SHUTTER SHUTTER SPEED SPEED

& F-STOPS& F-STOPS

When you take a When you take a photo, the camera photo, the camera

must let in just must let in just the correct the correct

amount of light to amount of light to expose the film. expose the film.

A A LIGHT METERLIGHT METER in your in your camera “reads” the amount camera “reads” the amount of light in the scene toward of light in the scene toward which you are aiming the which you are aiming the camera, and decides how camera, and decides how

much light needs to enter the much light needs to enter the camera to expose the film camera to expose the film

just right. just right.

•Too much light Too much light hitting the film hitting the film makes the negative makes the negative “overexposed”.“overexposed”. It It will be very thick will be very thick and dark, and hard and dark, and hard to print. to print.

• Too little light hitting the Too little light hitting the film makes the negative film makes the negative “underexposed”“underexposed” and it and it will be very thin and hard will be very thin and hard to see. The prints will be to see. The prints will be difficult to print alsodifficult to print also. .

So, whether your So, whether your camera is automatic camera is automatic or not, a or not, a light meterlight meter will read the scene, will read the scene, decide how much decide how much light is needed for light is needed for

your film speed your film speed and…..and…..

either tell you by a meter either tell you by a meter reading in your camera ( reading in your camera ( a a needle that moves up and needle that moves up and

downdown, or a , or a red/green lightred/green light, or , or a a plus/minus signplus/minus sign) , or adjust ) , or adjust itself automatically, for just itself automatically, for just the right amount of light to the right amount of light to

get a perfect negative. get a perfect negative.

ONE TYPE OF VIEWFINDER WITH METER ONE TYPE OF VIEWFINDER WITH METER READINGS ON RIGHT SIDEREADINGS ON RIGHT SIDE

You can learn how You can learn how to control the to control the

amount of light amount of light yourself, so you yourself, so you can do can do creative creative thingsthings with your with your

camera!camera!

THERE ARE TWO WAYS TO CONTROL

THE AMOUNT OF LIGHT THAT ENTERS

A CAMERA

ONE WAY IS BY CONTROLLING THE LENS

APERTURE

THE SECOND WAY IS BY CONTROLLING THE

SHUTTER SPEED

CONTROLLER CONTROLLER NUMBER 1: NUMBER 1:

THE THE APERTUREAPERTURE

OR OR F/STOPSF/STOPS

the LENS APERTURE ALLOWS LIGHT TO PASS THROUGH A

LENS CARRYING THE IMAGE TO THE FILM

IN THE CAMERA

AN IRIS DIAPHRAGM IS USED TO REGULATE THE

APERTURE OPENINGS

IT IS LOCATED WITHIN THE LENS. If you remove a

lens on an SLR camera, you remove the aperture with it!

AN IRIS TYPE

DIAPHRAGM IS MADE OF DELICATE

FLAPS THAT OVERLAP

EACH OTHER

NUMBERS CALLED F- STOPSF- STOPS ARE USED TO MEASURE THE

SIZESIZE OF THE APERTURE OPENINGS

THE F-STOP NUMBERS ON YOUR CAMERA LENS

LOOKING THROUGH THE DIAPHRAGM LOOKING THROUGH THE DIAPHRAGM

AT DIFFERENT F/STOPSAT DIFFERENT F/STOPS

THE APERTURE, OR F/STOPS, CONTROLS THE

AMOUNT OF LIGHT GOING INTO THE CAMERA LIKE A

FAUCET OPENING

THE WIDERWIDER THE APERTURE

OPENING, THE MORE LIGHTMORE LIGHT WILL BE LET INTO THE

CAMERA

THE F-STOP SYSTEM HAS BEEN DESIGNED SO EITHER TWICE AS MUCH LIGHTTWICE AS MUCH LIGHT, OR

HALF AS MUCH LIGHTHALF AS MUCH LIGHT PASSES THROUGH THE APERTURE AT

EACH ADJACENTADJACENT F-STOP.

