographic, you might like some of our other photography cheat sheets, such as our guide to understanding the color temperature scale, our portrait photography cropping guide and our easy guide to how to read a histogram.

Common mistakes at every shutter speed (and the best settings you should use)

jmeyer — Tue, 29 May 2012 10:33:53 +0000

At a basic level, shutter speed is used to control exposure, but it can also be used as a creative tool that freezes action or adds dramatic blur to moving subjects. However, whenever we venture outside our comfort zone, this is where we encounter problems.

That’s not to say we shouldn’t do it. All famous photographers will tell you they wouldn’t have achieved anything without leaving their comfort zone.

So in this tutorial we’ll explain some of the common mistakes you might encounter while trying to achieve the five classic shutter speed effects of freezing movement, blurring action, using blur creatively, long exposures and night photography (to learn about more common mistakes, check out the 99 Common Photography Problems – and how to solve them).

After we look at some of the common problems within these shutter speed ranges, we’ll suggest the best shutter speeds for you to use to achieve these effects and offer our best tips for overcoming these errors.

If there are any we’ve missed, please do let us know in the comments. We’d love to hear from you!

Freeze Movement – 1/250sec and faster

Static-looking shots
With all the movement frozen, fast shutter speed shots can look too static. You can try tilting the camera for a more dynamic composition, but the best option is usually to use a panning technique.

Blurred shots
If you have unwanted blur, then the subject was either out of focus, or it was moving too fast for the shutter speed.

Check that the subject hasn’t moved from your AF point. If the blur is down to subject movement, you’ll need a faster shutter speed.

Suggested shutter speeds for freezing action

Fast-moving cars, motorbikes or animals: 1/1000sec
Mountain bikes: 1/500sec
Waves: 1/250sec

What you can do
Shooting as many frames as possible isn’t always the best approach. Instead, try to shoot in short bursts when the action is at its peak.

This provides the best chance of capturing the best images, while allowing the camera enough time to write the images to your memory card without locking up.

PAGE 1: 1/250sec and faster
PAGE 2: 1/15sec to 1/250sec
PAGE 3: 1/15sec to 1sec
PAGE 4: 1sec to 30secs
PAGE 5: 30secs or longer

What is shutter speed: everything you need to know

jmeyer — Thu, 17 May 2012 10:47:41 +0000

What is shutter speed? Rest assured, it’s a lot simpler to get your head round than aperture! Yesterday we posted our tips on aperture, as well as our guide to what your digital camera’s manual doesn’t teach you. To continue with this theme of getting to know your camera, we thought we would examine shutter speed with our next photography cheat sheet.

Like the aperture setting, the shutter speed you choose is not simply a way of controlling exposure (check out our infographic illustrating the basics of exposure). The speed also has a visible effect on your pictures – allowing you to control the effect of a moving camera or subject. This can ensure pin-sharp pictures, however unsteady your grip on the camera and however fast the subject is moving.

Shutter speed is the length of time that the shutter blinds in front of the camera sensor are left open. The scale used is much easier to understand than the f/stop aperture system, as exposures are measured in fractions of a second.

However, in the viewfinder (find out how to use your viewfinder), the numbers are often simplified – so 1/1000sec is shown as ‘1000’, and 1/60sec as ‘60’. This can lead to confusion as to what is a shorter (or ‘faster’) shutter speed.

For night shots, exposures may last seconds, so familiarise yourself with the way these long exposures are displayed – a four-second exposure may be shown in the viewfinder as 4”, for instance.

Below, the latest infographic in our photography cheat sheet series illustrates the effect different shutter speeds can have on the same subject and scene.

We’ve chosen four commonly used shutter speeds and photographed a woman walking down the street – a common subject, and one you might photograph often.

Notice how the slower shutter speeds make it appear as if she’s running past. We asked her to keep the same, steady pace throughout.

The last thing you need to know about using shutter speed (for now) is that if you’re shooting handheld (without a tripod) you’ll need a fast enough shutter speed to make sure camera shake doesn’t cause blurred shots.

A good rule is to always use a shutter speed faster than the focal length on your lens: so with a focal length of 200mm, make sure you shoot at around 1/250 sec or faster.

The more you zoom in, the faster the shutter speed needs to be. Watch the shutter speed in the viewfinder; open the aperture to ensure it is fast enough. In gloomy light, increase ISO to allow the sensor to create a decent exposure without so much light (find out how to reduce noise at high ISO settings).

