Adjust camera settings to show speed, stillness or a combination of movements.
A camera's shutter speed controls the length of time light can enter a camera's film surface or image sensor. Shutter speed is measured in seconds and fractions of seconds. The correct shutter speed for the lighting conditions and subject can produce a well-exposed and clear image. Experimenting with a variety of shutter speeds on a 35mm camera at one photo shoot can create static or dynamic imagery.
Instructions
1. Use a slower shutter speed to compensate for low light situations, such as interior locations or twilight. A wider aperture and a slower shutter speed allow more light rays to travel through the lens barrel and reach the film plane or image sensor for a correctly exposed image. Support the camera with a tripod for slow shutter speeds such as 1/60 second on a standard 50mm lens.
2. Select a higher shutter speed for a longer lens, such as telephoto lens, to reduce camera shake. The longer lens barrel or focal length can emphasize camera shake that causes blurry images. A suggested shutter speed can be 1/(Focal length). For example, for a 100mm lens, select a shutter speed of 1/100 second.
3. Capture fast action by selecting a higher shutter speed, such as 1/500 second to freeze the action for a crisp, clear image. Shutter speeds from 1/1,000 second and faster can catch a high-speed train or soaring jet.
4. A bulb setting records light for as long as the shutter release is pressed.
Select the "bulb" or "B" setting to keep the aperture open for long exposures. This setting especially works for night scenes, such as multiple bursts of fireworks and cityscapes with the glow of electric lights. Attach the camera on a tripod or other stable support. Connect a cable release or remote switch to operate the shutter release and to prevent camera shake.
5. Break the "freeze the action" mode by using a slower shutter speed to show blurred action for vitality. Support the camera on a tripod and then select a slow shutter speed, such as 1/8 second. For example, shoot a field when a breeze ruffles the foliage. The image may show a soft, swaying movement. For a panning effect, swivel the camera on a tripod or monopod, while focusing on a still object, like city lights, or a moving object, like a car. The effect mimics a whirlwind of action.
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