Photography Basics

by photographer

Controls

While so many of today’s cameras try to do the thinking for photographers, to get really great images you need to know how to control your camera. You also need to know what controls affect what aspects of your photographs.

Shutter Speed Basics

One of the most requested photography tips is shutter speed help. Shutter speed is one of the most basic important controls on a camera. Shutter speed controls the amount of time that your film, or digital sensor, is exposed to light. In effect, the shutter determines what image is captured on your film. The shutter is a small plastic sheet that opens and closes to allow light onto the film or prevent light from reaching the film. The shutter is opened when you press the shutter release button on your camera to take a picture. The shutter speed determines how long the shutter remains open.

In cameras with TTL (through the lens) viewfinders, the shutter release button also moves a mirror out of the way of the film and shutter curtain. It is this movement of the shutter curtain and the mirror that gives taking a picture its distinctive “click” sound. As you become more familiar with your camera and shutter speed you will begin to notice the difference in the sound of the the “click” based on the speed of the shutter. In time, you will be able to tell about what shutter speed any camera in the room is using just by the sound of the shutter.

Measuring Shutter Speed

Measuring shutter speed is relatively simple. Shutter speed is generally measured in fractions of a second. A shutter speed of “5000″ means that the shutter will open for 1/5000th of a second. Shutter speeds of 1 second and longer are generally marked with a ‘, or other similar mark, after the number. This means that 16′ on your camera’s display would stand for 16 seconds. The letter “B” is often used to indicate the shutter will remain open as long as you hold down the shutter release button.

Slow Shutter Speed
Shutter speed is considered to be “long” or “slow” when it is slower than 1/60th of a second. (Remember, this is marked as 60 on your camera dial or display.) This numbers comes from the fact that most people can only hold a standard lens (between 35mm and 70mm) steady for 1/60th of a second or less. This is different from the commonly used term “long exposure” which usually refers to shutter speeds of over 1 second.

Fast Shutter Speed
Fast shutter speeds are generally considered to be those shutter speeds faster than 1/500th of a second. These shutter speeds are used to freeze, or stop, motion for a clear image when shooting fast subjects.

Rule of Thumb
A good rule of thumb for knowing the slowest shutter speed you can use with a particular lens, without using a tripod, is to use the number of the lens size. For example, a 300 mm lens can be hand held at shutter speeds of 1/300th of a second and faster. Note that the minimum hand held speed should never be below 1/60th of a second without image stabilization assistance from your camera or lens.

How to Set Shutter Speed

How to set shutter speed is a common question among new photographers. The process is actually very simple. Shutter speed is set on cameras by turning a specified dial on the camera body. In older, fully manual cameras, this is a dial on the top of the camera body that is marked with numbers ranging from 1 to about 5000. In newer cameras the shutter speed is generally displayed on an LCD screen while the photographer turns a small wheel near the shutter release button to adjust the speed. The exact placement of the wheel will vary from camera to camera. On point and shoot cameras, there may not be a control to select specific shutter speeds. Instead, you may need to understand your camera’s pre-programmed modes to obtain the desired shutter speed. Many SLR cameras also have these pre-programmed modes as well as a few additional modes of fine control.

Shutter Speed in Basic Pre-programmed Camera Modes

Almost all automatic cameras today have some sort of pre-programmed shooting modes. These are designed for specific situations such as action, landscapes, and portraits. The following information shows how shutter speed affects basic pre-programmed camera modes.

Action
Action mode is an automatic setting mode where the camera is predisposed to use the highest shutter speed possible for the lighting situation. In this mode you can not set the exact shutter speed you want but you can lessen your chances of a blurry image due to slow shutter speed by using this mode.

Landscape
Landscape mode is basically the opposite of Action Mode. Landscape is programmed to give the smallest aperture (largest F-Stop) possible in order to ensure a large depth of field. This means that the shutter speed will be slower. If your camera does not allow Manual or Tv mode and you are wanting to shoot a nighttime or blurred motion shot, try the Landscape setting.

Night
Night mode goes a step farther than landscape mode. Night mode not only prefers the slowest shutter speed possible, it also turns off the flash and sets the fastest film speed possible. This means that your shutter speed may be only marginally slower because the fast film speed decreases the amount of light needed to expose the image.

Portrait
Portrait mode is a bit tricky when dealing with shutter speed. Portrait is programmed to have a shallow depth of field (large aperture/small F-Stop) and use a slow film speed in order to throw the background out of focus and obtain a very fine film grain. This means that the shutter speed will be faster due to the aperture setting BUT because the camera is using a slower film speed you will probably loose any shutter speed advantage.

Shutter Speed in Advanced Pre-programmed Camera Modes

Beyond the basic pre-programmed camera modes, shutter speed is important in advanced pre-programmed camera modes as well.

Manual
Manual setting is marked “M” on newer cameras and is, in effect, the only setting on manual cameras. Manual mode means that you are fully in charge of the settings of your camera. If you set the shutter speed while in M mode, you will need to make an adjustment to aperture yourself in order to maintain a correct exposure. Use your camera’s light meter to ensure the values are in balance.

Shutter Priority
The setting on your camera marked “Tv” is called Shutter Priority mode. This means that if you use Tv mode and set the shutter speed, the camera will adjust your aperture value to maintain a correct exposure.

Program
Program mode is marked by a “P” on the few cameras that have this option. In program mode, your camera responds to some preset conditions you programed through the menu. Generally, this mode allows you to set either the shutter speed or the aperture while the camera adjusts the other setting to maintain proper exposure.

Shutter Speed Situation Guide

Now that you have a good understanding of what the shutter speed is and how to control your camera’s shutter speed, you need some guidelines on what shutter speed is needed in different situations. Here are some photography tips for shutter speeds in specific situations. The speeds listed are the needed speeds to freeze the action under normal conditions. If you want to blur the action, decrease the shutter speed. To adjust for a very fast situation, increase the shutter speed.