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What is ‘Shutter Speed’?

The shutter speed is the precise amount of time that the camera’s shutter remains open to allow the right amount of light to pass through the lens and hit the sensor.  Most of the photo’s normally taken will only require a fraction of a second to complete this process however, digital SLR’s are capable of shutter speeds of multiple seconds, minutes or even hours (this is how ’star trails’ are achieved).

Motion in photography can be greatly manipulated using shutter speed.  Fast shutter speeds will freeze the subject, capturing the detail, slow shutter speeds will blur the motion, capturing less detail but enhancing the impression of speed and movement.  The shutter speeds on most digital SLR’s will range from 30 seconds to 1/4000sec.  There may also be a setting for ‘Bulb’, this is like the manual setting for the shutter where you dictate how long the shutter speed stays open.

What equipment do I need?

1. Digital SLR – Obvious but you need an SLR that has adjustable shutter speeds, nowadays most do and so you probably already own one.
2. Tripod – A tripod is essential for slow shutter speeds as any shake during the exposure will result in blurred shots (not the bits you want to blur!).  If you do not have a tripod you can improvise by resting the camera on a stationary object or using a bean bag (easy to find on eBay for a couple of pounds!).
3. Self Timer – If you have a self timer then you should use this to avoid camera shake when taking the shot.
4. Remote Release – Even better than the self timer is a remote release.  This allows you to take the photograph without touching the camera.  Many releases also come with a ‘lock’ which works alongside the ‘Bulb’ setting mentioned above.
5. Neutral Density Filters - When taking photographs using slow shutter speeds during the day or in light conditions a Neutral Density filter acts like a pair of sunglasses for the camera lens and helps to avoid overexposing the image.

How To Control Shutter Speed?

Digital SLR’s have settings that will automatically calculate the correct shutter speed and aperture for you, however, to really take control of the shutter speed you need to swith to the ‘Shutter Priority’ mode, this is usually illustrated as ‘S’ or ‘Tv’ on the camera.

Using the ‘Shutter Priority’ mode allows you to control the length of time that the shutter remains open while the camera calculates which corresponding f/stop to use.  The effect that the shutter speed you have selected will have on the subject/scene can be viewed on any camera with a ‘Live View’ option.  Alternatively the old ‘trial and error’ approach can be adopted!

The below photographs were taken using 3 different shutter speeds, all at ISO100, notice the f/stop compensation automatically adjusted by the camera.

Shutter speeds are usually referred to as ’stops’, for each stop either up or down the amount of light allowed to enter the lens doubles or halves respectively e.g. a shutter speed of 1/500sec will allow twice as much light to enter the lens as 1/1000sec.  Most DSLR’s can also increment in 1/2 and even 1/ stops.

Standard shutter speeds (in seconds) are;

• 30
• 15
• 8
• 4
• 2
• 1
• 1/2
• 1/4
• 1/8
• 1/16
• 1/30
• 1/60
• 1/125
• 1/250
• 1/500
• 1/1000
• 1/2000
• 1/4000

Different shutter speeds can also be used to great effect in Landscape photography.  One example of this is if there is long grass in the foreground that is moving in the wind, slowing down the shutter speedwill create an almost ghostly effect where the grass is moving (usually in the same direction) whilst the rest on the image (hills, buildings ect) stay in focus.  Another example is using very slow shutter speeds to blur the clouds in the photograph, the effect of this is quite unique.

Related posts:

1. Mastering Slow Shutter Speed Photography Effects (part 1)
2. Low Light Photography
3. Aperture Explained
4. Guide To Creating Stunning Landscape Photographs
5. Twelve Essential Photographic Rules