Shutter Speed - Capturing Movement

The next Element of Exposure we will explore is Shutter Speed.

Shutter Speed is - The amount of TIME you let light into the camera.

Shutter Speed is measured in seconds or fractions of a second.

For example:

1" = 1 second

1/2 = 1 half second

1/125 = 1 one hundred twenty-fifth of a second

A Shutter Speed of 1 second is considered SLOW, and as it moves into fractions of a second, such as 1/125, the Shutter Speed is described as FAST.

By changing shutter speeds you not only control how long light enters the camera but also how motion is captured in your image. You can Freeze the movement of your subject, Show Motion Blur, or Track your subject.

Here is an example of how shutter speed shows motion blur or freezes action.

Use the Thumb dial to set the Shutter Speed. In the screen below, the Shutter Speed is set at 1/60, or one sixtieth of a second. 1/60 is basically a dividing line between slow and fast shutter speeds.

Follow this link for a description of how shutter speed works.

We will now have a hands-on practice session and I will demonstrate how to change the Shutter Speed on the Nikon DSLRs.

Next you will practice taking

Today we will use various shutter speeds to:
1. Freeze motion (fast shutter speed of 1/125 or higher)
2. Create a Motion Blur (Shutter speed around 1/15 or slower)
3. Tracking - Panning (Shutter Speed about 1/60)