In Control of Time

Your camera’s shutter mechanism works more or less according to the same principle as your eye lids. It functions as a kind of curtain that can be opened and closed. When open, light passes by, when closed, no light passes by.
        Shutter speed indicates the amount of time the shutter mechanism of your camera is open and exposure takes place. The longer the shutter is open, the more light will enter the light sensitive sensors of your camera.
        Shutter speed is controlled by the shutter mechanism. All modern digital cameras have highly developed shutter mechanisms that can be adjusted with great precision. These shutter mechanisms are, however, constructed and placed in many different ways.
        Shutter speed is extremely variable according to what kind of subject you are shooting. Shutter speeds can range from extremely fast to very slow. Shutter speed is measured in seconds or parts of seconds, e.g. 1/8000, 1/2000, 1/250, 1/60, 1/30, ½ or 1/1 second.   Some subjects require even slower shutter speeds, e.g. 30 seconds, several minutes or perhaps even several hours. In this section you will find numerous examples of how you can use shutter speed creatively.
 

A look at the shutter mechanism located behind the reflex mirror deep inside a dSLR.

To Freeze the Moment or Not to Freeze the Moment

You need to consider carefully what shutter speed you want to use every single time you shoot a photo. What shutter speed you should choose depends on what story you want your photo to tell. A fast shutter speed will freeze the moment. Using a slower shutter speed will blur all movements in your photo regardless if it is your camera or the subject that is moving. Put differently, one of the major risks you run when you use slow shutter speeds is camera shake. It requires some skill to hold the camera steady when you are shooting at shutter speeds of 1/30 of a second or slower.
        There is no general rule, like ‘it is always a good idea to use a fast shutter speed if you have sufficient light to allow it’, that you can apply to shutter speed. Shutter speed is in reality a creative tool that you can use for creating interesting photos in many situations if you dare experiment a little.

An example of a blurred subject shot with a slow shutter speed. This photo is beautiful despite the fact that it is not at all sharp. Nikon D2Xs 200mm VR + 1,7 x teleconverter, F38, 1/10 second, ISO 100.
 

Controlling Shutter Speeds

Once you have learnt what shutter speed can be used for you need to learn to control it. In a modern camera the shutter mechanism is located inside the camera housing itself, and controlling it using the control wheel will be convenient. It is a great advantage to be able to adjust the shutter speed quickly, particularly if you are taking photos in a situation where predicting how the subject is going to behave is difficult. A lion could be an example of such a subject: as long as the lion lies still basking in the shade of a tree you can use relatively slow shutter speeds. Should the lion however suddenly leap to its feet to race across the savannah you need to be able to change your shutter speed in no time.
        Located on top of your camera you will, most likely, find the mode dial. Depending on the model of your camera the name of this wheel may vary. Using this dial you can choose the semi automatic mode S (on some cameras this is called TV or T). This mode, also called shutter priority mode, allows you to choose a shutter speed and the camera will then choose a suitable aperture. If you are interested in working creatively with shutter speeds selecting mode S is a good idea. If you are shooting with very limited light available, e.g. a city night scene, selecting the M (manual) mode is a good idea. This mode will allow you the full control of both aperture and shutter speed.
        It is always a very good idea to familiarise yourself with the modes of your camera before you start shooting for real. Shutter speed is a very powerful tool and it is best if you are able to adjust it precisely and without having to think too much. If you have never before used shutter speed as a creative tool in your photography we recommend that you start right away.

Using the mode dial to choose “S" for shutter priority mode. In other camera brands this mode is called "Tv" (time value).
 
Action and Sports Photography

Action photography is a variety of photography in which shutter speed has always had a significant role to play. Sports photographers often use very fast shutter speeds. Photos of a football player caught seemingly frozen in mid air while performing a head-butt, motorcyclists taking curves their engines almost horizontal or athletes with strained facial expressions. We are all familiar with photos like these, and the secret behind them is the use of fast shutter speeds. Sports photographers often work with shutter speeds of 1/2000 to 1/8000 of a second. For this reason sports photographers often work with quite high ISO values, for instance 400 or 800.

        In order to be able to work with these fast shutter speeds you need good fast lenses. Even more so, if the sport you want to shoot takes place indoors. If you find that you are unable to get fast enough shutter speeds you may attempt adjusting the ISO value of your camera to the highest permitted value. In very extreme cases it may be necessary to increase the ISO value to 1600, this will unfortunately be detrimental to your image quality as noise will appear. In such cases you will have to choose between a grainy photo and no photo at all.

        Not many people realise that in action shots or sports photos the subject does not necessarily have to appear frozen. In some cases you can actually achieve photos that convey a sense of action and motion more forcefully by using slightly slower shutter speeds. Try shooting subjects in motion using shutter speeds of 1/250 or even 1/500 of a second. You will need to focus on and follow your subject with a sweeping pan. This will result in the subject being reasonably sharp while the surroundings in front of and behind the subject will appear as a blurred motion. A little practice with this kind of photography will enable you to get some really good results.

200mm VR, f/2.0, 1/4000 of a second, ISO 400
 
Night Photography

Capturing the stars, the moon, the northern lights or the glow of city street lamps can be quite a challenge.  Shooting at night can result in astonishingly beautiful photos or extremely bad photos as well as everything in between. Nevertheless, there is absolutely no reason to put away your camera just because darkness has fallen.
        Shutter speed is one of the most important tools for a photographer when he has to shoot after nightfall.  The most spectacular photos are often created using only naturally available sources of light such as street lamps, windows, illuminated fountains, et cetera. It is even possible to create beautiful photos using even weaker sources of light such as, for instance, the stars.

This photo was shot with a shutter speed of almost half an hour. It was taken in the Wadi el Gemal desert in Southern Egypt, and it was shot in complete darkness.

Regardless what source of light you use for your photos, it is likely that you will have to use some of the slowest possible shutter speeds to achieve correct exposure. Begin by setting the mode dial of your camera to M for manual. Using this setting you will have to set both aperture and shutter speeds. What the right settings are depends on the information provided by the light meter of your camera regarding aperture and shutter speed. If you are shooting in a relatively well-lit town you could try setting your shutter speed to five seconds and aperture to f/8.

Chaotic looking traffic in the Danish town of Århus on a winter’s morning. The secret behind shooting this type of photo is using slow enough shutter speeds.

 
The display of your camera will allow you to determine whether your photo is exposed correctly, overexposed (too bright) or underexposed (too dark). If the photo looks underexposed, try choosing a slower shutter speed. The great advantage of the digital camera is that you can learn by trial and error. Taking photos at night without using flash it is not uncommon to work with shutter speeds as slow as 30 seconds.
        If you want to Shoot using shutter speeds that slow you absolutely need specialised equipment. The camera should be mounted on a tripod. If you do not have one you may also try using other objects to support your equipment with. Just to make sure not to cause blurring you should use either cable release or a self-timer to avoid having to touch the camera during exposure. If you shoot using long exposures you run the risk of getting stray light (reflected light and light from the side) on your photo. It is a risk you can easily avoid by using a lens hood.

Nikon D2Xs 200mm - 12-24mm on a 12mm, f/11, 2 seconds, ISO 100

You have been reading about shutter speeds, and you have gained some insight into what you can use this tool for.  If you have not already read about it we now move you on to the subject of aperture, a tool that is just as important to master as shutter speed. If you have already studied the section on aperture, focusing would be next.

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