More about Shutter Speed
Shutter speed is an important element of photography that refers to the amount of time that the camera's shutter is open to allow light to reach the film or image sensor. It is one of the three main elements of the exposure triangle, along with aperture and ISO, that determines the exposure of an image.
One of the main ways that shutter speed affects a photograph is by controlling the amount of light that enters the camera. A faster shutter speed will allow less light to enter the camera, while a slower shutter speed will allow more light to enter. This can be useful for controlling the exposure of an image or for shooting in low light conditions.
Shutter speed also affects the way movement is captured in an image. A faster shutter speed will freeze motion, while a slower shutter speed will blur motion. This can be used to creative effect, such as freezing the action in a sports photograph or creating a sense of movement in a landscape photograph.
The shutter speed you choose will depend on the effect you want to achieve in your photograph. If you want to freeze motion, you'll want to choose a faster shutter speed. On the other hand, if you want to blur motion, you'll want to choose a slower shutter speed. It's important to keep in mind that the right shutter speed will also depend on the amount of light available and the aperture you are using.
It's also important to consider the impact of shutter speed on camera shake. If you are handholding your camera, it's important to choose a shutter speed that is fast enough to avoid camera shake. As a general rule of thumb, the minimum shutter speed you should use when handholding your camera is the reciprocal of the focal length of your lens. For example, if you are using a 50mm lens, you'll want to choose a shutter speed of at least 1/50th of a second.
Sometimes, when practical, it can also help to use the timer function on your camera and put the camera on a tripod to help reduce camera shake. You may also buy a remote trigger for your camera to avoid pressing the button on the camera when you take a picture which will also help avoid camera shake.
As with any of the other settings on the exposure triangle, you need to remember that in order to keep the exposure the same, if you adjust the shutter speed you will need to also adjust either the aperture, the iso, or both.
