Shutter Speed, simply put, controls the speed at which the camera's lens opens and closes. It works in conjunction with film speed (a.k.a. ISO) and aperture (lens opening size) to correctly expose an image. By using the Shutter speed priority setting on your camera, you are able to control motion and capture your moving subject effectively. Let's look at the various ways to do this.
Freezing Action You're at the Indy 500 watching your favourite racer approach the finish line, and you want to capture the car, in all its detail, and the look on the face of the driver, just before he crosses the finish line! Capturing such a shot on your camera is an example of freezing action. Compositions that showcase frozen action allow us to study a fleeting moment at our own pace, long after the moment has passed.
To freeze action with your camera, you must set the shutter speed to be very quick. If your ISO is low, say 50 or 100, set your shutter speed to 1/500th of a second, 1/1000th of a second, or faster. Then let your camera recommend the aperture ? it will most likely force your background to be out-of-focus with a large aperture. If your ISO is high, say 800, then you'll be able to set your shutter speed to 1/500th of a second without losing quite so much detail in the foreground and background (i.e. you'll be able to use a smaller aperture to get the right exposure). Shooting at such quick speeds allows you to get away with not using a tripod, since any shaking of the camera you do accidentally will not affect such a short exposure. So pick a sunny day, and go for it!
Implying Motion The classic example of implying motion is those ethereal shots of rapids or waterfalls where the water looks like silk as it flows over the rocks, meanwhile the plants on either side are in sharp focus as the water passes by. Another example is traffic at dusk while the buildings at the intersection stand quietly in sharp focus. The subject is blurry while the background is sharp ? this is what implies the motion.
The trick to capturing implied motion is to use a slow shutter speed. Speeds of ? second should suffice to snap waterfalls or rapids, but be careful to decrease your ISO, or shoot at night, and don't forget your tripod.
Panning Your daughter is riding her tricycle in a circle around you. You point your lens at her and pivot at the same pace that she circles you. Snap! This is an example of panning, where we create anxious and hurried moments by putting the moving subject into sharp focus while blurring the background. The best panning shots are captured when the subject is looking at you, and the eyes are in focus.
To successfully capture a panning shot, consider these three rules: 1) Make sure you move in parallel to your subject. 2) Choose the right shutter speed: somewhere between 1/60 second (for quick subjects), 1/30 second, or even 1/15 second (for a slow child, say) 3) Do NOT use a tripod ? you must be free to move
Now you know the secrets to controlling motion on film. Get out there and try your hand at freezing motion, implying motion, and panning!
Earlier SLR cameras (film) were fully manual. A photographer needed to understand aperture and shutter speed settings and know how to use them. Then came automatic modes, which let the camera do the thinking for you. This was (and still is) a fairly reliable way of getting a well-exposed picture, but it took creativity out of the hands of the photographer. As time went by, few people learned the manual skills. So as camera technology improved, the quality of most photos actually got worse.
Today we have the best of both worlds. All DSLR cameras and most compact digital cameras have manual and automatic modes, but they also offer semi-automatic modes. That means you can be a little creative, and still allow the camera to control the exposure for you.
If you have Aperture Priority and Shutter Priority on your camera, but never quite understood what they were for, this article is for you.
First up, what are Aperture and Shutter Speed? These are the two mechanisms for controlling the level of exposure in your photos; whether your photo will be overexposed, underexposed, or just right. To explain them properly would take a much more in-depth article, so here is just a quick run-down.
Aperture is the size of the hole that lets the light in on your photo. Think of it like the iris in your eye - as the light gets lower, you open the aperture to let more light in. Aperture also controls depth of field, which affects how much of your picture is in focus. When you have a small aperture, you have a large depth of field, so your subject and the surroundings may be in focus. When your aperture is wide, the depth of field is much smaller, so there is much less area around the subject that will be in focus.
Shutter speed is the length of time given to each exposure. The shutter must be open to allow the light in; therefore the longer it is open, the brighter the exposure will be. Shutter speed also affects how sharp your picture will be. If you want to freeze a moving subject, you need to use a fast shutter speed.
The trick is to combine your aperture and shutter speed settings for the best result. If you get the balance right, your photo will be perfectly exposed, and you will have creative control over the look of the image.
Of course, this is easier said than done. To help you manage the challenge, you now have the option of Aperture and Shutter Priority. These semi-automatic modes allow you to take control of one setting, and the camera sets the other automatically. This lets you have some creative input, with the safety net of knowing the camera will take care of the level exposure. You decide how you want your photo to look, and the camera will make sure it is correctly exposed.
So which do you choose: Shutter Priority or Aperture Priority? Well, it's all a matter of...priorities.
Remember that aperture controls depth of field. So if the range of focus is the critical element in your photo, choose aperture priority. You can set a small aperture to maximise the depth of field, or a large aperture to concentrate the focus on the subject. Either way, the camera will adjust the shutter speed to give you the best exposure.
Shutter speed controls movement in a photo. If controlling a moving subject is the critical aspect of your picture, choose shutter priority. This will allow you to set a fast shutter speed to freeze the moving subject, or a slow shutter speed to capture blurred motion. Whichever shutter speed you choose, the camera will take care of the aperture so your photo is correctly exposed.
So your choice of Aperture Priority or Shutter Priority depends on the type of subject you are shooting, and how you want it to look in the final photograph. It really is an ideal marriage of art and technology, allowing you to concentrate on your creative choice rather than on technical issues.
There is so much to be learned on this topic, a short article like this is just a starting point. However if you have been reading your camera manual and scratching your head (like many people do) this quick introduction in layman's terms should help you to make some sense of Aperture and Shutter Priority.
Both Jennifer Clarkson & Andrew Goodall are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Jennifer Clarkson has sinced written about articles on various topics from Photography, Digital Camera and Digital Photography. Jennifer Clarkson is a Canadian photographer living in Ottawa. For a full explanation of digital camera features and more information about what amateur buyers need to know, please visit her website at. Jennifer Clarkson's top article generates over 22200 views. to your Favourites.
Andrew Goodall has sinced written about articles on various topics from Digital Photography, Photography and Digital Photography. Andrew Goodall's top selling ebook "Photography In Plain English" is a great place to start learning the art and skills of nature photography. Find it at