Shutter Speed Lecture

1. SPEED MATTERS
Basic Photography Class
Mass Communication Department
Ateneo de Davao University
Bong S. Eliab

2. What is a shutter speed?
§ shutter speed is the
time for which the
shutter is held open
during the taking of a
photograph to allow
light to reach the film
(on analog cameras) or
image sensor (on
digital cameras)

3. Regulates Light
§ In combination with
variation of the lens
aperture, the shutter
speed regulates how
much light the camera
will record.

4. Shutter Speed & Aperture
§ For a given exposure, a
fast shutter speed demands
a larger aperture or more
light to avoid underexposure, just as a slow
shutter speed is offset by a
very small aperture to
avoid over-exposure.
§ Long shutter speeds are
often used in low light
conditions, such as at
night.

5. Shutter Speed and Aperture

6. Iris Shutter Mechanism

7. Plate Mechanism

8. dSLRs Mechanism

9. Where to find the shutter speed
dials

10. dSLRs LCD Display

11. Freeze Action vs. Capture Motion
§ Two main issues:
§ Freeze the subject or
the camera movement,
or both;
§ Capture the subject’s
motion, or camera
shake, or both.

12. Speed Difference
§ Shot at 1/15th of a
second using a tripod
(see how the water
makes long soft
streaks)
§ Shot at 1/250th (even
at this slow speed
already it freezes the
drops in the air)

13. Freezing Movement
§ High shutter speeds
'freeze' the subject’s
movement as the
subject has little time
to move during the
exposure.
Blue Eagle Gym © Circa 1992

14. Capturing Moving Colors
A photo of dark street at night (exposure time 20 seconds)

15. Panning/ Slow Shutter Speed
Slow shutter speed combined with panning the camera
can achieve a motion blur for moving objects.

16. Camera Shake
§ Slow shutter speed can
result in 'camera shake',
caused by the
photographer’s inability to
hold the camera still.
§ Generally, shooting at less
than 1/60th of a second
may result in camera
shake. To avoid this, a
tripod can be used.

17. Handheld Rule and Blur
To avoid motion blurring, the shutter speed (in sec. ) should equal the
reciprocal of the chosen focal length (in mm), i.e. 1/60sec for 60mm.

18. Bulb Shutter Speed

19. Remote Controls

20. Shutter Speed
Speed
Remarks
1
1 second, very slow, tripod needed
2
1/2th of a second, tripod needed
4
1/4th of a second, tripod needed
8
1/8th of a second, tripod needed
15
1/15 of a second, tripod/very steady hand needed
30
1/30th of a second, tripod /very steady hand
needed
60
Slowest shutter speed that can be handheld with
50 mm lens

21. Shutter Speed
Speed
Remarks
125
1/125, generally handheld
250
1/250
500
1/500
1000
Very fast, freezes all
movement

22. Shutter Speed Combinations

23. Motion Effect
Nude Photo Exercise © Circa 2005

24. Sinugba sa Dagat
Sparks coming from coals (exposure time 15 seconds)

25. JP Laurel Hub 24 hrs
Richard Amora © Davao City 2007

26. Rorschach Smoke Test
ISO 100, 1/60 sec, f/8

27. Silky Waterfall

28. Davao’s Octane Bar
Bong S. Eliab © Davao City 2006

29. Hinubog Driving
Manila © Circa 2005

30. Boracay’s Dancing Candle
Bong S. Eliab © Boracay 2007

31. Sound of Boracay Light
Bong S. Eliab © Boracay 2007