CREATIVE WAYS TO USE SHUTTER SPEED

Master the art of controlling shutter speed to create beautiful works of art

- Jeremy Flint

Shutter speed control might seem like a basic skill for a more advanced photographer: it's one of the first aspects of camera work that we learn when starting out in photography, and you might think that there isn't much more that you need to know about controlling the duration of your exposures. However, the shutter speed you select does more than simply moderating how much light enters the camera, and learning the various creative uses of shutter speed settings can open up a world of advanced techniques for use in any situation. As with most camera setups, it's possible to get stuck in an artistic rut, using the same settings over and over, and capturing similar images on each of our shoots. Sometimes, making simple changes to our choice of long or short exposure, subject matter and camera position can mix up our portfolios and maybe even send us down a creative path towards a new signature visual style, helping us to set our work apart.

The human eye doesn't make it easy for us to see motion effects. They're visible, but our brains work to create the sharpest, highest-quality image possible, and by pushing shutter speed into less-used exposure territory we can tell a more emotive story with our cameras. Let's dive into some simple steps that you can start using today.

CAPTURE STAR TRAILS

Shooting star trails is a wonderfully creative way of capturing the movement of stars. It involves opening the shutter for a long period of time, which records the stars as the Earth rotates, creating the impression that they're moving. Experiment with the exposure time, and find the duration that produces the effect you want. You can either capture a single frame for an extended period using a low ISQ, which results in less noise, or blend a series of shorter-length frames to achieve a similar result. Personally, I prefer to shoot a single image, as it takes up less space on my hard drive and is quicker to process.