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Why Shutter Speed Length Matters

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In photography we talk a lot about three different parts of an image: ISO (film speed or light sensitivity), aperture (or diaphragm letting light through), and shutter speed (how long light is let in).  It all sounds like some technical mumbo jumbo of jargon if you don’t know what they are.  Today, I want to show you the difference shutter speed length can make in a photo.

Cramer Imaging's graphic depicting the difference between shutter speed lengths and why they matter

Shutter Speed Review

Let’s start this discussion off with something you probably already know about shutter speed.  You probably have a good idea that too short a shutter speed will result in a photo being dark, or underexposed.  The details of the photo will be lost in the blackness which overwhelms the subject.  You are also probably aware that too long a shutter speed will result in a photo being bright, or overexposed.  The details of the photo are lost in the overwhelming white which swallows the subject.

Photograph of up close of a camera shutter button

This is a great place to start when it comes to understanding shutter speed.  You get an idea of how the shutter speed can and does affect the overall photo produced.  But did you know that shutter speed can have a much greater effect than you realized?

Shutter Speed Power

One of shutter speed’s biggest assets is that it can give you a sense of motion or stop it altogether.  Observe these two photos for an example.

Cramer Imaging's fine art landscape photo of the American Falls reservoir spillway and Snake River full of water
Shot at 1/500 second
Cramer Imaging's fine art landscape photo of the American Falls reservoir spillway and Snake River full of silky smooth water
Shot at 6 seconds

Both of these photos are obviously shot at the same place.  However, they have very different shutter speeds.  Because of this, both photos convey very different moods.

The first is a powerful and dynamic shot capturing the splashing of the water in the instant it was happening.  You can see the exact spray patterns of the water at that instant.  You can also see where the fish were jumping right at the moment (if you know where to look).

The second photo has a much calmer and more peaceful vibe to it.  While you can definitely see where there is motion, you get more of a sense of motion over time.  You can see the general flow patterns of the water but it’s much smoother than the first shot is.

This is some of the power of shutter speed length.

Since shutter speed is directly a measure of time in photography, it makes sense that you could use it to create a different sense and flow of time depending on what setting you choose to use.

Fast Shutter Speeds Stop Time

Observe more of the time-freezing power that shutter speed has against forces of motion, such as wind, in these photos.

Cramer Imaging's quality landscape photograph of waves on Yellowstone Lake at Yellowstone National Park Wyoming
Observe how a fast shutter speed stopped the motion of the waves. Buy Prints
Cramer Imaging's fine art landscape photograph of wind turbines on hill in golden light of sunset just after winter snow storm
Observe how a fast shutter speed stopped the turbines from turning and the wind from blowing away the clouds.
Cramer Imaging's landscape photograph of windmills or wind turbines in a field at sunset in Ririe, Idaho
Observe how a fast shutter speed froze these wind turbines. Buy Prints
Cramer Imaging's black and white landscape photograph of Old Faithful geyser at Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Observe how a fast shutter speed froze the steam released by Old Faithful before the wind could blow it away. Buy Prints

Slow Shutter Speeds Show Motion Over Time

Now observe how time feels drawn out and magnified with these photos using an extended shutter speed of over several seconds.

Cramer Imaging's fine art photograph of three fireworks in the night sky on the 4th of July
Observe how a long shutter speed of several seconds completely captures the beauty of these fireworks.
Cramer Imaging's nature photograph of a silky waterfall in the snow during winter in Idaho Falls, Idaho
Observe how a long shutter speed of several seconds smooths out the water of this waterfall. Buy Prints
Cramer Imaging's quality landscape photograph of the Palisades reservoir lake at twilight in Idaho
Observe how a long shutter speed of several seconds smooths out this fast and turbulent river. Buy Prints
Cramer Imaging's fine art landscape photograph of American Falls reservoir at sunset with a sunburst in Idaho
Observe how a slow shutter speed smooths out the waves on the lake.  A longer shutter speed would have made them disappear entirely.

Shutter Speed Length Carries Weight

As you can see, shutter speed carries a great deal of weight when it comes to deciding what kind of photo a photographer will take.  Long shutter speeds do little good when photographing people because people tend to move too much and blur the shot.  However, shutter speed is an important tool in creating certain kinds of artistic shots as you can see from above.

Shutter speed, for this reason, is a very important part of how to create a photograph and deserves consideration when you pull out your camera for a shot.

Have you created some interesting photos using shutter speed?  We’d love to see them in the comments section below.  Be sure to tell us just how you used shutter speed to create the photo so we can all get a better idea of how to use it creatively.

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