Shutter Speed/Exposure Intro

You will have 2 days to do this. Then we will be moving on. You need to make sure you are using your time wisely.
Exposure is the total light in an image. If an image is over exposed, it will be too bright or white. If an image is under exposed, it will be too dark or black.

Shutter speed plays a large role in exposure. It determines how long light will be let into the camera when capturing an image. Shutter speed, Aperture and ISO work together to form the Exposure Triangle.

We will be experimenting which each of these settings to see how they impact the photos produced.

First: Shutter Speed is measured in seconds. It can be fast (like 1/200th of a second) or slow (like 3 seconds). This is how long your shutter is open. The longer the shutter is open, the more light it lets in and vice versa. Practice getting different effects with different shutter speed.

#1 Playing with Shutter Speed and moving objects:Different shutter speeds suit different activities and can give you an effect of motion. By observing the same moving object with different shutter speeds, you will have a better understanding of how to manipulate this with your future photos.
  1. Sign out a tripod and camera.
  2. Choose a subject that you can move or that moves on it own (ex: ball, pencil, toy car, person, water, etc.)
  3. Put your camera into TV mode (shutter speed priority). This will allow you to manipulate the shutter speed without affecting the exposure.
  4. Practice taking photos of your moving object with different shutter speeds.
  5. Get at least 4 photos of your moving subject with different shutter speeds.
  6. If you finish, try different subjects.
  7. Post your most interesting subject's photos as a gallery in a blog post titled Shutter Speed on your Assignments page.
#2 Tilt and PanThere are other effects you can establish with shutter speed manipulation as well.
For this exercise, you may also want a tripod.
  1. Choose a subject with different textures, colours, or lines. The more dynamic the better.
  2. With your camera still in TV mode, change your shutter speed to somewhere between 1/15th and 1/4th of a second (you can change this after if you like, but start in here).
  3. Set your camera up on the tripod facing your subject. As you take the photo, tilt or pan your camera quickly. This will create a blurred effect. It is an alternate way to create motion in your photos.
  4. Try a few different subjects. Once you are done, post your best one in the same blog post as your previous shutter speed photos.
​#3 Zoom BurstsZooming your lens in or out as you take the photo with a slow shutter speed can create abstract images that almost appear to be double exposure. You will want a tripod for this.
  1. Choose a subject that is still but could still be interesting.
  2. With the camera still in TV mode, change your shutter speed to even slower (1 to 4 seconds, you can change this after if you want but start here)
  3. Set your camera up on the tripod and zoom in on your subject so that it fills the frame and is focused.
  4. Zoom back out to your widest angle.
  5. Take the picture and zoom in as smooth as you can as the photo is being taken.
  6. Try different speeds, pulses, subjects and angles until you have created something you are proud of.
  7. Post this in the same blog post.