Using the Camera Shutter Effectively
The shutter button opens and closes a mechanism in the camera so that the image can be captured. This mechanism is called the shutter. The focal plane shutter is a curtain-like mechanism located in the SLR camera body that opens and closes in designated intervals called shutter speeds.
Shutter speeds are designated as follows:
2, 1, B, 1, 2, 4, 8, 15, 30, 60, 125, 250, 500, 1000, 2000
The setting, “B”, allows the photographer to control the length of time the shutter remains open. The shutter will thus stay open as long as the shutter button is being held down with the shutter on the “B” mode. The shutter speeds before the “B” setting are full second intervals. Those following “B” settings are fractions of a second. A shutter speed of 15, for example, is equivalent to 1/15th of a second; a shutter speed of 500 is equivalent to 1/500th of a second, and so on.
The speed at which the shutter opens and closes also controls the amount of light that enters the camera. The faster the shutter opens and closes, the less light that enters the camera. The shutter speeds relate to each other in much the same way as the f-stops. A shutter speed of 30 (1/30th of a second) will allow twice as much (or 100%) light to enter and expose the image than a shutter speed of 60 (1/60th of a second).
The Shutter and Motion
The camera has the capability to not only “hold” an instance of time, but freeze action as well. The mechanism that can achieve this for the photographer is the shutter.
The shutter then has two very important functions:
1. To control the amount of light that enters the camera (as previously explained) and
2. To control motion by either blurring it or freezing it.
Freezing action has obvious practical and aesthetic applications. There’s something very intriguing about a diver caught in flight as well as the practical documentation of the dive itself. Most sporting events require a shutter speed of 500 in order to stop or “freeze” the action in progress. But capturing movements also relies on the direction in which the action is occurring. Movements that happen parallel to the camera or picture plane, will require faster shutter speeds than action that is approaching the camera. Events occurring at a diagonal type of direction from the lens will require an intermediate shutter.
Shutter speeds are designated as follows:
2, 1, B, 1, 2, 4, 8, 15, 30, 60, 125, 250, 500, 1000, 2000
The setting, “B”, allows the photographer to control the length of time the shutter remains open. The shutter will thus stay open as long as the shutter button is being held down with the shutter on the “B” mode. The shutter speeds before the “B” setting are full second intervals. Those following “B” settings are fractions of a second. A shutter speed of 15, for example, is equivalent to 1/15th of a second; a shutter speed of 500 is equivalent to 1/500th of a second, and so on.
The speed at which the shutter opens and closes also controls the amount of light that enters the camera. The faster the shutter opens and closes, the less light that enters the camera. The shutter speeds relate to each other in much the same way as the f-stops. A shutter speed of 30 (1/30th of a second) will allow twice as much (or 100%) light to enter and expose the image than a shutter speed of 60 (1/60th of a second).
The Shutter and Motion
The camera has the capability to not only “hold” an instance of time, but freeze action as well. The mechanism that can achieve this for the photographer is the shutter.
The shutter then has two very important functions:
1. To control the amount of light that enters the camera (as previously explained) and
2. To control motion by either blurring it or freezing it.
Freezing action has obvious practical and aesthetic applications. There’s something very intriguing about a diver caught in flight as well as the practical documentation of the dive itself. Most sporting events require a shutter speed of 500 in order to stop or “freeze” the action in progress. But capturing movements also relies on the direction in which the action is occurring. Movements that happen parallel to the camera or picture plane, will require faster shutter speeds than action that is approaching the camera. Events occurring at a diagonal type of direction from the lens will require an intermediate shutter.
Panning and Other Manipulations:
You may have seen photographs where the background is moving but the subject remains still. This effect is called panning. Panning occurs when the action is physically followed by the camera while the shutter is about to be depressed. In order to achieve streaking of the background a slow shutter speed, about 1/15, should be used.
Intentionally creating blurred action can result in a very interpretative and exciting photograph. Shutter speeds that are too slow to freeze the action will result in a blurry representation of the subject. However, the best results are achieved when a tripod is used, since the background will then remain sharp, while only the moving objects are affected and blurred.
The “B” or “bulb” setting of the shutter allows the photographer to leave the shutter open for as long as is desired. With the aid of a tripod, a photographer can use the “B” setting in order to provide for more exposure when photographing still life objects, or to create special, ghostlike effects with moving objects. The “B” setting keeps the shutter open for as long as it is being held down. For extremely long exposure times, a cable release or remote, which will lock or hold the shutter open, is recommended.
Intentionally creating blurred action can result in a very interpretative and exciting photograph. Shutter speeds that are too slow to freeze the action will result in a blurry representation of the subject. However, the best results are achieved when a tripod is used, since the background will then remain sharp, while only the moving objects are affected and blurred.
The “B” or “bulb” setting of the shutter allows the photographer to leave the shutter open for as long as is desired. With the aid of a tripod, a photographer can use the “B” setting in order to provide for more exposure when photographing still life objects, or to create special, ghostlike effects with moving objects. The “B” setting keeps the shutter open for as long as it is being held down. For extremely long exposure times, a cable release or remote, which will lock or hold the shutter open, is recommended.