Shutter atlas
Plan a repeatable shutter-speed comparison and learn to distinguish subject movement from camera movement.
GUIDED LESSONStart here
Use this capture lesson when you want to find a usable shutter speed for a particular moving subject. It gives you a shooting protocol; this page does not contain a populated image atlas.
By the end: Produce a labelled sequence in which shutter time changes while subject movement and framing stay as similar as practical.
What you need: A camera or phone with manual shutter control, support for the camera, a safely moving object and space to keep the original files.
Before you begin: Read Photography foundations: exposure stops. Use shutter-priority or manual mode and a safely moving subject.
How to work through this lesson
- Fix the camera and framing. Choose a repeatable movement, such as a spoon moving across a plain background, and take several attempts at each setting.
- Try 1/30, 1/125 and 1/500 second. Keep aperture fixed where possible and adjust ISO to keep brightness comparable; note any automatic changes.
- Compare subject edges and stationary background separately. Keep one representative image and one failure from each setting, with exposure and movement notes.
Build a controlled motion sequence
Exposure time determines how long movement is recorded. A short exposure can limit the distance a moving image travels across the sensor; a longer one can turn that movement into a streak. Subject speed, direction, magnification and camera movement all matter, so no shutter time guarantees a frozen subject.
A useful atlas records conditions, not just settings. Fix the camera position and aperture, photograph the same movement several times, and change only the intended variable. Keep unsuccessful frames; they tell you where the technique stopped working.
Worked example
Original trial: photograph a hand moving a spoon sideways against a plain background at 1/30, 1/125 and 1/500 second. Support the camera. Choose ISO to maintain approximately comparable brightness. Expect the longest exposure to show more travel, but compare several attempts because hand speed varies. Record distance, lens, shutter time, aperture, ISO and whether the camera was supported.
Try it yourself
Write your answer before opening the explanation. Use the worked example if you get stuck.
Question 1
How many times longer is 1/30 than 1/480 second? If the subject speed and image magnification stay fixed, which frame should show more motion travel?
Show answer and reasoning
(1/30) ÷ (1/480) = 16, or four stops. The 1/30 frame records about sixteen times as much travel under the stated assumptions. Exposure brightness must be compensated separately.
Watch for: Stabilization helps camera shake; it does not stop your subject moving. Do not label a documented test setting as a universal prescription.
Summary + next step
Produce a labelled sequence in which shutter time changes while subject movement and framing stay as similar as practical.
Keep the result: Keep original images plus a contact sheet labelled with exposure times, setup and observations.
Sources and further reading
Read these references for the concepts used in the lesson.
Lesson updated 2026-09-14 · Guidance updated 2026-10-22
Coverage and further development
Produce a labelled sequence in which shutter time changes while subject movement and framing stay as similar as practical.
Further development: Owner-supplied example photographs, panning sequences and long-exposure case studies.