How to Use the Shutter to Control Light in Photography

With an adjustable camera, you can take pictures in the brightest light and in the deepest dark. This flexibility is made possible by the aperture and shutter, which regulate how much light enters the camera. When the photographer adjusts the amount of time that a shutter stays open, she controls how long the film will be exposed to light. The faster the shutter speed, the less amount of time light enters the camera. Shutter speeds are available at regular intervals for consistent control. The two main types of shutters available on adjustable cameras are leaf and focal-plane shutters. The following guidelines will help you perfect your photography lighting technique.

Instructions

1




Determine what type of shutter you have. A leaf shutter is located in the lens. This configuration has limits, since the shutter must open and reverse to close again. Shutter speed is limited to 1/500 second or slower and darker subjects are less available than they are to focal-plane shutters. If you have a leaf shutter, you may need to use other settings and flash to render darker images.

2




Find that the focal-plane shutter is in the camera, in front of the film. With this shutter, you can switch lenses for the same subject and maintain shutter control. This allows you to shoot a variety of angles and distances for increased creative control. The greatest benefit is that you can look through the lens to focus and not worry about exposing the film, since the shutter in the camera is closed. You have faster shutter speeds available and, therefore, access to levels of darkness not available to leaf shutters. Focal-plane shutters are noisy, but that is a minor drawback.

3




Experiment with shutter speeds. Take pictures of the same subject, in the same light conditions and the same f-stop, adjusting shutter speed. See the ways that each speed changes the quality of the final print. Get a sense of how light and time affect subjects and prints.

4




Bracket photographs. Adjust shutter speed and shoot at a desired time. Then shoot at one speed slower and one speed faster than the first shot. Record shutter speeds and other settings.

5




Practice time exposures, if your camera provides for it. Using a tripod, keep the shutter open for minutes or hours. Familiarize yourself with the effect of long periods of light exposed to film.

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With an adjustable camera, you can take pictures in the brightest light and in the deepest dark. This flexibility is made possible by the aperture and shutter, which regulate how much light enters the camera. When the photographer adjusts the amount of time that a shutter stays open, she controls how long the film will be exposed to light. The faster the shutter speed, the less amount of time light enters the camera.

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. Shutter speeds are available at regular intervals for consistent control. The two main types of shutters available on adjustable cameras are leaf and focal-plane shutters. The following guidelines will help you perfect your photography lighting technique.

Instructions

1




Determine what type of shutter you have. A leaf shutter is located in the lens. This configuration has limits, since the shutter must open and reverse to close again. Shutter speed is limited to 1/500 second or slower and darker subjects are less available than they are to focal-plane shutters. If you have a leaf shutter, you may need to use other settings and flash to render darker images.

2




Find that the focal-plane shutter is in the camera, in front of the film. With this shutter, you can switch lenses for the same subject and maintain shutter control. This allows you to shoot a variety of angles and distances for increased creative control. The greatest benefit is that you can look through the lens to focus and not worry about exposing the film, since the shutter in the camera is closed. You have faster shutter speeds available and, therefore, access to levels of darkness not available to leaf shutters. Focal-plane shutters are noisy, but that is a minor drawback.

3




Experiment with shutter speeds. Take pictures of the same subject, in the same light conditions and the same f-stop, adjusting shutter speed. See the ways that each speed changes the quality of the final print. Get a sense of how light and time affect subjects and prints.

4




Bracket photographs. Adjust shutter speed and shoot at a desired time. Then shoot at one speed slower and one speed faster than the first shot. Record shutter speeds and other settings.

5




Practice time exposures, if your camera provides for it. Using a tripod, keep the shutter open for minutes or hours. Familiarize yourself with the effect of long periods of light exposed to film.

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