CNW Photography Basics: Shutter Speed

You know that click the camera makes when you press the button to take a picture. That’s your shutter opening and closing. How long that shutter speed opens, depends on how much light is allowed in, which determines what your picture looks like (there are other factors, but we’re keeping this simple for now).

Shutter speeds range from 1/16000 (which is one sixteenth thousand of a second) all the way down to 30″ (30 seconds). The longer your shutter is open, the more light comes in.

This is where it gets a little tricky for first timers. A low shutter speed is also called a slow shutter speed. A high shutter speed is also called a fast shutter.

LOW = SLOW
HIGH = FAST

Typically, if you go below a shutter speed of 50 or 60 and there is any movement by your subject(s) your photo will be blurry.

Let’s assume, for the sake of this post, you want to set your own shutter speed on your DSLR. (If you’re using an iPhone or more basic camera, the shutter speed is determined for you).

You can set your camera to Tv mode or Shutter Priority mode. In this setting, you set the shutter speed (1000 = fast / 50 = slow) and then the camera adjusts the aperture automatically. We personally don’t use Tv mode because we shoot in manual 100% of the time, but when you’re learning, it’s good to play around with.

Here’s a nice breakdown of shutter speeds and how/when you might use them.

CNW Photography Basics: Shutter Speed Guide

Click to enlarge

When do I need a tripod?

Well, technically you never NEEDĀ a tripod. The better question to always ask yourself first is, “What type of photo am I trying to capture.” If you want to get people walking in a busy town and have their feet and hands blurry, you don’t want a tripod. However, if you want a couple kissing and everyone around them to be blurry and out of focus, you’re going to want a tripod. Here’s a good example of the latter:

Ashley and Matt - When do I use a slow shutter speed

The settings on the above photo were: Shutter Speed: 8 | Aperture: f/16 | ISO: 800 … It took a bunch of tests to get it right, but once we did, it turned out great.

Extended Shutter Speeds

While your camera comes with a limitation of a 30 second shutter speed, you can use the B (bulb) setting on your camera to get a shutter speed as long as you desire. The shutter will stay open as long as you’re pressing the shutter release button – although holding still for longer than 30 seconds is pretty uncommon and unnecessary.

Here’s a fun way to learnĀ about shutter speed

  1. Go to a relatively busy street.
  2. Set your camera to Tv mode.
  3. Set your shutter speed to 500.
  4. Take a picture of a moving car.
  5. Change your shutter speed to 50.
  6. Take a picture of the same thing.
  7. Change your shutter speed to 1000.
  8. Take a picture of the same thing.
  9. Stop and review the pictures. Chances are your first photo looks closer to your third, but a little less sharp. The second photo is probably a bit blurry.

The best thing you can do is go out and play around. Take a bunch of pictures of a bunch of different things. Some moving. Some stationary. Some low light. Some in bright light. See how the different settings affect your images. Remember, you have to learn the rules before you can break them.

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