Shutter…Not to be Mistaken by Shudder
One great feature of a DSLR camera is that you can use the Scene Intelligent Auto mode as a beginner and get great photos. But now it’s time to pull up my big girl pants and learn more about my camera’s manual functions. To get great images with the manual mode, there are three camera settings to be aware of:
- Shutter Speed
- Aperture
- ISO
This post is all about shutter speed!
What is shutter speed? Shutter speed is how long the shutter is open. The shutter speed settings are made up of fractions (math is literally everywhere!). On the slow end, the setting is bulb; on the faster end, it is 1/4000. The fractions indicate the fraction of a second. A faster shutter speed freezes moving objects, while a slower shutter speed creates motion blur.
Tips on using shutter speed:
- When a scene has good lighting, you use a faster shutter speed. You use a slower shutter speed when it is night or low light.
- A higher shutter speed gives less exposure to light and is better for daylight.
- Lower shutter speed keeps the shutter open for longer and creates motion blur.
- Use a tripod when using a slower shutter speed. Keeping your hand steady can be challenging, so using a faster shutter speed helps keep things from getting blurry.
- Shutter speed also determines the exposure. When a photo is too bright, it is overexposed, and a dark photo is underexposed. Picking the correct shutter speed allows for the right amount of light.
- Most DSLR cameras have a shutter priority setting that auto-sets the shutter speed.
Some photographers use motion blur as a creative way to show how fast something is. Use a faster shutter speed if you want a crisp, sharp image with minimal motion blur. To freeze a fast-moving object, use a slower shutter speed.
There are a lot of great blogs that explain shutter speed:
- Understanding Shutter Speed for Beginners – Photography Basics
- Photography Basics – A Beginner’s Photography Guide
- What is Shutter Speed? The Ultimate Beginners Guide!
And here’s a video if you don’t feel like reading!