Okay!

1st…. what do you know about Shutter Speed?

Shutter speed simply refers to the amount of time that the camera's shutter is open. The longer the shutter is open, the more light passes through to the camera's sensor.

Here are a few tips for how I use my camera and my use of shutter speed:

1. Don’t shoot below 1/60 speed when hand-holding the camera

2. Set your speed to 1/125 when you shoot with a studio light

3. Set your speed below 1/5 if you wish to start to take a slow shutter speed image.

Take a look to the right at the images and look at some set speeds to use at different speeds for any situation.

This is a visual helpsheet so you can use the set speeds when you are photographing a set movement or attempting to capture this movement with your camera.

SHUTTER PRIORITY

All cameras have the option to take a photograph with Auto, Manual, Aperture or Shutter Priority & Program. This blog is about understanding and using shutter priority mode.

Have you ever used this mode before?

Shutter Priority mode is where the camera enables you to consider and amend the speed at which you wish to take each photo. Let’s remember that the shutter speed relates to the time it takes for a camera to open and close the shutter. So in shutter priority, you control that speed and the camera will set the aperture per photograph with the in-camera light meter system.

When should you decide to use Shutter Priority mode?

Here is a list of the situations in which you may decide to use this mode

1. Shooting action or wildlife photos with a telephoto lens. Speeds to use for this option our 1/500 and 1/4000 second and this will completely freeze any movement.

2. For travel and street photography, when you are walking around taking photos. Use 1/60 when holding the camera, but to prevent camera shake use high shutter speeds of 1/180 or 1/250 second.

3. Capture creative blur images, by photographing a fast-moving object and shooting as 1/125, which will prevent camera shake but could creatively capture some movement.

4. For special lighting effects, such as painting with light or steel wool spinning. Start your speed at 1/5 and then slow the speed to capture the effect that you like.

Key tips on using Shutter Priority

1. Set your Mode Dial to either S or TV (Time value) to activate Shutter Priority mode.

2. On some basic model cameras, there is no Mode Dial and you have to activate Shutter Priority mode in the menu settings.

3. Remember, you can control the aperture indirectly by changing the ISO (a higher ISO results in a smaller aperture).

4. If you’re using a camera or lens with Image Stabilization, you can experiment with shutter speeds as low as 1/4 second.

5. Identify your range of shutter speeds for your set camera.

6. Identify the best handheld speed that works with your camera -1/60 - 1/125

7. Use a tripod for slow shutter photographs

8. Have fun with this mode

After reading this blog you should have learned about how to use shutter Priority on your camera. I hope that you are aware of what is considered fast and slow shutter speed photography.

If you would like to know more about either of these types of photography, then please look at my next two blogs which will relate to both slow and fast-speed images.

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