Example of changing the shutter speed

Photography Basics

Here is an example of how shutter speed can be used creatively. The subject of these two shots is the same, the position is the same but the images look quite different.

Water Fast Water Slow

You can see that the image on the left shows the water drops more clearly. This was taken with a fast shutter speed, so the action gets frozen and the detail is sharper.

The image on the right uses a slow shutter speed. When this image was taken, the shutter was open long enough for the water to move a distance which gives the more blurred and smooth effect.

Both shots have the good points, but both are interesting in how they show the detail. Water is a great way to experiment with different shutter speed settings as you can see the effects very easily. It’s worth remembering that with a slower shutter speed, the problem of camera movement becomes more apparent. A tripod, beanbag or supporting the camera on a wall or solid object should be used stop camera shake ruining the image.

3 thoughts on “Example of changing the shutter speed

  1. Yep, just getting back into the swing of things. Trying to take lots of pictures to help explain lots of stuff at the moment so there should be a bit more activity on here over the next few weeks.

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