Shutter activity

What equipment have you used on this shoot (camera type, lens, tripod, memory card etc) and how has this helped you get better images?
When doing this shoot we used a Sony Alpha camera, a tripod, SD card and an 18-55 lens.
These pieces of equipment helped me to acquire focused images primarily the tripod as it maintained the camera at a steady position.
The camera is a high quality DSLR (digital single lens reflex) this allowed me to capture high quality images at 14.0 megapixels, this should effectively allow me to produce a printed image at 27 x 22 inches. 
An 18-55 lens with a focal length of 3.5-5.6 allows me to zoom at a far depth of field and capture a subject at a further distance creating a certain effect and mood. 
The SD card allowed me to store all the images that I needed for the activity as it was a 2GB card. 

Show an understanding what shutter speed means and why it is important?

The shutter speed is the amount of time that the shutter is left open to capture the image. If the camera is set to a long shutter speed it will capture an image that shows movement this is particularly effective with images of moving elements such as the sea and rivers. 

Having a short shutter speed will allow you to capture a moment in time. This allows you to effectively stop time as you are able to capture and see an image not normally seen by the human eye. 







How has the shutter speed altered your shots in relation to movement and exposure?
Shutter speed can show movement in two different ways. Having a long shutter speed enables you to capture an image that shows movement that has happened over a period of time for example the image above of the waves crashing against the cliffs. However, you can also have a very short shutter speed which manages to catch a moment in time such as the image the other image above showing the paint just before it goes on the mans face. 
Changing the shutter speed means that you will need to change the applications of the exposure triangle such as: aperture, ISO and shutter speed as you need to make sure that you are allowing enough light into the lens so that the photo is successful. 

What effect would different lenses and focal lengths have on your images? 
Using different lenses allows you to give the images a different effect. Some examples could be: a soft focus lens which will allow you to produce a soft image that is till in focus, a fish-eye lens which produces an intended distortion of the image and a swivel lens which can be moved from side to side whilst still attached to the camera body so will give unique perspectives and camera angles.
Using different focal lengths can give good effects to the images you take, however you need to be sure that they are all in focus as the focus will change as you zoom in over a depth of field. 

What applications of photography might rely heavily on shutter speeds?

The applications of photography that shutter speed tends to apply to would be: photojournalism, fine art and landscape. These applications all rely a lot on telling a story through an image often using the movement within, so shutter speed will allow the photographer to capture this detail in an easy yet effective way.