Shutter speed in photography: how to capture anything that moves!

Get to grips with the basics of shutter speed in photography as we explain everything you need to know to take sharp pictures across a range of exposures. Words by Andrew James…

There are times when your choice of shutter speed can make or break your shot, so it’s absolutely critical to understand how it works so you don’t fall into any of the traps that can ruin your image.

Shutter speed works hand-in-hand with aperture and ISO, the two other elements in the exposure triangle. Shutter speed is simply the time the camera’s sensor is exposed to light.

Expose it for too long and you’ll end up with an image that is too light (overexposed) but don’t expose it for long enough and the image will be too dark (underexposed).

SEE MORE: 10 common exposure problems photographers face (and how to solve them)

Most DSLRs offer shutter speeds running from 30 seconds on the slow side to 1/4000 sec on the fast side, although enthusiast and pro DSLRs offer even faster shutter speeds up to 1/8000 sec.

Just as with aperture, these shutter speeds can be changed in either half- or third-stop increments – with third-stop being the default setting.

But sometimes you may want a shutter speed even slower than the maximum 30 seconds. For this there is a shooting mode called Bulb, which allows you to hold the shutter open indefinitely for super-slow shutter shots.

SEE MORE: Slow shutter speeds vs fast – how to maintain a consistent exposure

Typical shutter speeds

Typical shutter speeds that you’ll use in normal daylight situations are 1/60 sec, 1/125 sec, 1/250 sec and 1/500 sec. These are expressed in fractions of a second and, as we discovered with aperture increments last issue, they represent a doubling or halving of the other.

Take 1/125 sec: this is double (roughly) 1/60 sec or half 1/250 sec. Imagine you’re standing and handholding your DSLR, about to photograph a horse that is galloping in front of you, as illustrated in the infographic at the top of this page.

The horse’s speed will be, approximately, 30 miles per hour, so anything below 1/250 sec risks some blur in your subject.

Of course, the slower you go, the more blurred the horse will be, not only from its movement but the possibility of camera shake, too. The faster you go, the greater your chance of freezing it.

SEE MORE: 10 reasons your photos are soft (and how to avoid it)

When to use Shutter Priority mode

When it comes to shooting a subject where shutter speed is critical, it makes a lot of sense to use Shutter Priority (Tv) mode. Imagine you want to photograph a fast-moving subject, such as motorbike.

You turn the Main dial to the right to increase shutter speed and keep going until the shutter speed hits its fastest point. You take your shots but when you review them every single one is too dark. Why?

This is where Shutter Priority mode can catch you out, if you are not careful. While it allowed you to select a very fast shutter speed, it had no aperture it could match it with for a correct exposure, and the result was an underexposed shot.

Of course, the camera did warn you – the maximum aperture display was flashing in the viewfinder – but it didn’t actually prevent you from taking the shot.

Had you heeded the warning you could either have dropped the shutter speed or increased ISO until the maximum aperture figure stopped flashing.

SEE MORE: 6 camera settings beginners find confusing (and we can see why)

However, if you ignored the warning then your shot would inevitably have been underexposed.

It’s for this reason I prefer to use Av (Aperture Priority) mode, even for action. I set the aperture I want, based on how much depth-of-field I think the image needs, and then check the shutter speed.

If it’s too slow for the subject, I have the choice of either opening the aperture up more (if I can) or increasing ISO.

Usually I’ll increase ISO; for me, this makes more sense as I can make a creative decision on aperture first, and then alter the settings to get the shutter speed I need.

However, if you want to work in Shutter Priority mode and set a specific shutter speed, make sure the maximum aperture displayed in the viewfinder isn’t flashing on and off. If it is, take the shutter speed back a stop or two, or increase ISO.

SEE MORE: 10 best photography tips for beginners

Safety Shift and Auto ISO settings

If your camera has a Safety Shift option then using it is one way of avoiding setting the wrong exposure in Shutter Priority (Tv) mode. Not all DSLRs boast this function, but most mid-range, high-end enthusiast and pro models do.

Essentially, Safety Shift overrides your exposure if you exceed the camera’s limits in shutter speed or aperture.

For example, if you are shooting in Tv and set a shutter speed faster or slower than the correct exposure can cope with, when you take the shot the camera will automatically change the shutter speed to give you a correct exposure.

You can also set ISO Safety Shift so that, if you try to set a shutter speed that’s too high for the maximum aperture, then the camera will automatically increase ISO sensitivity to balance the exposure. However it can only work within the limits of ISO at either end of the sensitivity scale.

SEE MORE: Slow shutter speeds – how to achieve consistent exposures every time

If your camera doesn’t have Safety Shift then you can set Auto ISO, which ensures that, should you exceed the exposure limits of shutter speed/aperture, the camera will set an ISO to bring the exposure triangle together for a correct exposure.

However, Safety Shift and Auto ISO come with a warning: while they may stop you from accidentally setting values that don’t deliver a balanced exposure, you are also losing some control because the shutter speed, ISO or aperture the camera selects may not be what you want for your image.

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