But, what if we don’t want to show movement? In that case, a slower shutter speed won’t work
because it allows the camera time to move and introduces “camera shake” to our photos.
Eliminating blur caused by camera shake is pretty much the whole reason for using a tripod and
is the overriding consideration in all the automatic camera settings.
Here’s the basic way a camera on “automatic” selects the settings it uses...
On automatic, your camera wants to be sure the photo has enough light so first it meters the
scene to see how much light will be needed for a “proper” exposure. Then it selects the fastest
shutter speed it can (and still get sufficient light) so that it can freeze the subject and eliminate
blur from camera shake.
This seems to be a pretty logical system and most beginners to photography will say, “So what is
the problem with that?”
There are several problems...
- First, the meter reading for a correct exposure is not that accurate. A scene with too many
light areas or a scene with too many dark areas will throw off your meter. - Automatically choosing the fastest possible shutter speed means using a large aperture.
Using a large aperture doesn’t always work. In fact, it is RARELY the best creative
option in general photography - and is almost always the wrong choice for macro
photography. - The fastest shutter speed may not work because you want to use a slower one for creative
reasons!
There are TONS of aperture/shutter speed combinations that can get the same amount of light to
your sensor. To be stuck with the one single formula your camera uses is to walk away from all
the creative choices available to you!
In other words – stay away from using automatic settings! Your camera is NOT creative – only
you are.
In a lot of our macro/close-up photos we have another issue aside from camera movement. We
often have a subject that moves. Either an insect starts to crawl away, or a breeze comes along
and moves our flower.