IMPORTANT:IMPORTANT:

FOR INSTANCE, F/2.8 LETS IN TWICE AS

MUCH LIGHT AS F/4

AND F/4 LETS IN HALF AS MUCH LIGHT AS F/2.8

CONTROLLER CONTROLLER NUMBER 2:NUMBER 2:

THE THE SHUTTERSHUTTER

A CAMERA CAMERA SHUTTERSHUTTER IS

LIKE A DOOR THAT OPENS AND CLOSES

EITHER FAST OR SLOWLY

THE THE SPEEDSPEED AT WHICH THE AT WHICH THE SHUTTER OPENS AND CLOSES SHUTTER OPENS AND CLOSES CONTROLS HOW MUCH LIGHT CONTROLS HOW MUCH LIGHT ENTERS THE CAMERA ALSO. ENTERS THE CAMERA ALSO.

THERE ARE THERE ARE SEVERAL TYPES SEVERAL TYPES

OF SHUTTERSOF SHUTTERS

A LEAF SHUTTERLEAF SHUTTER IS MADE OF THIN BLADES THAT FIT

TOGETHER TO MAKE A ROUND OPENING

YOU FIND THEM ON VIEWFINDER CAMERAS

MORE OFTEN AS THEY ARE LESS COSTLY TO MAKE

CLOSEDCLOSED OPENPARTLY PARTLY

OPENOPEN

PARTLYCLOSED CLOSED

A A LEAF SHUTTERLEAF SHUTTER HAS HAS PRECISION THIN METAL OR PRECISION THIN METAL OR

PLASTIC BLADES THAT OPEN PLASTIC BLADES THAT OPEN AND CLOSE RAPIDLYAND CLOSE RAPIDLY

A FOCAL PLANE SHUTTERFOCAL PLANE SHUTTER IS USED MOST IN 35MM SLR

CAMERAS

THEY ARE MADE OF FABRIC

OR METAL CURTAINSCURTAINS MOUNTED VERY CLOSE TO

THE FILM PLANE

THE CURTAINS MOVE ACROSS THE CURTAINS MOVE ACROSS THE FILM FRAME, THE FILM FRAME, ONE AHEAD ONE AHEAD

OF THE OTHER.OF THE OTHER. WHEN THE WHEN THE SHUTTER RELEASE IS SHUTTER RELEASE IS

SQUEEZED, THE LEAD CURTAIN SQUEEZED, THE LEAD CURTAIN TRAVELS ACROSS THE FILM, TRAVELS ACROSS THE FILM,

FOLLOWED SHORTLY BY THE FOLLOWED SHORTLY BY THE TRAILING CURTAINTRAILING CURTAIN. THIS . THIS

ALLOWS LIGHT TO HIT THE ALLOWS LIGHT TO HIT THE FILMFILM

THE SHUTTER SPEED DETERMINES HOW FAST HOW FAST THE CURTAINS MOVE IN THE CURTAINS MOVE IN

RELATION TO EACH OTHERRELATION TO EACH OTHER.

THE FASTER THEY MOVE, THE LESS TIME THE FILM IS

EXPOSED, AND SO THE LESS LIGHT REACHES THE FILM.

SLOW SHUTTER SLOW SHUTTER SPEEDSPEED

FAST SHUTTER SPEEDFAST SHUTTER SPEED

SHUTTER SPEEDS ARE SHUTTER SPEEDS ARE MEASURED IN MEASURED IN FRACTIONS FRACTIONS

OF A SECONDOF A SECOND

ONE SECOND IS VERY SLOW...WHERE 1/2000TH OF A SECOND IS VERY

FAST.

SHUTTER SPEEDS ARE MARKED ON OR IN THE CAMERA ONLY BY THE DENOMINATION OF THE DENOMINATION OF THE FRACTIONFRACTION

A SHUTTER SPEED SETTING OF A SHUTTER SPEED SETTING OF 250250 REALLY MEANS THE REALLY MEANS THE

SHUTTER OPENS AND CLOSES SHUTTER OPENS AND CLOSES IN IN 1/2501/250THTH OF A SECOND OF A SECOND..

