Action Freeze
Tuesday, August 23, 2011 at 9:00AM
The great thing about using a fast shutter speed is the ability to freeze action that you normally wouldn't catch in the blink of an eye. Nevertheless, its a real moment that existed and is now gone. When it's frozen, it's preserved.
Think about the times you tried to photograph something happening, but it happened so fast the photo is a blur. How do you think sports photographers get such great expressions from athletes while they are competing? The key is the shutter speed. Lenses and lighting also play an important roll, but the shutter speed is what freezes the action.
Of course the faster the shutter speed you use, the more light on your subject is needed. You may need a flash.
The pic above was taken outdoors in bright daylight. I used a fast shutter speed to freeze the action and cut down on the ambient light, but also used a flash to give the subject enough light. I had her do this 3 or 4 times until I got the hair I wanted.
If your camera allows, try shooting action with the shutter priority setting. You'll haveto experiment with different speeds depending on the light, but you'll capture moments that happen as fast as you can blink.