What is Shutter Speed in Photography?

Fast Shutter Speed (1/500th of a Second) - Action is Frozen

Shutter speed is the amount of time in which your exposure takes place for. The longer your shutter speed is, the more light hits the sensor. The faster your shutter speed it, the less light hits your sensor.

Shutter speed also affects motion blur in your shots. To freeze action, you'll want a fast shutter speed. Using a fast shutter speed will ensure that your subject will be tack sharp when you take your photo. Using a fast shutter speed will also ensure that any camera shake is not recorded because of how quick the exposure is.

Slow Shutter Speed (25 seconds) - Car Light Trails

Slow shutter speeds will show motion blur. While most people will want to get tack sharp images with their subjects frozen, there are times when slow shutter speeds can be used to create successful images. When you want to show movement in a shot, you might want to slow down your shutter speed a little so that you can see the motion of your subject. Other popular techniques using slow shutter speeds include capturing light trails and making water look silky smooth. When you slow down your shutter speed, camera shake will be introduced. To avoid this, a tripod is recommended for those longer exposures.

Slow Shutter Speed (1.3 seconds) - Shows Movement

Of course, you'll also have to take into account your aperture and ISO when taking a photograph.

Back to Digital Photography 101 Index