THE SHUTTER THE SHUTTER SPEEDS ARE SPEEDS ARE

USUALLY SET BY A USUALLY SET BY A DIAL ON TOP OF DIAL ON TOP OF

THE CAMERATHE CAMERA

THE SHUTTER THE SHUTTER SPEED DIAL ON SPEED DIAL ON TOP OF A CAMERA TOP OF A CAMERA LOOKS LIKE LOOKS LIKE THISTHIS

SOME CAMERAS JUST HAVE AN LED DISPLAYLED DISPLAY FOR THE SHUTTER SPEED

THE SHUTTER SPEED WITH A

DIFFERENT COLOR IS THE ONE YOU USE

WITH A SEPARATE

FLASH ATTACHMENT!!

SHUTTER SPEEDS

SHUTTER SPEEDS

JUST LIKE F-STOPS, JUST LIKE F-STOPS, ADJACENTADJACENT SHUTTER SHUTTER

SPEEDS EITHER SPEEDS EITHER HALVEHALVE OR OR DOUBLEDOUBLE THE THE

AMOUNT OF LIGHT AMOUNT OF LIGHT ALLOWED TO ENTER ALLOWED TO ENTER

THE CAMERATHE CAMERA

SO, a 1/125 SHUTTER SPEED PERMITS HALF THE AMOUNT

OF LIGHT AS 1/60

AND 1/60 LETS IN TWICE THE AMOUNT OF LIGHT

AS 1/125 OF A SECOND

SO YOU SEE, YOU CAN SO YOU SEE, YOU CAN CHANGE THE AMOUNT OF CHANGE THE AMOUNT OF LIGHT THAT ENTERS THE LIGHT THAT ENTERS THE

CAMERA IN CAMERA IN TWO WAYSTWO WAYS: BY : BY CHANGING THE CHANGING THE F-STOPF-STOP AND BY CHANGING THE AND BY CHANGING THE

SHUTTER SPEEDSHUTTER SPEED

USING EITHER WAY, USING EITHER WAY, YOU CAN EITHER YOU CAN EITHER

DOUBLEDOUBLE OR OR HALVEHALVE THE THE AMOUNT OF LIGHT AMOUNT OF LIGHT

THAT ENTERS THAT ENTERS FROM FROM THE PREVIOUS THE PREVIOUS

SETTINGSETTING. .

SHUTTER SPEEDS SHUTTER SPEEDS AND F-STOPS HAVE AND F-STOPS HAVE

A A DIRECT DIRECT RELATIONSHIPRELATIONSHIP IN IN

REGULATING REGULATING LIGHTLIGHT

YOU CAN HAVE YOU CAN HAVE MANY MANY DIFFERENT DIFFERENT

COMBINATIONSCOMBINATIONS OF OF SHUTTER SPEEDS AND F-SHUTTER SPEEDS AND F-

STOPS THAT STOPS THAT ALL LET IN ALL LET IN THE SAME AMOUNT THE SAME AMOUNT

OF LIGHT!!!OF LIGHT!!!

F-STOPSF-STOPS

SHUTTER SPEEDSSHUTTER SPEEDS

THESE COMBINATIONS LET IN THE SAME AMOUNT OF LIGHT

THE COMBINATION THE COMBINATION OF THE F/STOP AND OF THE F/STOP AND THE SHUTTER SPEED THE SHUTTER SPEED YOU USE TO TAKE A YOU USE TO TAKE A PICTURE IS CALLED PICTURE IS CALLED THE THE “EXPOSURE”“EXPOSURE”

FOR THAT PHOTO. FOR THAT PHOTO.

SO, YOU MIGHT SO, YOU MIGHT SAY, SAY, “MY “MY

EXPOSURE FOR EXPOSURE FOR THAT TRAIN THAT TRAIN

PHOTO WAS F/4 PHOTO WAS F/4 AT 1/500 SEC.”AT 1/500 SEC.”

