Slow Shutter Speed
By: Daniel
Just a few days ago I was asked to speak to a camera club in Los Angeles via zoom; which I did. I had a lot of fun and hopefully provided some people with ideas to think about. One of the questions I had was how and when to use a slow shutter speed and another one was “How do you make money as a photographer?”
Let’s talk about slow shutter speed first, and we’ll discuss making money as a photographer in a later blog. Slow shutter speed allows more light to enter the camera and expose the sensor (or film if you’re using film). The best way to use a slow shutter speed during the day—particularly bright days—is by using one or more neutral density (ND) filters (or a variable neutral density filter) on your lens.
The photo I’ve posted here was shot by me using two ND filters stacked together to create enough darkness for me to use a long shutter speed and make the water appear more “silky” and not frozen and unappealing. It also required the model to pose absolutely still for as long as my shutter was open, in this case around 10 seconds or so I think. My assistant held a silver reflector on her for the entire time so my exposure would be correct. I had my camera on a tripod—which I rarely use, I prefer using a monopod, but there are times, and this was one of them, when a tripod was called for.
Neutral density filters simply darken the view through the lens. They do not change colors or eliminate reflections like a polarizer does. You can use a polarizer as a neutral density filter when you don’t have an ND filter and I’ve done it on occasion, but a ND filter works better.
You can also use a ND filter to darken a subject outdoors during the day enabling you to use fill flash and not exceed your cameras maximum flash sync speed, which for most modern cameras is 1/200 or 1/250 of a second maximum sync for flash. By using ND filters your camera thinks it’s night time and allows you to shoot outdoors, using a flash, which you wouldn’t be able to do unless your flash was capable of high speed sync (HSS)
Those are the most common uses of ND filters and I always have a couple in my camera bag when I’m out shooting—and I think every photographer should have a couple of them or a variable ND filter with them when out shooting.
Using a slow shutter speed, or “dragging your shutter” as photographers say enables more light to fall on your sensor and expose your image. Here is an example of when you’d drag your shutter.
Lets say you are shooting a wedding, the bride and groom are posed in front of the alter, which is gorgeous but it’s about 8 feet or more behind them. There’s also a couple of stained glass windows behind and slightly to the side of the alter along with very colorful cloth trappings draped over areas on and near the alter but behind the wedding couple. And like most churches it’s not lit very well. Your camera and flash are set to f/8, shutter speed is 1/125 and ISO is 200. You’ll capture the bridal couple really well but unfortunately because of the fast shutter speed the background will be quite dark or entirely dark. Solution: slow your shutter speed down to 1/30 of a second, check your image, you may want to go to 1/15 of a second. Those slower shutter speeds will allow your camera to capture the ambient light behind the bride and groom and give you and them a beautiful photo. You can leave your f/stop at f/8 and your ISO at 200. Your camera and flash communicate with one another and your camera tells your flash that a perfect exposure (of the wedding couple) will occur at f/8 at ISO 200. Because of this electronic intelligence your shutter speed no longer controls the exposure on the couple, that’s controlled by the flash and camera. However, the background can be controlled by your use of shutter speed. You could open up your f/stop to 5.6 or f/4 etc. but you need to be aware of the depth of field. You want the alter and other things behind them to be in focus. Will your photo be blurry because of the slow shutter speed? No. Flash freezes motion. So unless you’re shaking like a leaf you’ll get a very sharp photo at either of these shutter speeds. If you’re really worried you could always shoot with a tripod. I don’t, but you could.
