Blogger Photo Basics

What is shutter speed?
Shutter speed is the second most important element in creating great images. Shutter speed is the amount of time the camera shutter is open. Why does it matter? Because if you have your shutter open for a half a second and it’s a sunny day, you are going to have nothing but a white image. If you have it open for 1/5000 of a second it might be too dark. 


Below is an example of how different shutter speeds apply in different situations. The one on the left was taken during an overcast day. However, since I was shooting these near lots of natural reflectors (such as concrete) I knew I still needed to have a fast shutter so I didn’t blow anything out too drastically. 

The image on the right was taken on a sunny day. Even though I was under a shelter I still had sunlight coming in from the sides. Since I was shooting at a 1.4 aperture I had to really up my shutter speed to compensate for the amount of light I was letting in.  


Below also shows that time the time of day is also a factor in deciding what shutter speed to use. The one on the left was taken mid day and it was very bright out. The one on the left was during the golden hour, the hour before sunset, so it required a slower shutter speed. In essence, the shutter needed to be left open longer because there was less light out.  

What Kind of Lens Should I Choose? 
I told you what is in my camera bag here but some of you were wondering what the difference between the 50 and 35 lenses are. Since I have a cropped sensor things are a little bit different but I’ll just explain in general the differences. 

The 50mm 1.8 lens is a portrait lens. You are able to get a full body image easily. The 35mm 1.8 lens is a wider angle lens which lets you get more into the image. Do they distort? Nope. The 35, since I am on a cropped sensor, has no distortions. The 50, on a cropped sensor, has very, very minimal to no distortion. 


What lens do I recommend? For blog photography I recommend both. Hah, yeah, I know. That didn’t really answer your question. The 50mm is just such a good lens and Nikon has such a sharp one at an incredibly affordable price that I think it wins.