Chapter 3
IN THIS LESSON
Shutter Speed
Camera shutter speed refers to the length of time that the camera's shutter remains open to allow light to enter and hit the camera's sensor or film. It is measured in fractions of a second, such as 1/500, 1/250, 1/125, or in whole seconds like 1, 2, 4, and so on.
A faster shutter speed, such as 1/2000, allows for capturing fast-moving subjects without motion blur, while a slower shutter speed, like 1”, is suitable for creating long exposure shots, capturing motion blur, and allowing more light into the camera.
Understanding and mastering shutter speed is crucial for controlling exposure, freezing or capturing motion, and creating various photographic effects.
Balancing shutter speed with other exposure settings such as aperture and ISO is essential for achieving optimal exposure and desired creative effects in photography. We cover this in the next final lesson.
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Here are some approximate examples of shutter speed uses. Keep in mind, every environment is different so we recommend experimenting to understand what effect different shutter speeds have.
People: who pose and stay relatively still - 1/125
People: who are moving - 1/200-1/800
Landscape: blurring water movement - 1-10 seconds (depending on the effect you want).
Landscape: nothing moving - As slow as you can maximise captured light.
Landscape: some things moving - 1/125 (but there’s quite a large range).
Perched birds - 1/320 (they still move a little).
Birds in flight - 1/2000 (to freeze most motion).
Macro photography - 1/320 (or higher, at high magnifications)
Astrophotography -10+ seconds