Shutter "freeze" mode?

Question

i photograph a lot of cars, moving cars and really fast moving cars. i need that freeze effect from my camera. but if my shutter is too fast , i have no picture.the whole picture is dark.since no light got in,

how do i make it so cars appear "parked" at high speeds?

what shutter range do you think i will be able to do that?

thanks

ALSO my SLR is 2 hours old-- i am NEW at this.

Answer 1

I think the best thing for you to do is study the manual before you go out and take real photos (v.s. test photos).

In AUTO mode, the camera may set the shutter speed to something very fast, if it's bright, or the ISO is high, but it will also compensate by letting more light come in through the aperture, i.e. lens opening, too.

Also try this, so it will make more sense to you, regarding exposure.

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That was quite rude. You expected to learn all this in one evening?  Good luck.

Answer 2

The only way you will make the car freeze IS to read the manual and become familiar with the settings on your camera.

Nobody here is going to spend half an hour outlining the settings when you can (and should) learn for yourself in exactly the same way you would learn by reading an explanation if anyone wrote one for you.

Please don't be rude to people who are genuinely trying to help you.

"When all else fails.... read the directions". (Cabot Paints)

Answer 3

The only way to learn to use your camera is to actually READ & STUDY the Owner's Manual that came with it. Learn every setting and feature and when, why and how to use them.

There are simply too many variables for anyone to tell you what combination of ISO and aperture will give you a sufficiently fast shutter speed to completely stop action. The time of day - early morning? mid-afternoon? late afternoon? In bright sunlight? In shade? Overcast? What lens will you be using? Are the cars coming at you? In a corner? On the straightaway? Are they going away from you?

You also seem somewhat confused by the function of the shutter. It doesn't admit light ("... if my shutter is too fast I have no picture... since no light got in.").

The aperture (f-stop) admits light. The smaller the number (f2, f2.8) the more light it admits. The larger the number (f11, f16) the less light it admits.

The shutter speed is the time the light (admitted by the f-stop chosen) is allowed to expose the light sensitive surface, whether film or digital sensor.

ISO is a measurement of the sensitivity to light of a light sensitive surface. The lower the ISO (80, 100) the less sensitive; the higher the number (400, 800) the more sensitive.

All 3 of these variables must be coordinated to produce a correct exposure - and the available light must be taken into account as well. Set a low ISO (80, 100) and a small f-stop (f8, f11, f16) on an overcast day and your shutter speed will be slow.

There is an old rule called the "Sunny 16 Rule" *.  It states: "On a bright sunny day, set your f-stop to f16 and your shutter speed to 1/ISO". Translation: If using ISO 100, your shutter speed would be 1/125 sec. But what if it isn't a bright sunny day? Suppose its a hazy day with soft shadows? At f16 your shutter speed would drop to 1/60 sec. How about cloudy bright with no shadows? A shutter speed of 1/30 sec. Heavy overcast at mid-day? A shutter speed of 1/15 sec. (Remember, we're using ISO 100 for the examples shown).

So what happens under the "Sunny 16 Rule" when we use a higher ISO? Lets look at ISO 800, still using f16.

Bright sunny day = 1/1000 sec. shutter speed

Hazy sun, soft shadows = 1/500 sec. shutter speed

Cloudy bright, no shadows = 1/250 sec. shutter speed

Heavy overcast, mid-day = 1/125 sec. shutter speed

You may decide that photographs of high speed cars that look as though they are "parked" fail to indicate speed and action. You might want to google "photography panning technique" and also experiment with your camera on a tripod with a slower shutter speed to blur the cars against a sharp background.

Good luck and welcome to the fascinating, frustrating world of advanced photography.

* The "Sunny 16 Rule" was developed a very long time ago when shutters were mechanical - 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 1/15, 130, 1/60, 1/125, 1/250, 1/500, 1/1000 -  and few cameras had built-in light meters and many photographers didn't have hand-held meters. It was also useful when your battery for the in-camera meter died - you could continue shooting.  So, the choices were simply approximations (ISO 800 at 1/1000). Modern cameras with their electronically controlled "stepless" shutters will come closer to actually matching the "Rule".