WHAT’S THE WHAT’S THE POINT!????POINT!????

BY BY CHOOSINGCHOOSING CERTAIN CERTAIN SHUTTER SPEEDS YOU SHUTTER SPEEDS YOU CONTROL HOW MOVING CONTROL HOW MOVING OBJECTS APPEAR IN YOUR OBJECTS APPEAR IN YOUR PHOTO PHOTO (FREEZING MOTION, (FREEZING MOTION, BLURRING MOTION, ETC.)BLURRING MOTION, ETC.)

1/1000 sec1/1000 sec

1/15 sec1/15 sec

BY BY CHOOSINGCHOOSING CERTAIN F/STOPS, CERTAIN F/STOPS, YOU CONTROL THE YOU CONTROL THE DEPTH OF FIELD DEPTH OF FIELD IN YOUR PHOTO,IN YOUR PHOTO, OR HOW MUCH OF OR HOW MUCH OF THE SCENE APPEARS IN FOCUS THE SCENE APPEARS IN FOCUS (LOTS OF DEPTH OF FIELD, (LOTS OF DEPTH OF FIELD, NARROW DEPTH OF FIELD)NARROW DEPTH OF FIELD)

f/16f/16

f/2f/2

IF YOUR METER TELLS IF YOUR METER TELLS YOU AN EXPOSURE IS YOU AN EXPOSURE IS CORRECT FOR A SCENE, CORRECT FOR A SCENE, YOU CAN YOU CAN CHANGE THE CHANGE THE RESULTS WITHOUT RESULTS WITHOUT CHANGING THE CHANGING THE AMOUNT OF LIGHT AMOUNT OF LIGHT ENTERING YOUR ENTERING YOUR CAMERA.CAMERA.

IF YOU CHANGE TO A IF YOU CHANGE TO A SLOWER SHUTTER SLOWER SHUTTER

SPEEDSPEED, JUST CHANGE , JUST CHANGE TO A TO A SMALLER SMALLER APERTURE TO APERTURE TO

COMPENSATECOMPENSATE. SAME . SAME AMOUNT OF AMOUNT OF

LIGHT….DIFFERENT LIGHT….DIFFERENT EFFECT!!! EFFECT!!! GET IT?GET IT?

AUTAUTOMAOMATIC TIC CAMERAS WCAMERAS WITH ITH

MMANANUAL UAL OVEROVERRIDE RIDE

CONTCONTROLS…ROLS…WWHAT YOU CHAT YOU CANAN

DODO

SOME CAMERAS ALLOW SOME CAMERAS ALLOW YOU TO CONTROL YOU TO CONTROL ONE OR ONE OR

THE OTHERTHE OTHER AND IT AND IT AUTOMATICALLY CHOOSESAUTOMATICALLY CHOOSES THE COMPANION SETTING THE COMPANION SETTING

FOR THE CORRECT FOR THE CORRECT EXPOSURE. EXPOSURE.

IF YOUR CAMERA HAS THE IF YOUR CAMERA HAS THE SETTING:SETTING:

““P” = PROGRAMMED P” = PROGRAMMED EXPOSUREEXPOSURE, THEN THE , THEN THE CAMERA DECIDES CAMERA DECIDES AUTOMATICALLY WHICH F/STOP AUTOMATICALLY WHICH F/STOP AND SHUTTER SPEED TO USE. AND SHUTTER SPEED TO USE. YOU HAVE YOU HAVE NO CONTROLNO CONTROL, BUT , BUT THE FILM WILL BE EXPOSED THE FILM WILL BE EXPOSED CORRECTLY. CORRECTLY.

IF YOUR CAMERA HAS THE IF YOUR CAMERA HAS THE SETTING:SETTING:

““A” = APERTURE A” = APERTURE PRIORITYPRIORITY.. YOU CHOOSE AN YOU CHOOSE AN APERTURE OR F/STOP, THE APERTURE OR F/STOP, THE CAMERA READS THE SCENE CAMERA READS THE SCENE AND AUTOMATICALLY SETS AND AUTOMATICALLY SETS THE CORRECT SHUTTER SPEED THE CORRECT SHUTTER SPEED FOR THE FILM. FOR THE FILM.

