What is ‘ShutterSpeed’?

Theshutterspeedis the precise amount of time that the camera’sshutterremains 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 ofshutterspeeds of multiple seconds, minutes or even hours (this is how ’star trails’ are achieved).


Motion in photography can be greatly manipulated usingshutterspeed.  Fastshutterspeeds will freeze the subject, capturing the detail, slowshutterspeeds will blur the motion, capturing less detail but enhancing the impression ofspeedand movement.  Theshutterspeeds 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 theshutterwhere you dictate how long theshutterspeedstays open.

What equipment do I need?

  1. Digital SLR – Obvious but you need an SLR that has adjustableshutterspeeds, nowadays most do and so you probably already own one.
  2. Tripod – A tripod is essential for slowshutterspeeds 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 slowshutterspeeds 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 ControlShutterSpeed?

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

Using the ‘ShutterPriority’ mode allows you to control the length of time that theshutterremains open while the camera calculates which correspondingf/stopto use.  The effect that theshutterspeedyou 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 differentshutterspeeds, all at ISO100, notice the f/stop compensation automatically adjusted by the camera.

Shutterspeeds 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. ashutterspeedof 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.

Standardshutterspeeds (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

Differentshutterspeeds can also be used to great effect inLandscapephotography.  One example of this is if there is long grass in the foreground that is moving in the wind, slowing down theshutterspeedwill 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 slowshutterspeeds to blur the clouds in the photograph, the effect of this is quite unique.