Exploring Motion with Shutter Speeds

The setting on the camera which controls how motion is captured is shutter speed.

The longest the Nikon D3300’s shutter stays open is 30 seconds.

The shortest duration the Nikon D3300’s shutter stays open is 4000 of a second .

When we used a slow shutter speed, we had to use a tripod because no one can possibly hold a camera steady for that length of time without moving the camera.

In the situation where we intentionally wanted to use a slow shutter speed, we had to use an ISO of 100 and the smallest aperture of f22 and even higher. This forced the camera to allow a shutter speed of at least 1 second. The longer shutter speed allowed us to convey GHOST images which was an interesting effect especially when combined with a person who is standing very still in the picture.

trevor standing very still in this 2-second exposure while classmates walk behind him

My favorite picture from that situation is on the left

If we want to get in the picture as well, we can set the camera to a delay by using the tripod.

Movement of the camera isn’t always a bad thing like the example of panning. In the picture where we photographed someone riding a bicycle to convey motion, we used a shutter speed of 1/40s and an aperture of f22 and the ISO was 100.

Noah riding a bike in slow shutter speed

My favorite picture from this assignment is shown on the right.

On the other extreme end of shortest duration that the camera shutter stays open, we used 1/4000high shutter speeds or fractions of a second. In the water balloon bursting picture, we used ISO 400 aperture of F 5.6 and shutter speed of 1/4000

To capture splashing water, we also used high shutter speeds. Here are my favorite pictures of high shutter speeds. (Insert your own pictures in the blog post)

This was capture in high shutter speed.

Water ballon capture in high shutter speed.