When I obtained my first camera, I thought there was only one setting and I could never get my photos to be the exact way I envisioned them. I would always see pictures of star trails and lights moving endlessly throughout the picture. Jealousy caressed my body... I had no idea how to create these subtle- yet amazing effects. I struggled to learn the different settings of a camera. At times, I still struggle! So, it is my goal to teach you about shutter speed and to make it as easy as humanly possible.
Well, What is Shutter Speed?
The most basic textbook definition is:
the time for which a shutter is open at a given setting.
By setting different shutter speeds, you can get many different effects on each of your photos. To make your shooting experiences a whole lot better, I created a...
Cheat Sheet To Shutter Speed
*Just a quick reminder: shutter speed is generally measured in seconds. In most cases probably a fraction of a second. Anything slower than 1/60 of a second, you will need a tripod or something to keep your camera steady for a clear shot.*
Shutter Speed Motion
1/4000 sec. Freezing very fast objects
1/2000 sec. Freezing fast cars / birds
1/1000 sec. Motorcycles, cars, sports
1/500 sec. Mountain bikes, slow sports
1/250 sec. Freezing slow moving people, kids
1/125 sec. Panning motorcycles, cars
1/60 sec. Slowest hand held setting
1/30 sec. Panning fast bikes, cars, sports
1/15 sec. Blur moving objects
1/8 sec. Blur fast moving water
1/4 sec. Blur people walking
1/2 sec. Blurring slow moving water
1 sec or slower "Milky" water / very long exposure
I hope this guide can come in handy next time you are shooting and trying to get the perfect shot!