Aperture, ISO and Shutter Speed make up the three sides of the exposure triangle. They together determine the amount of light that reaches the film (or sensor in DSLRs and mirrorless cameras), and they have a huge impact on the quality of the final image.
If you are shooting with a mobile phone, or using a camera with auto mode, there is no need to adjust Shutter Speed or any camera exposure settings, as the camera processor will adjust them according to the shooting conditions, specifically the lighting conditions. But professional photographers do not prefer to rely on auto mode; they prefer to use manual mode as it gives them better control over the quality of the photos. Some mobile phones even provide some control over exposure settings, although it is a digital control in contrast to the optical control used in professional cameras.
What is shutter speed?
Shutter speed is the length of time the camera shutter is open, allowing light to reach the camera sensor (or film in the case of film cameras) through the lens. For example, when we say that the shutter speed is 1/100, this means that the camera’s sensor is open to light for a period of one hundredth of a second.
Based on this definition, the sensor will receive a larger amount of light if we used a slower shutter speed, this is equivalent to using a wider aperture, or a higher ISO value, but increasing and decreasing the shutter speed has other effects that differ from the effects of aperture and ISO, as we will see later.
Shutter speed is measured in seconds (1s, 2s, 3s, etc.). But it should be noted that common shutter speeds are usually measured in fractions of a second, such as 1/15s, 1/160s or 1/500s, so increasing denominator value means less time value, and therefore a higher shutter speed.
Almost all DSLRs and mirrorless cameras have a shutter-priority mode, which is often abbreviated S or TV. This mode allows you to manually set the shutter speed while the camera adjusts the rest of the exposure triangle controls.
Manual mode, often abbreviated M, can also be used to control shutter speed.
Shutter speed values
Most modern DSLRs and mirrorless cameras usually have a shutter speed range of 1/8000 to 30 seconds.
- A shutter speed of 1/000s to 1/8000s is considered very high, it needs excellent lighting conditions, and it is suitable for shooting high-speed subjects such as racing cars.
- A shutter speed of 1/250s to 1/100s is still high, it needs good lighting conditions, and it is suitable for shooting sporting events and wild animals.
- A shutter speed of 1/50s to 1/100s is considered above average, it is suitable for shooting without a tripod.
- A shutter speed of 1/15s to 1/100s is considered medium, it is suitable for general photography purposes with or without a tripod.
- A shutter speed of 1s to 1/15s is considered slow, you definitely will need a tripod, and it is suitable for obtaining artistic effects of movement.
- A shutter speed of 30s to 1s is considered very slow, it is suitable for special photography purposes only.
There are some cameras capable of shooting with a shutter speed higher than 1/8000s (allowing a sharp photo of a bullet at the moment it exits the barrel of a pistol, for example), but they are usually considered special purpose cameras that are beyond the scope of normal professional photography. It is also possible to use Bulb Mode on most modern cameras to extend the shutter speed over 30 seconds, for minutes or even hours, as long as you keep pressing the shutter button.
Shutter speed effect on photos
As we mentioned before, using a faster shutter allows less light to pass through, but the most important effect is the so-called “freeze motion”, using a fast shutter to shoot moving subjects allows you to get “frozen” moments, as the entire photo is captured in a blink of an eye. while the subject hardly moved.
That is why the use of high shutter speeds is always associated with shooting fast subjects such as racing cars, trains, sporting events and birds, when you want to get sharp photos.
What shutter speed should I use with my camera?
It depends on what you want to shoot, and also on lighting conditions; using a high shutter speed is necessary to get sharp photos of fast subjects, but this is never a rule; sometimes the photographer deliberately uses a slow shutter to get a blurry picture in order to give the feeling of speediness in his shot (although the blur is considered a defect to be avoided), like this one:
It is possible to take the previous shot in reverse, so that the background appears blurry, while the bikes appear sharp and clear. To do this, the bikes must be tracked with the camera while using a slow shutter. It’s also common to use a slow shutter speed to get those crazy night photos of city car lights, sometimes called light painting:
On other hand, to get a “freeze motion” photo of fast-moving subjects, like famous hummingbird photos, you’ll of course need a super fast shutter (consider that the wings of typical hummingbirds beat up to 80/sec):
Also, lighting must be taken into account when determining the appropriate shutter speed. Using high shutter speeds requires good lighting conditions, if this is not the case, you will be forced to use a slow shutter. Also, when using a slow shutter, it is necessary to use a narrow aperture and/or low ISO; otherwise you will get a photo so bright that the details may disappear completely.
Finally, if it is not possible to use a tripod in your shot, then you will have to use a fast shutter if you want to get a sharp photo of your subject.
Here at Photolet, we offer a variety of highly specialized training courses for photography enthusiasts who aim to boost their photography skills, our training courses focus on the practical aspect of photography, i.e. will will teach you how to use cameras, how to adjust camera settings, photography lighting rules, how to use photography accessories and how to use photo/video editing software.
