Okay, so I talked about the aperture opening the last time and I sort of mentioned about how when it gets paired with the right shutter speed, you can get a good photo. Well, this time we’re going to talk about shutter and the shutter speed.
Well, you know how the aperture is the size of the opening of the lens, right? The shutter is what lets light that passes from the aperture opening into the sensor (for digital cameras) or film (for old-school film cameras). You can think of it as a curtain that you open to let light into the room, and close down as soon as you’ve felt like the light’s too much.
Now the shutter speed determines how fast or how slow the shutter is going to remain open.
In as much as the aperture determines how much light passes through, the shutter speed determines how long your sensor or film is going to be exposed to that light. The longer you leave the shutter open, the longer it lights in, thereby making for a brighter picture.
But don’t diss fast shutter speeds yet. Fast shutter speeds are great with action photos. It works well in situations where the subject is constantly moving, like a basketball or baseball match. You may think it’s easy to capture images because you’re using a fast shutter speed, but it isn’t.
Ranging from speeds of 1/6400 of a second (maybe even faster) to about a minute or two (I think maybe even longer), you can adjust the length of time depending on how you want your photo to turn up. This is, of course, provided that your camera has an adjustable shutter speed setting. The speed range can also vary depending on camera brands.
Again, I say that coupled with the right aperture opening, choosing the appropriate shutter speed can help you come up with great shots. Both factors, along with the ISO, make for a great image exposure. But more on the ISO and exposure next time.
I hope you did get to learn something here though. For my photographer friends out there who’d like to add a bit or two of their thoughts on the subject, do feel free to jump in.
