Shutter Speed (S) 101

The shutter speed is how fast your SHUTTER opens and closes on your camera lens. How fast does the eye lid open and close to let light in?

Faster shutter speeds (1/160 and up) freeze motion.

Slower shutter speeds (1/160 and down) are used for low light situations, night photography, and light painting.

The rule of thumb I was taught in college was anything shot slower than 1/160 sec is at risk for motion blur. This basically means the average person hand-holding their camera will probably create a blurry image if they shoot slower than this speed.

(Now, if you have many years of practice or are using the wall and your body as a prop to create a human tripod, you can probably get away with shooting a little slower without getting any blur.)

Below is a gallery of various images (my own and student work) that demonstrate changes in shutter speed to achieve desired effects of motion blur, stop motion, freeze motion, and panning.

​Happy Shutter Speed-ing?

-KB