YOU CAN CONTROL YOU CAN CONTROL DEPTH OF FIELDDEPTH OF FIELD (HOW MUCH LOOKS IN FOCUS) (HOW MUCH LOOKS IN FOCUS) WHILE STILL DEPENDING ON THE WHILE STILL DEPENDING ON THE CAMERA FOR CORRECT EXPOSURE. CAMERA FOR CORRECT EXPOSURE.

IN FOCUS BLURRYBLURRY

DEPTH OF FIELDDEPTH OF FIELD MOOMOO

IF YOUR CAMERA HAS THE IF YOUR CAMERA HAS THE SETTING:SETTING:

““S” = SHUTTER SPEED S” = SHUTTER SPEED PRIORITYPRIORITY. YOU CHOOSE THE . YOU CHOOSE THE SHUTTER SPEEDSHUTTER SPEED, THE LIGHT , THE LIGHT METER READS THE SCENE AND METER READS THE SCENE AND AUTOMATICALLY SETS THE AUTOMATICALLY SETS THE CORRECT F/STOP FOR THE CORRECT F/STOP FOR THE FILM. FILM.

YOU CAN CONTROL MOTION YOU CAN CONTROL MOTION BLUR OR MOTION FREEZING, BLUR OR MOTION FREEZING, WHILE STILL DEPENDING ON WHILE STILL DEPENDING ON THE CAMERA FOR AUTO THE CAMERA FOR AUTO EXPOSURE. EXPOSURE.

HMM, SLOW SHUTTER HMM, SLOW SHUTTER OR FAST SHUTTER??OR FAST SHUTTER??

IF YOUR CAMERA HAS IF YOUR CAMERA HAS THE SETTING:THE SETTING:

““M” = MANUAL M” = MANUAL SETTINGSETTING. YOU . YOU CHOOSE BOTH F/STOP CHOOSE BOTH F/STOP NUMBER AND SHUTTER NUMBER AND SHUTTER SPEED. SPEED.

THE LIGHT METER READS THE THE LIGHT METER READS THE SCENE AND SCENE AND TELLS YOUTELLS YOU IF YOUR IF YOUR SETTINGS ARE TOO LITTLE, TOO SETTINGS ARE TOO LITTLE, TOO

MUCH, OR JUST THE RIGHT MUCH, OR JUST THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF LIGHT FOR THE FILM. AMOUNT OF LIGHT FOR THE FILM.

TOTAL CONTROL, BUT MORE TOTAL CONTROL, BUT MORE ERRORS POSSIBLE.ERRORS POSSIBLE.

TOO MUCH TOO MUCH LIGHT HITS THE LIGHT HITS THE FILMFILM

NOT ENOUGH NOT ENOUGH LIGHT HITS THE LIGHT HITS THE

FILMFILM

CORRECT EXPOSURECORRECT EXPOSURE

DARK NEGATIVEDARK NEGATIVE LIGHT NEGATIVELIGHT NEGATIVEJUST RIGHTJUST RIGHT

FILM SPEED IS THE SAME, F/STOP IS THE SAME…BUT

SHUTTER SPEED IS 1/125 SEC

SHUTTER SPEED IS 1/60SEC

SHUTTER SPEED IS 1/30 SEC

FILM SPEED IS THE SAME, SHUTTER SPEED IS THE SAME…BUT

APERTURE IS F/4

APERTURE IS F/8

APERTURE IS F/5.6

F/STOP IS THE SAME, SHUTTER SPEED IS THE SAME…BUT

ISO 400

ISO 1600

ISO 800

VERY WIDE DEPTH OF

FIELD FROM A VERY SMALL

APERTURE, SUCH AS F/22

OR F/16