Shutter Speed

Shutter speed was the hardest concept for me to grasp the technicalities clearly. So I wanted to share my notes from a workshop that made it easier to remember. =) It's SO important! You don't want to miss those amazing shots. How many of us have taken a blurry picture (or two)?!

Bulb
For use in low light conditions like night photography. With this setting, you control how long the shutter stays open. Any movement within the frame or near your camera will show up as motion blur. Must. Use. Tripod!

1 second to 1/15
Also used in low light conditions, night photography, fireworks, etc. A tripod must also be used.

1/30th
For use when implying motion by panning with a moving subject. The subject appears sharp while the background becomes blurred. (Remember to not stop your panning movement as you shoot.) This is also used in darker conditions but still requires a tripod to prevent motion blur. Suggested for a waterfall to create a  continuous flow look rather sharp frozen water.

1/60th to 1/125th
This is the common shutter speeds for the most existing light situations. These shutters speeds combined with small apertures (f/8 to f/166) result in large depth of field.

1/250th
Used for freezing human paced action like a person jogging or a child running/jumping.

1/500th
Good for freezing faster moving objects like a car passing or a sharp waterfall.

1/1000th and faster
Good for freezing objects that move faster than the eyes can see like a birds wings in flight or a baseball pitch.