Photobird Daily

You may be familiar with the book Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson. It’s a best-selling photography book, and we’ve referred to it many times here in the Photobird Daily. If there’s one photography book you should buy, it’s Understanding Exposure. It’s so good, it’s offered as one of the prizes each month for the Photobird Photo Contest.

Bryan Peterson has a few other books that are really good too. Beyond Portraiture is another one of his fantastic books I’ve written about.

Understanding Shutter Speed is one more of Bryan Peterson’s books that you should consider buying. However, if you’re new to photography and you’re looking to get started with just one book, get Understanding Exposure. It will provide you with more bang for your buck to get great photos when learning more about photography. As a novice, you’ll benefit more by reading Understanding Exposure than you will by reading Understanding Shutter Speed. If you already have Understanding Exposure, or you already know all there is about exposure, then read on and consider Understanding Shutter Speed.

Shutter speed is important when photographing moving objects. The term “shutter speed” refers to the speed at which the camera’s shutter opens and closes to capture the light in the scene. Shutter speeds are measured in seconds, with fast shutter speeds in small fractions of a second. Slow shutter speeds are helpful in low-light and night situations; the shutter needs to be open for seconds or even minutes to allow enough light to enter the camera and be captured by the camera’s photo sensor.

If you photograph sporting events, fast shutter speeds are important to be able to stop the action and get clear images. Adjusting the shutter speed can also introduce creative effects like blurring, which can be helpful for waterfalls and traffic light trails such as on the book cover shown above .

Understanding Shutter Speed covers a myriad of scenarios when you need to have a good understanding of shutter speeds to get excellent, creative photos. Bryan Peterson’s easy-to-read style and gorgeous photos makes this one of those books you’ll have difficulty putting down. The book starts off discussing facts and myths of shutter speeds. Then it covers fast and moderate speeds, followed by slow speeds, then exposure concerns, and some details and examples on composition for moving objects.

Understanding Shutter Speed costs less than $20 at Amazon.com which is a great deal for the information and inspiration the book provides. Understanding Shutter Speed is highly rated on Amazon.com, with an average of 5 stars from 35 reviews total, as of today.

Understanding Shutter Speed is published by Amphoto Books, which also publishes Understanding Exposure, by Bryan Peterson. Understanding Exposure is listed as a prize each month for the Photobird Photo Contest, but the winners actually get to choose a book. Winners may choose one of the books listed on the page at http://amphotobooks.com ; click the book covers and if “Amphoto” is listed under the ISBN number at the top, then the book is available as a prize. The following books are also available as prizes:

• Fashion Photography, by Bruce Smith
• Photographer’s Exposure Handbook
• Lighting and the Dramatic Portrait
• PhoDOGraphy
• Hands-On Digital Photography
• Night & Low-Light Photography
• The Art of People Photography
• Beyond Portraiture by Bryan Peterson
• Mastering HDR Photography, by Michael Freeman
  
• Baby Face

Enter the Photobird Photo Contest for your chance to win Understanding Shutter Speed!

Before you buy Understanding Shutter Speed or anything else on Amazon.com, please click one of our Amazon.com links anywhere on Photobird.com. For each product you buy after your click, we receive a small referral fee, at no additional cost to you. Your clicks and purchases allow us to continue to publish the Photobird Daily and the Photobird Learning Center. Thank you for your support!

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