OK, it’s time for you to get out of your comfort zone and play a little.
There are many ways to change your exposure time. We have been discussing very minor and quick adjustments by using Exposure Compensation. Now, we are going to take it up a step and move into the manual feature of Shutter Speed adjustment…’S’
If you have one, this is going to be much easier to practice with your camera onto a tripod.
As we start practicing, it is also going to be best if you can take pictures of something like a running water fall. Something with a constant moving function where you can take your time, and your subject will still be there.
Select ‘S’ from your ‘camera picture’ or ‘function mode’ dial.
Once in this function, you will have the ability to change your cameras physical shutter speed, using the ‘setting dial’ on the camera. (you may need to look up your camera manual if you can’t find it)
The shutter speeds available will vary as per your camera specifications, but lets just say there will be a really fast shutter speed, 1/4000 of a second, and a very slow shutter speed 30 seconds. What this means is the amount of exposure time you are allowing your sensor to pick up light will be really quick/short, or, slow/long.
Best practiced in normal daylight, and not facing the sun, select the shutter speed of 1/200. That is, 200th of 1 second, and take your first picture.
Now, move to 1/125th of a second, take a picture, and then 1/80th of a second, and take another picture.
Slide through all 3 pictures, one after the other, and look for a difference. Do you see any?
Next, take another 3 pictures, start at 1/400, then 1/80, and the last 1/10, and again compare all 3.
Do you see the slight difference in the 2 pictures below. Can you guess which one was long and which one was short exposure?
