Wildlife Photography How To

Shutter Speed is an important consideration with an interesting duality. Many photographers opt for high shutter speeds in an attempt to assure maximum sharpness—admittedly a key consideration when setting up a shot. But there are times when a slow shutter speed will deliver images with a heightened sense of artistry.

Optimum image quality is the holy grail of all photographers regardless of whether they shoot portraits, landscapes, wildlife, or just about any other type of images. And when photos fail to meet expectations, it’s easy to blame our gear or the shooting conditions we confront.

It’s impossible to capture great images if your photos are consistently unsharp. There are several fixable issues that can result in soft photos, from faulty technique, incorrect camera settings, gear malfunction and more.

Selecting the appropriate shutter speed for a given scene is important for most types of photography if you want the best possible results. This decision is important with landscapes and wildlife shots—particularly when shooting hand-held, for scenes with motion, and while using long lenses.

Everyone knows how shutter speed, aperture, and ISO interact to arrive at properly exposed photos. But nailing exposure is only part of the challenge if you want to create images with maximum impact.

Last week we featured the first of a two-part beginners guide to nature and wildlife photography from expert Janine Krayer—a photographer and instructor who spends much of her time teaching workshops and photographing exotic animals in the wilds of Africa.

The quickest way to fall into a creative rut is shooting the same types of images over and over again. Landscape photographers shoot landscapes, portrait specialists concentrate on people … well, you get the idea.