Pixiq

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NOTE: This is the second of a series of articles about understanding and controlling shutter speed. I will cover each factor in depth in upcoming articles.

I believe controlling shutter speed is one of perhaps twelve key factors in photography. As I discussed in the last article here at PIXIQ, with digital you can now shoot at much slower shutter speeds than was possible with film based photography. Please see my previous article for an example of a test shot handheld at 1/2 second.

12 FACTORS

Finding the right shutter speed is affected by the following...

#1. The zoom setting or the focal length of the lens

Telephoto lenses require a higher shutter speed.

#2. The amount of subject movement

Understanding how people move and the correct shutter speed is quite subtle.

#3. The way you hold the camera

Learning to hold a camera steady is a basic skill.

#5. Your own steadiness

Too much coffee or too little sleep might mean that you have to shoot at a higher shutter speed -- while leaning against a wall or a telephone pole might increase your steadiness.

#6. Digital stabilizers

These are now widely available on many high end one-lens cameras and lenses for DSLRs.

#7. The degree of sharpness

Razor sharpness is not always required or even desirable but you will need to decide what you can live with. Also sharpness can be relative.

#8. Choice of ISO

While this is basic photography, it needs to be mentioned -- the higher the ISO the faster the shutter speed, the lower the ISO the lower the shutter speed.

And there are these related topics:

#9. How to judge the sharpness of a photo during a photo session with a LCD monitor

This is not as simple as it sounds.

#10. How to diagnose a blurred shot

Was it camera movement, subject movement or out of focus?

#11. Controlled panning of a camera or controlled camera movement

How to find just the right shutter speed to show motion and still have a clear image

#12. Learning from the instant feedback of the LCD monitor

Over time the feedback will guide you to successful handholding strategies

Lastly I will discuss how to run controlled tests to so that you can arrive at a personal setting that will give you a place to start at a shooting session.

In the next articles I will cover each of these factors in detail (but not necessarily in that order).

For more about these techniques see my book: Experimental Digital Photography.

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