This week, we focused on shutter speed and ISO. A topic I found really engaging, as it’s crucial for my final project. Since I’m capturing sports photography, which involves a lot of movement, I need to use a fast shutter speed to freeze the action and minimize blur.
We started by exploring ISO, beginning with digital cameras. ISO controls the camera’s light sensitivity — the higher the ISO, the more sensitive the camera is to light. I also learned something new about iPhones: while I previously thought you could only adjust exposure by tapping the screen and sliding the brightness bar, I discovered you can also fine-tune it using the plus and minus buttons in the extra tools menu.
For my final project, I’ll be using a camera rather than a phone, so understanding ISO settings is key. I now know that for outdoor shooting, like capturing the marathon and training sessions, I’ll aim to keep my ISO between 100 and 200 to maintain image clarity.
We then moved on to shutter speed, which not only affects how much light reaches the camera’s sensor but also works alongside ISO and aperture (f-stop) to create the right exposure. I learned the difference between slow and fast shutter speeds: a slow shutter speed introduces motion blur, while a fast one freezes movement, something I’ll need for sports photography. Unfortunately, I forgot my camera this week, so I couldn’t practice adjusting the shutter speed during the session, but I plan to make up for it this weekend by photographing a football match. This will be a great opportunity to test out a fast shutter speed and capture the team in action.
We also explored shutter speed on iPhones, including the burst mode feature another new discovery for me. Burst mode rapidly takes multiple images, mimicking the effect of a fast shutter speed. To simulate a slow shutter speed, we learned to use the “Live Photo” option, which allows for long exposure effects. We wrapped up the session with a practical task, which I reflected on in the workshop.
Photographic Journalism 