Beginner Photography Lessons - Lesson 5

For Lesson 5 we are going to review shutter effects.  You know when you see an image of a car racer, biker or skier and the subject is sharp while the background is blurry with streaks showing the speed.  Or a water fall that looks like silk while the rocks and trees are crisp.  Or you see a photo of an athlete frozen in place during an athletic moment.

You can get these creative images using the shutter on the camera.  High shutter speeds, such as 1/500^th, 1/1000^th, 1/200^th or higher create stopped motion.  See below for example:

Stage 1 of the Green Mountain Stage Race in Vermont

Slow Shutter speeds, such as 1/15^th, ¼ or even for a whole second will create a sense of motion through blurring of some part of the picture:  see below for example: 

Stage 1 of the Green Mountain Stage Race in Vermont. Flying through the epic vermont landscapes.

One issue with slowing the shutter speed to slow is a blurry image from motion blur, which can take away from the image.   Suggestion, use a tripod with only one leg dropped.

Try this with cars, or get a friend to run or bike back and forth for you.