Shutter
priority allows the photographer to choose a
shutter speed, then the digital camera
automatically sets the aperture to suit.
|
To
set your digital camera on shutter priority,
turn your mode dial to TV like the image
on the right. In case your wondering, TV
stands for time value. Now rotate the main
dial until you have the shutter speed your
after. |
|
How
do you know what shutter speed to use?
The
shutter speed you will need to use depends
on the type of photograph you want to
take. For example, if you want to take
a photograph of water frozen in action
with every little bead in focus, then
you would choose a fast shutter speed
like 1/500 of a second. If you want to
blur running water like the example below,
then you would need to use a slower shutter
speed like 1/4 of a second. Often when
you use a slow shutter speed, you will
also need a tripod to help avoid camera
shake.
|
The
photograph of blurred water shown above was
taken with a shutter speed of 0.25 sec (1/4).
At this speed I was lucky enough to hand hold
the digital camera steady to avoid having to
use a tripod.
Now
in contrast, here is a photograph of water taken
with a faster shutter speed of 1/60 sec so every
bead of water can be seen.
As
seen in a recent lesson on light trails, night
photography also requires a slow shutter speed.
Once again, this allows enough time for light
to reach the cameras image sensor. Otherwise
your image might turn out nothing other than
a black rectangle or a series of colorful circles.
Short
tips for using shutter speed in digital SLR
photography
•
Slow shutter speed, slows motion.
•
Fast shutter speed, takes the image almost instantly
as in frozen in time.
•
Use slow shutter speeds of at least 10 seconds
or more for night shots
•
Fast shutter speed, takes the image almost instantly
as in frozen in time.
•
Use slow shutter speeds of at least 10 seconds
or more for night shots of cities, buildings
and streets etc.
•
When using a slow shutter speed it's also a
good idea to use a tripod and remote shutter
release to avoid camera shake.
•
If for any reason you don't want to use a tripod,
then a general rule to avoid camera shake is
to never set your shutter speed slower than
the eciprocal of the focal length value. For
example, if your lens focal length is set at
50mm then don't use a shutter speed any slower
than 1/60th
of a second and so forth.
•
To photograph a running child or animal while
blurring the background, set the shutter speed
to between 1/40 sec and 1/125 sec. Then follow
the
running child or moving animal as you press
the shutter button. This is often referred to
as panning.
