Shutter speed

Have you ever wondered how a photographer was able to capture a crisp image of a moving object or person?

Like a perfect, clear shot of a basketball player just as he jumps up to dunk the ball through the net, or a swimmer mid-stroke as they come up for a gulp of air? 

Or what about photos that capture motion in a way that portrays multiple frames in a single image?

These types of effects are made possible by changing the shutter speed on your camera. If you want a focused and sharp image of something that is moving — say in sports — you will want to use a fast shutter speed. If you want to achieve a blurry look, you will need to use a slow shutter speed.

Here are some photos I took using two different shutter speeds.

Fast shutter speed

Slow shutter speed