September 2005 Texas Fish & Game Photo Column

Creative Shutter Speeds
By Russell A. Graves

When the bucks ran by, I panned my camera and squeezed the shutter to fire off a few frames. My buddy, who was taking pictures as well, noticed how slow the shutter claps seemed.
“Why was your shutter speed so slow,” he asked. “Did you not have the camera set correctly?”
“It is set right,” I replied. “I meant to use a slow shutter speed.”
“Won’t your pictures be blurry?” he quizzed.
“Exactly,” I retorted.
He curiously stared at me. At that point I explained that if he wanted to get creative with his photos, he should try manipulating the camera’s shutter speed.

The Magic of Shutter Speed
On 35mm and digital single reflex cameras, the ability to set the shutter speed is one of the key advantages to owning an advanced camera. My manipulating the shutter speed, you can freeze or blur action scenes based on your creative whims.
The shutter speed is the amount of time the shutter opens to expose the film to light entering through the lens. Shutter speed is expressed in a fraction of a second but most cameras display a whole number. For example, if your camera says the shutter speed is 250, what that really means is the shutter will be open for 1/250 of a second. When the shutter speed is set in concert with the lens aperture, a perfectly exposed image results.
Most advanced SLR cameras allow you to manually set the shutter speed and aperture and give you feedback regarding the correct exposure setting. An easy way to achieve a fast or slow shutter speed without having to worry about fast changing light conditions is to set your camera on the shutter priority setting. With shutter priority, you tell the camera what shutter speed you’d like and the camera automatically sets the aperture.

Fast Shutter Speeds
Fast shutter speeds are used to freeze action scenes. Let’s say that you want to shoot a picture of your dog running through the brush and you want it tack sharp with no blurring. In that case, a shutter speed of 1/250 of a second or faster is required. In order to get really fast shutter speeds under just about any lighting condition, you’ll need a fast lens with a maximum aperture of f2.8, use fast film like ISO 400 speed, or dial your digital camera to ISO 400 or higher.

Slow Shutter Speeds
Using slow shutter speeds for action sequences is subject to artistic interpretation. Some people like the blurred effects of capturing motion with a slow shutter speed while some don’t. Personally, I like blurred motion.
The trick to blurring motion is a combination of two techniques. The first is a slow shutter speed from between 1/15 and 1/125 of a second. This speed will effectively blur most fast moving objects like a running deer or a moving truck. The second technique is learning to pan with your camera. Panning is a technique akin to tracking a dove with a shotgun. As you follow the object with your camera, you fire the shutter when the subject is composed like you want.
Using slow shutter speeds to blur action does take a little practice but is a technique that’s easily mastered. You can practice panning and shooting on your kids, pets, or passing cars. Experiment with different shutter speeds and see which speed works best for you.