The number one priority for a photographer is to tell a story. To tell an exciting story, you need many techniques at your fingertips. Knowing how to control the shutter opens up a world of creative possibilities for you to communicate with your audience.
The shutter is a mechanism that opens and closes to admit light into a camera for a measured length of time. It can operate at different speeds or durations, ranging from fast (e.g., a fraction of a second) to long (e.g., whole seconds, minutes or hours). The shutter speed you choose will affect your exposure and have a direct effect on stopping (i.e., freezing) or blurring motion.
Setting your camera to the shutter priority mode allows you to select the shutter speed, and the camera will set the aperture and ISO to produce the correct exposure. Review the photos below taken with the following shutter speed effects:
Slow shutter speed effect:
- Adds blur to a moving object
- Emphasizes movement
The image below depicts a group of football players running on a football field. The players appear blurred while the background appears sharp. The slow shutter speed effect emphasizes the contrast between the fast-moving action in the foreground and the stillness of the background.
Slow shutter speed with panning technique effect:
The photographer tracks the movement of the subject while making the exposure.
- Adds blur to the background
- Focuses the subject more sharply
The image below shows a jet taking off from an aircraft carrier. The motion blur of the jet's speed is also blurred with the background emphasizing the speed at which it's taking off. The slow shutter speed coupled with a panning technique results in a dynamic sense of movement.
Slow shutter speed with tripod or monopod effect:
- Captures more light in dark conditions
- Prevents blurring from camera movement
The image below displays a jet in the dark, its lights trailing as it taxis on the runway. The movement of the person on the bottom right, directing air traffic, is blurred, emphasizing the motion of their hands while holding the lights. This technique reveals both the stillness of the jet and the movement of the light from the individual.
Fast shutter speed effect:
- Stops the action of a fast-moving object
- Focuses object sharply
Note: The faster an object is moving, the higher the shutter speed needed to freeze its motion.
The image below freezes the motion of an ejected casing. The fast shutter speed emphasizes the sharpness of the subject while simultaneously capturing the dynamic nature of live fire.