Technical Assignment #1: Fun with Shutter Speeds

Homework:

• Read Chapter 3: Selecting and Using Lenses in the book The Digital SLR Guide: Beyond Point-and-Shoot Digital Photography.

Technical Assignment #1: Fun with Shutter Speeds: Due on Flickr before the beginning of next class (January 28th). Please put them all in a Set.

PART 1

Here are some nice examples of how a change in shutter speed changes how motion is rendered. You are to take the same photo (as much as possible) using all the shutter speeds that your camera offers. You can go by full stops; you don’t have to include fractions stops. Your camera likely has a range of 30 seconds - 1/4000 of a second.

You may have to complete this as two different sets of images. One set that includes the fastest shutter speeds to a normal working range and another that includes the slowest shutter speeds to the normal working range.

Let’s say you want to start with your slowest shutter speeds. Let’s say you have 30” as you slowest shutter speed. It is going to have to be pretty dark to use that shutter speed and not overexpose even when using your smallest aperture (likely f32) and your lowest ISO (likely 100). Since you can’t hand hold your camera at that speed and expect an image that isn’t blurry, you should set the camera up on something stationary and use the self timer to release the shutter. Bean bags / cornhole bags work well to position your camera. Of course, if you have a tripod, use that. Determine the correct exposure.

You need to change your aperture and/or your ISO each time you change your shutter speed. For example, let's say you start with f32 @ 30” using ISO 100. When you change the shutter speed to 15”, the camera only requires 1/2 the amount of light so you must either change your aperture to f16 or your ISO to 200. Your exposures must be reciprocal (they should all be the same in terms of brightness). As such, the histograms should be nearly identical for all the shots. You may find that you can't do this assignment outside on a bright day as you may find that your camera will overexpose the image when using very slow shutter speeds even when using even when using your smallest aperture (likely f32) and your lowest ISO (likely 100 or 200). Given that and that it is very cold outside, you might find it easiest to complete this assignment inside. Most of you will have a subset of the following shutter speeds. Just worry about these standard whole stop shutter speeds (don’t worry about the fractional stop shutter speeds such as 1/50, 1/40, etc.)

1/8000
1/4000
1/2000
1/1000
1/500
1/250
1/125
1/60
1/30
1/15
⅛
¼
½
1”
2”
4"
8”
15”
30”

Do not use a car or other automobile as your subject. Any other subject is allowed. Be creative with this.

PART 2

Take 10 photos that demonstrate the creative use of shutter speeds. Water falling, moon setting, people walking through a cafeteria with some remaining seated..... You have to create good images while applying technical know how.

Include at least one panned image. I suggest that you start with a shutter speed of 1/30 or 1/15. Go as slow as you need to get the desired effect. You have to track the motion with the camera (hand held). The trick to panning is the follow through. People tend to stop tracking the subject once they release the shutter. You have to keep tracking it while it is actually exposing the image.

Also be sure to include one photo demonstrating zoomed blur. I suggest you start with 1/15 of a second and experiment from that point. If you want the zoom lines to be very clear, then use a tripod. Otherwise, you may have a real mess of an image. Just play around with it. Try to get though the entire zoom range.

Post them to Flickr. You don't need to edit them at all.