Shutter speed controls time

Shutter speed decides how movement appears in a photograph. It can freeze a brief gesture, show a flowing blur or reveal movement that is invisible to the eye.

Freezing action

For people walking, start around 1/250 s. Faster sports, wildlife or splashing water may need 1/1000 s or more. The exact value depends on subject speed, direction of movement and focal length.

Showing movement

Longer exposures transform water, clouds and city lights. Use a tripod and start around one second, then experiment. Panning with a moving subject is another technique: use a slower shutter speed and follow the subject smoothly to keep it relatively sharp against a blurred background.

Handheld rule

As a starting point, use a shutter speed at least as fast as the reciprocal of the focal length, adjusted for the crop factor and the way you hold the camera. Stabilisation helps with camera shake, but it cannot freeze a moving subject.

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