What is shutter speed and how can it impact your image? When your shooting in film, the exposure of your image is made up of three main factors that you have direct control over. The ISO, aperture and shutter speed. This article will focus on the functions of the shutter speed. On a camera body, the shutter is the piece that opens and closes really quickly. This lets a certain amount of light in to your film when shooting your image. In analog cameras, the shutter can be seen when you open your film compartment at the back. The rectangular area is the shutter opening of your camera. As you take your picture the shutter will briefly open to allow a certain amount of light in your camera and on your film. The longer the shutter is open, the more light getting in your camera.
If your shooting in an SLR camera that allows you to look through the view finder and out the lens, then you will have a mirror in front of your camera. This mirror allows you to look into the lens and the view finder. When you take your picture the shutter will flip and open up behind it. In most manual cameras you can find a dial on top of your camera that indicates your shutter speed options. The numbers are all measured in fraction in a second. The numbers will determine how long your shutters are open. The lower the number, the longer your shutter is open. The shutter speed controls motion and the shape of your image.