Shutter Speed Examples

f/6.3, 1/320 second, 57 mm using my Tamron 18-200 zoom lens.

f/32, 1/6 second, 102 mm using the same lens.

Okay, Cami invited me to contribute, so I am considering myself unleashed. Here is an attempt at an answer to one of Cami's questions. Please note that I am a self-taught photographer, so please chime in and explain it better-I will not be offended.

So, how you choose shutter speed and aperture to obtain a correct exposure is a matter of desired effect. Nothing more, nothing less. How do you want the photo to look? It is at the heart of the ART of photography. Here is an example of one of those effects, which you already saw in the photo of Ethan: Motion Capture.

Motion capture is SHUTTER SPEED DRIVEN. If you want to stop motion, as in the top photo (if you look closely, actual drops of water are suspended in the air), you use a fast shutter speed and open the aperture wider to get the right amount of light.

To show motion, as in the lower photo, make the shutter speed way slow and close up the aperture to create the correct amount of light.

The other primary effect to be aware of when deciding what combination of aperture and shutter speed to use is depth of field or depth of focus.

DOF is APERTURE DRIVEN. The more of the photo that you want to be in focus, such as in landscapes, group shots and the like, the smaller the aperture you need to use. The more you want the subject in focus and the background all fuzzed out in that fabulous bokeh, the wider the aperture needs to be. In either case, you then adjust the shutter speed to get the correct light.

The fun is that you get to prioritize the effects you want, then choose your settings.

This is the short version, because of course there is all the stuff that happens when you change focal length, but that you will figure out with experience. Let's not cause any cerebral hemorrhages here.

As in many artistic endeavors, once you know the rules, you are free to break them in order to have fun as a photographer. I like experimenting with slow shutter speeds because I like the edgy, immediate feel those photos have-more photo-journalistic. Some photos can be like exquisite sculptures-meticulously created, with a stillness to them. Some can be liquid and dynamic and a little crazy. It is all a matter of what story you are trying to tell.