The shutter speed setting of your camera controls how long the shutter is open while you take the picture. The longer the shutter remains open, the more light enters. This not only affects how bright your image is, but how sharp or blurry the subject of the picture turns out.
Instructions
1. Know how your camera measures shutter speed. Shutter speeds are measured in seconds, usually fractions of a second, when the shutter is open. Your camera probably allows shutter speeds as high as 1/1000th of a second to as low as 15 seconds.
2. Use high shutter speeds to stop action. At high speeds, such as 1/1000th or 1/500th of a second, moving objects appear sharp in the picture. Good lighting helps in these situations because the less time the shutter is open, the less light enters.
3. Set your camera to lower shutter settings, such as 1/100th of a second or 1/50th of a second, in low light situations. The shutter stays open longer and more light enters. This brightens images using natural light and makes for more natural color than when you employ the flash.
4. Place your camera on a tripod when using low shutter speed settings. Because low shutter speed settings increase the risk of blurring, your camera must be steady. As a general rule, use a tripod at shutter speeds of 1/40th of a second or higher without the zoom, 1/125th of a second or higher with a 3X zoom and 1/300th of a second or higher with a 6X zoom.
5. Create a sense of motion in a picture by using low shutter speed settings. Place your camera on a tripod and set your camera to a shutter speed of around 1/30th of a second or lower. The result: any moving objects are blurred, but the rest of the picture remains sharp.
6. Capture light trails with your camera with extremely low shutter speed settings. At night, use a shutter speed of 1/2 second or 1 second and trails of light, such as headlights on passing cars, appear as trails. This is also good for fireworks.
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