Understanding Exposure, Chapter 3: Shutter Speed

Slow shutter speeds blur motion and let more light in because when the shutter is open for a longer period of time, it captures more movement, resulting in motion blur. Additionally, the longer exposure time allows more light to enter the camera, resulting in a brighter image. On the other hand, fast shutter speeds freeze motion and let less light in because the shorter exposure time captures less movement, resulting in a sharper image with less blur. Furthermore, the shorter exposure time limits the amount of light that enters the camera, resulting in a darker image.

To freeze the motion of a fast-moving subject like a race car or a seagull in flight, a high shutter speed is required. The faster the subject is moving, the higher the shutter speed needs to be to capture it without any motion blur. Among the given options, 1/1000 is the highest shutter speed and would be the most effective in freezing the motion of the race car or seagull.

The "bulb" setting is used for exposures over 30 seconds long, but it requires a "bulb" cable. This means that when the camera is set to "bulb" mode, the shutter will remain open for as long as the shutter button is held down or until the cable release is released. This allows for long exposure times, such as capturing star trails or light painting, where the photographer wants to control the length of the exposure manually.

Bryan's attempt at getting a panned shot of a frisbee in the sky didn't work out because there was nothing in the background to show the pan's blur. In panning photography, the photographer follows the moving subject with the camera while using a slow shutter speed. This creates a blurred background that emphasizes the sense of motion. However, if there is nothing stationary in the background, such as buildings or trees, the blur effect will not be visible, resulting in an unsuccessful shot.

An appropriate shutter speed to try when attempting to get a city shot at dusk with streaked headlights and taillights of cars passing on the highway would be 15 seconds. This longer exposure time allows for capturing the movement of the cars, creating streaks of light. A shorter shutter speed like 1 second or 1/60 would not be long enough to achieve the desired effect, while 1/500 would be too fast and would freeze the motion of the cars, resulting in no streaks.

A shutter speed of 1/6 would be used to blur the water in a waterfall. This slower shutter speed allows the camera to capture the movement of the water over a longer period of time, resulting in a smooth and flowing effect. A faster shutter speed like 1/60 or 1/125 would freeze the motion of the water, while a longer shutter speed like 10 seconds would create an even more pronounced blur.

A shutter speed of 1/60 is an appropriate choice for a panned shot of a horse running or a car. Panning involves tracking the subject's movement while taking the photo, resulting in a blurred background and a sharp subject. A shutter speed of 1/60 allows enough time for the background to blur, while still freezing the subject's motion to some extent. This creates a sense of speed and movement in the photo, capturing the dynamic action of the subject.

When taking photos with a slow shutter speed while driving straight, the camera will capture the movement of everything outside the car, resulting in a colorful blur of the street, trees, houses, and other cars. However, since the camera is attached to the headrest on the passenger seat and facing forward, the dashboard of the car and the car in front of you will remain relatively still in the frame, resulting in them being sharp in the photo.

When the light meter says "+1" at f/22 aperture, it means that the scene is overexposed. This occurs because f/22 is the smallest aperture setting, allowing the maximum amount of light to enter the camera. Since the shutter speed is already set to blur the motion of the water, the only way to reduce the amount of light reaching the sensor is by decreasing the ISO. Lowering the ISO will make the sensor less sensitive to light, resulting in a darker image. Therefore, the correct answer is that there is too much light and a lower ISO is needed if possible.

Shutter speed refers to the amount of time the camera's shutter remains open, determining how long the sensor is exposed to light. Aperture, on the other hand, controls the amount of light that enters the camera by adjusting the size of the lens opening. In certain situations, such as when capturing the motion of a moving subject or when shooting in low light without a tripod, having a faster shutter speed becomes more important than adjusting the aperture. This is because a faster shutter speed helps to freeze the motion and reduce the chances of blur, while a wider aperture may result in a loss of sharpness or depth of field.