fast shutter speeds

Particularly when photographing children, there are times when a fast shutter speed is needed to freeze motion such as jumping, swinging or running.  I am often asked, how fast does the shutter speed need to be?

To capture someone mid-air (or mid-fast movement) I use shutter speeds upwards of 1/640s.  So when shooting in Manual Mode, and freezing motion is my priority, I will set the Shutter Speed first and then balance my ISO and Aperture accordingly.  If you use the Aperture or Shutter Priority modes, then you would use Shutter Priority for these occasions and choose a shutter speed upwards of 1/640s. Read More »Freezing Motion and Shutter Speed