3rd course: Shutter Type, Shutter Speed, Freezing Movement, Zoom Panning, Bulb, fill flash & techniques to practice
Shutter Types:
Mechanical camera shutter:
A camera shutter has moving parts and comes in two types: leaf shutters and focal plane shutters. Leaf shutters, found in older cameras, film compacts, and medium-format lenses, sit inside the lens. In contrast, focal plane shutters, common in DSLR cameras, are positioned in front of the film or sensor inside the camera body.
Focal Plane Shutter in DSLR Cameras
A focal plane shutter consists of two curtains that control exposure by moving across the sensor. The front curtain opens first, allowing light to hit the sensor. After the set exposure time, the rear curtain follows, covering the sensor to end the exposure. This mechanism enables faster shutter speeds, making it ideal for capturing sharp images.
Electronic shutter:
Electronic shutters work by simply turning the sensor on and off to capture exposure. As light hits the sensor, the image gradually builds up. Since these shutters have no moving parts, they are more affordable and commonly found in budget cameras. However, they are also used in high-end models due to their precision and exceptional accuracy when designed well.
Shutter lag:
Shutter release delay is the time between pressing the shutter button and the camera capturing the image. While this delay is minimal in most film and some digital cameras, it can be a challenge. This is real when photographing fast-moving subjects, like in sports photography. However, with advancements in technology, modern cameras have significantly reduced this lag.
Shutter cycle:
It’s a process of the shutter opening, closing & resetting to where it is ready to open again.
Shutter speeds:
DSLR shutter speed range: 1/8000 up to 30 seconds, for beyond 30 seconds exposure you should use the “BULB “B” function.
Note Any long exposure you have to use: Cable release (lock) or self-timer, tripod, mirror lock-up.
A fast shutter speed freezes action, making it ideal for sports photography (e.g., 1/500 sec for general action or 1/2000 sec for a bird in flight). However, using the highest shutter speed isn’t always the best approach.
For slower sports like basketball or baseball, freezing motion works well. But for high-speed events like motorsports, an ultra-fast shutter can make subjects look static and unnatural. Instead, use a slower shutter speed and pan with the action—keeping the subject sharp while blurring the background—to create a dynamic sense of motion.
Ultimately, you have two options: fast shutter speed to freeze movement or slower shutter speed to add a sense of motion.
Freezing movement:
When photographing a tennis player serving, the goal is to capture them fully extended with the ball just before or at the moment of contact with the racket. A high ISO helps in low-light conditions or fast action shots.
For sports photography, specialized lenses with a wide aperture and fixed focal length are essential. These lenses allow faster shutter speeds. It also offers better light capture, and sharper images, ensuring you don’t miss the perfect moment.
Panning:
Panning is the horizontal movement of a camera while tracking a moving subject. To pan successfully, you must move your camera in sync with the subject. It should match its speed and direction as closely as possible. This technique keeps the subject sharp while creating a motion-blurred background, adding a dynamic sense of movement to the shot.
Tips for successful panning:
- Panning requires steady hands and a slow shutter speed. Use 1/200 for fast-moving subjects like race cars and around 1/40 for slower ones like runners. Adjust based on speed.
- A faster shutter speed makes it easier to keep your subject sharp. Start with a slightly slow speed to show some motion. As you gain confidence, gradually slow it down to enhance motion blur and separate the subject from the background.
- Make sure your subject remains in the same portion of the frame during the entire exposure, this will ensure a crisp, sharp subject.
- Remember the faster your subject is moving the more difficult it is to apply the panning technique.
Panning techniques:
1-Zoom Panning:
With your zoom lens at its minimum or maximum extension, select a slow shutter speed. As the shutter opens, smoothly zoom in or out for the entire exposure. This technique, known as zoom burst, creates a dynamic motion effect, adding energy and depth to your shot.
2-Swirl effect:
To achieve this effect, move the camera in a semicircle from left to right or right to left while keeping a fixed point in the viewfinder as the axis of focus. This technique creates a unique motion blur, adding a sense of movement and depth to the image.
3-Panning:
Move the camera up and down for vertical subjects like trees and left to right for horizontal ones like water. Consequently, mastering these motions creates a smoother, more dynamic motion blur, adding depth and energy to your composition.
4-Multiple zoom:
You can achieve this effect using a tripod. After each exposure, slightly zoom in while keeping the camera steady. If your shot has a primary subject or focal point, be sure to re-focus after each zoom adjustment to maintain clarity and emphasis. This technique adds a layered motion effect, creating a sense of depth and movement in your composition.
Bulb (B):
This setting, known as Bulb mode, allows photographers to control exposure time manually. Upon activation, the shutter remains open as long as you press the shutter release button. This is ideal for long-exposure photography. Common examples involve capturing light trails, star trails, or low-light scenes.
Note: Some cameras will produce excessive noise & are not suitable for long exposure photography, ensure you have a high ISO & long exposure reduction function in your camera menu enabled to reduce the noise.
Direct Flash Photography
Direct flash:
Professional photographers use direct flash only as a last resort. They rely on it when available light is terrible, no surfaces can bounce light, or the scene is completely dark. In these cases, direct flash saves the shot.
Most beginner cameras have a built-in flash that fires light straight at the subject. This often creates a harsh, “deer in the headlights” look. To avoid this, use an external flash and bounce the light off walls or ceilings. This simple trick softens shadows and gives your photos a professional touch.
Fill Flash Photography Tips
Fill Flash:
When taking photos outdoors, using the fill flash setting can dramatically improve the quality of your photo. For example, in bright sunlight, it helps lighten dark shadows under the eyes and nose of your subject. This is especially important when the sun is directly overhead or behind them. Furthermore, on cloudy days, fill flash brightens faces, making them stand out from the background.
Indoors, when taking a picture near a window, the only light source may be sunlight coming from outside. Hence, without a flash, the subject will appear dark. And this happens while the background remains properly exposed. However, using fill flash ensures balanced lighting, making both the subject and background clearly visible.