Get to know your camera

crutter — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 11:17:08 +0000

This guide is written for anyone who wants to get more from their camera, be it an SLR, compact system camera or bridge camera. It works as a complete beginners’ guide, but is also a handy refresher course for people who’ve had their camera for a while.

I remember how intimidated I was by my first ‘proper’ camera, and how much I could have benefitted from a jargon-free guide like this. In the articles below, you’ll learn all about your key camera controls – what they are, and more importantly, how to use them to get great shots. Read on to discover how to control exposure for perfectly balanced shots, adjust aperture and shutter speed, use flash, and much more. We also explain how to choose and use a lens, and how to get more from your photo-editing software and printer. Enjoy this unique beginners’ guide, and please do share any shots it’s inspired you to take!

Part 1: Set up your camera

Part 2: Explore your SLR

Part 3: Get better exposures

Part 4: Understanding aperture

Part 5: Shutter speed explained

Part 6: Perfect your exposures

Part 7: Focus modes explained

Part 8: Choosing a lens

Part 9: Flash modes explained

Part 10: Image editing, printing & storing

Part 11: Essential accessories

Part 12: Looking after cameras

Set up your camera

crutter — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 11:16:27 +0000

Congratulations on getting a new camera! It’s only natural that you can’t wait to start using it, but it’s worth spending a few minutes configuring it correctly first. Not only will this save you time and effort in the long run, but it’s a good way of familiarising yourself with your camera’s layout, features and functions. With the help of our quick-start camera set-up guide, it will only take a few minutes…

Select high-quality pictures

When it comes to file format, shoot in raw rather than JPEG. The extra data that’s captured in the uncompressed raw format gives you more flexibility to adjust your shots post-shoot if necessary (see page 7 for more on the raw file format). Try to keep the ISO as low as possible, ideally between ISO100 and 400, because digital ‘noise’ can be a problem at high ISO settings. As for white balance, set it to auto for now – as you progress you’ll become more confident at knowing when to switch to a specific setting, such as Cloudy.

Choose the right exposure mode

SLRs offer a range of exposure modes, from fully automatic – like a point-and-shoot camera – to fully manual. In between these two extremes are the two popular ‘semi auto’ modes – aperture priority and shutter priority – which provide lots of creative control. In aperture priority mode, you set an aperture and the camera automatically works out what shutter speed you need for a correct exposure, while in shutter priority mode, you set the shutter speed and the camera works out the correct aperture. Simple!

Choose the right metering mode

Metering options depend on the camera, but the three most common are multi-zone (also known as evaluative or matrix), centre-weighted, and spot. Multi-zone mode takes a reading from the entire scene and then sets the exposure accordingly. It’s pretty accurate, and is suitable for most conditions. Centre-weighted mode takes a reading that concentrates on the central 60% of the frame, making it ideal for portraits, and spot mode takes a reading from a tiny area and is therefore potentially the most accurate.

Set the aperture and shutter speed

Aperture and shutter speed affect not just the amount of light you let into the lens, but also the way images look. The aperture is used to determine the depth of field, which is the amount of the scene that’s in focus. If you want a blurred background, you need a wide aperture, such as f/2.8; and if you want everything in focus from front to back, you need a narrow aperture, such as f/22. The shutter speed controls whether a moving subject is frozen or blurred; the slower the shutter speed, the more motion blur there will be.

Set the focus and drive modes

To ensure your shots are razor-sharp, SLRs offer a number of focus modes. The two main settings are single-shot, mainly for stationary subjects, and continuous or servo, for moving subjects. Most SLRs feature multiple focus points that can be selected manually. The drive modes enable you to select whether a single shot is captured each time you press the shutter release, whether a sequence of shots are taken in rapid succession, or whether the shutter is fired after a delay of two or ten seconds.

Take a test shot

Now you’ve set up your SLR, it’s time to ensure you’re using its LCD properly. By this we mean using the zoom buttons to zoom in on parts of the image on the rear screen, so you can check for sharpness or excessive noise. And you should also try to get into the habit of checking your image’s exposure by calling up the histogram, or tone chart. A histogram bunched up at the left can indicate under-exposure; a histogram at the right suggests over-exposure. If you’re unsure, adjust your settings and try taking another test shot.

Back to: Get to know your camera – introduction

Forward to: Explore your SLR