Shutter Speed

In my previous post, I mentioned a few important things to remember when working with manual cameras. All three determine the how your picture will come out. If you recall, shutter speed was one of them.

Shutter speed is exactly what the name suggests, it controls how fast the shutter is or how long the shutter is open. Shutter speeds can range from 1/4000 of a second to 30 seconds. Most manual cameras have the "B" setting, which stands for bulb. The bulb setting allows you to keep the shutter open for as long as you press down on the shutter release button.

A slower shutter speed will make your picture come out blurry if the subject is moving. Or if you're hand moves. It is suggested that you use a tripod when using a speed slower than 1/30 s, to avoid camera shake.

Unless it's deliberate.

Shutter speed also determines how much light is let in. The slower the shutter speed, the more light is allowed in. The faster the shutter speed, the darker it is. But what if you're taking a picture of something fast and it comes out too dark? There's a solution to that...in the next blog post (:

Personally, I enjoy using slower shutter speeds. You can do a lot with it :D