10 WAYS TO GET CREATIVE PHOTOS WITH THE SHOOTING SPEED ??OF YOUR CAMERA

In photography, there is a very fine line that separates the photographer who simply takes photographs of the one who makes them, and this line is passed with time and dedication, but above all with curiosity and the desire to learn and master the technique without Let it dominate you. And although there are too many concepts and techniques to photograph everything, the truth is that practically everything will be achieved thanks to the knowledge of the exposure triangle: Diaphragm opening, Speed and ISO. So let's do a brief and quick review before starting: Diaphragm aperture: Controls the entry of light through the lens. The more open the diaphragm, the more light will enter and the less depth of field or area focused on the image. The more closed, the less light will enter but the depth of field will increase. ISO: It is the sensitivity of your sensor to light. If you have more light, you can work at a low ISO, if on the contrary you have low light, you will probably need to increase it. Remember that ISO is directly associated with noise in the image (more ISO more noise). Shutter speed: This is the speed at which the shutter is opened and closed, that is, the time it remains open once you press the shutter of your camera. The less time it remains open, the more we can freeze the image. If, on the contrary, we want to print movement in the scene, it is best to work at slow speeds, where the shutter stays longer open. Remember that you cannot control the above parameters, unless you leave the “comfort zone” that the automatic mode surely provides you, and immerse yourself in the manual mode or in any of the semi-automatic modes you have. If you haven't done it yet, this is a great way to start. And now, once we have reviewed the concepts that form the exposure triangle a bit, we will focus on speed and everything you can get with it just by knowing it, nor will you believe it .

1. SWEEP

Have you ever seen those images that are the sensation of speed taken photography, of a Formula 1, of a cyclist, a runner, etc., frozen in the image while the background appears moved? Well, that image has been achieved neither more nor less than with a sweep , and the sweep is achieved neither more nor less than playing with the movement of the scene and the speed of your camera. There is no magic formula (well yes, practice) but sweeps are achieved by chasing with the camera the movement of what you are going to photograph, at a speed of between 1/30 to 1/60 (more or less depending on the ambient light , ISO, etc.) so that it is impregnated in the image, but your protagonist remains as static as possible.

The sweep provides a sense of speed

2. LIGHTPAINTING

This is undoubtedly a technique with infinite possibilities that mixes your pictorial skills with the photographic ones. Have you ever tried to paint with light on an image? Do not? Then you have to dare to try it ;-). The lightpainting is achieved through slow speeds, a moving light source (candles, flashlights, etc.), an environment with low light and boundless imagination

3. SILKY WATER EFFECT

This is an effect that I am sure has not gone unnoticed when you have observed some landscape image in which water appears. In some of these images, the water has a silky texture , as if it were a painting. This image is also achieved by playing with speed through a slow speed . A good landscape with moving water, a tripod, a Neutral Density filter (which allows us to reduce ambient light and work at lower speeds than normal) and a landscape with dim light, will allow you to obtain these wonderful images.

4. ZOOMING

We could say that it is a kind of sweep but in which we bring the movement through the zoom of our camera. Surely you have also seen those images in which the protagonist appears surrounded by a kind of time tunnel, he stopped in the center, and the rest in motion. As this science fiction image is also a mixture of movement and low shutter speed . If you are interested, take a look at this article that tells you step by step how to get this type of image.

A very abstract Zooming

5. STAR PHOTOGRAPHY

If you are one of those who enjoy the nights outdoors counting stars, observing the milky way and looking for your horoscope in the sky, you have to dare to photograph them because the results are almost as magical as lying stretched with the view in the sky surrounded by Peace and universe If you have a tripod, a camera with manual controls and a sky covered with stars , this is your chance to get one of these wonderful images.

Star photography

6. HIGH SPEED: A DROP OF WATER

Not everything is achieved with slow speeds, we can also go to the magic of high speed or how to freeze an impossible image. A simple way to put it into practice is in your own home, setting up a mini home studio hunting for a drop of water falling on a liquid. And who says a drop of water says a cookie falling into a glass of milk, or a balloon exploding at the precise moment in which the shutter closes. For these types of images, we go to the other end, we will need very high speeds and lots of light. The idea is to try to capture the precise moment in which the action takes place.

7. FOG

Foggy photographs are usually images full of magic and mystery . And one way to enhance and accentuate the fog and the atmosphere it generates is through speed. With low speeds, you will get more texture in it, more travel and more presence of it in the image.

8. CLOUDS

You can use the clouds as a static element that accompanies your image, as a protagonist, as a frame of the image, or as a moving element contrasted with the stillness of the rest of the scene.

9. FREE CREATIVITY

Challenge the established, circumvent the sharpness or look for it to the extreme, moved portraits, vertical sweeps ... Once you master speed and diaphragm, there will be no technique that resists you

10. MOVEMENT AND STATIC SUBJECTS

The contrast between elements always catches our attention when we look at an image. A static character surrounded by people who hurriedly go somewhere, makes our eyes automatically turn to what stands out for their difference; in this case the static subject, or vice versa, a static scene and a moving object, will direct our gaze to what moves. As you can see, speed has infinite uses and applications, whether you are obsessed with sharpness, or if you are in the portrait of movement. Be that as it may, knowing and mastering it will open a huge world of photographic, creative and imaginative possibilities that you can not imagine. So get down to work and encourage yourself to practice with it. As always, in practice is the key to learning. I hope you found it useful and interesting. If so, share it with someone else who you think may be interesting (Facebook, Google+ or Twitter) Thank you very much and until next time