Aperture vs.

Shutter Priority

Which is better to use, aperture priority or shutter priority? The answer

is, it depends on what you want to take. If you are at the basketball
court and want some action stopping shots, select shutter priority. Set
your shutter speed to 1/125 sec or even 1/400 sec and let the camera
figure out the proper aperture (you might settle for the highest shutter
speed available for proper exposure, depending on the light condition).
Chances are that most everything will be blurred but the subject in
focus. Which is fine since you want to "freeze" the action.

On the other hand, if you want to take a landscape and desire most
everything to be in focus, select aperture priority. Here, you select the
aperture you want, usually stopped down to f/8 or f/16 (unfortunately,
many digital cameras do not stop down to that aperture yet, sigh!),
and let the camera figure out the appropriate shutter for the correct
exposure. Since this might result in a slow shutter speed, you might
want to use a tripod in this case.

If you are photographing a subject that is in motion, you will get

different effects at different shutter speeds. Fast shutter speeds will
“freeze” motion, while slow shutter speeds introduce blur from two
sources: camera movement (camera shake) and subject movement
(for information on this topic, see “Camera Blur and Motion Blur”). In
other words, the faster the shutter speed the easier it is to photograph
the subject without blur and “freeze” motion and the smaller the
effects of camera shake. In contrast, slower shutter speeds are suited
to suggesting the motion, such as that of flowing water or other
moving subjects. Changing the shutter speed gives you control over
whether to “freeze” or suggest motion.

In the photograph taken at a fast shutter speed, the walker appears

“frozen” in mid step. This is due to the fact that only a brief instant of
the walker’s motion was recorded because the shutter was only open
for a short time. In the photograph taken at a slow shutter speed, the
walker is blurred. This is due to the fact that the walker moved while
the shutter was open.

Choosing a shutter speed one step faster than the current shutter
speed (by, for example, changing shutter speed from 1/60 s to 1/125 s)
is referred to as “increasing shutter speed by one step” and halves the
amount of time the shutter is open. Choosing a shutter speed one step
slower than the current shutter speed (for example, by changing
shutter speed from 1/125 s to 1/60 s) is referred to as “slowing shutter
speed by one step” and doubles the amount of time the shutter is open
.
If you are using a Nikon digital SLR camera, shutter speed changes in
1/3 steps; some models also support increments of 1 step and 1/2
step.

Camera Blur and Motion Blur

If the camera or subject moves while the shutter is open, the picture
will be blurred. Blur caused by subject movement is referred to as
“subject blur” or “motion blur”; blur caused by camera movement
(“camera shake”) is referred to as “camera blur.” The results in both
cases are similar, but whereas blur caused by subject movement is
generally regarded as a legitimate way of expressing motion in
photographs, blur caused by camera shake is frequently seen as a
flaw. While camera blur does not necessarily render a photograph a
failure, caution should be observed to avoid unintentional camera blur.
The main subject is in both cases blurred, but the results are distinct
from blur caused by the subject being out of focus (focus blur).

1/500 1/250 1/125 1/60 1/30 1/15 1/8 1/4

F/2.8 F/4 F/5.6 F/8 F/11 F/16 F/22 F/32

Fast Shutter Speed

In this picture, with a fast shutter speed of 1/500th of a second the water appears
clear and sharp. (Aperture)

We select a fast shutter speed 1/500th of a second, the camera sets

aperture of f/2.8. This combination will give us the proper exposure.

Normal Shutter Speed

When the shutter speed is set to a slightly slower 1/125th of a second, the water
appears less crisp – closer to the way a human eye would see it. (Aperture f/5.6)

Slow Shutter Speed

With a very slow shutter speed of 1/8 th of a second a cotton effect is achieved.
(Aperture f/22)

To avoid any unwanted camera movement that would blur the picture when using
a slow shutter speed, mount the camera on a tripod and use a cable release to
reduce camera vibration. Generally, to obtain acceptable sharpness when
holding a camera, you need a shutter speed at least equal to the focal length of
the lens that you’re using. For example, if your lens has a focal length of 100
mm, you should use shutter speed of at least 1/100 th of a second to prcamera
shake. The moving effect of the water is enhanced further with a shutter speed of
¼ of a second. (Aperture f/32)

Blurring the motion of the water suggests movement and presents an image to
the viewer that differs from what the photographer actually saw. We like the
effect of this image the best. The soft cotton wool effect of the water adds an
Shutter speeds capture the feeling of moving water in different ways. Freezing
the water with a 1/500th of a second shutter speed can be dramatic, while blurring
the water at ¼ of a second adds an element of serenity. Both produce images
that can’t be seen by the human eye.

In all these examples, you select the shutter speed to give the motion effect that
you desire. Your camera will select a matching aperture to give you a proper
exposure.

Panning shots

A great technique for putting action in a picture that might otherwise be dull is to use a
slow shutter speed with a panning motion. Typically, pick a subject that is moving at a
moderate speed (Picture 1 in the gallery, above left) across your field of view. Focus
and follow the subject, pressing the shutter release as the subject passes directly in front
of you. Remember to continue panning the camera even after the shutter has released.
The image produced should have the subject sharp and the background blurred. Shutter
speeds for these types of images can be as slow as 1/8sec up to about 1/60sec. Getting it
right is all about practise.

This can also work in the opposite way. This time instead of panning the camera to blur
out the background and sharpen the main subject, the effect is to keep the background
sharp and blur the subject (Picture 2). Once an interesting background is found, with the
right subject moving across the field of view, it’s best to set the camera on a tripod or a
stable surface and frame the image the way you want it to look. What you are trying to
achieve is pin sharp backgrounds and colourful blurred subjects. So using slow shutter
speeds for this technique make a stable shooting position a necessity. Again, trial and
error plays a big role here. It’s a lucky photographer who can pull this off in one frame.

Relationship between focal length and Shutter speed

Greater Focal length lesser shutter speed.

Conclusion