Understanding Shutter Speed: Creative Action and Low-Light Photography Beyond 1/125 Second (Paperback)

by Bryan Peterson (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

The first book in the Understanding Photography series, Understanding Exposure, was a runaway best-seller, with more than 250,000 copies sold. Now author Bryan Peterson brings his signature style to another important photography topic: shutter speed. With clear, jargon-free explanations of terms and techniques, plus compelling "before-and-after" photos that pair a mediocre image (created using the wrong shutter speed) with a great image (created using the right shutter speed), this is the definitive practical guide to mastering an often-confusing subject. Topics include freezing and implying motion, panning, zooming, exposure, Bogen Super Clamps, and rendering motion effects with Photoshop, all with helpful guidance for both digital and film formats. Great for beginners and serious amateurs, Understanding Shutter Speed is the definitive handy guide to mastering shutter speed for superb results.

About the Author

Bryan Peterson, a professional photographer, is the author of Understanding Exposure, Beyond Portraiture, Learning to See Creatively, and Understanding Digital Photography. A well-known instructor, he is the founder of the online school The Perfect Picture School of Photography (www.ppsop.com). He lives in Chicago.

---

Product Details Paperback: 160 pages Publisher: Amphoto Books (April 1, 2008) Language: English ISBN-10: 0817463011 ISBN-13: 978-0817463014 Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.2 x 0.4 inches Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies) Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (41 customer reviews) Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,554 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books) Popular in these categories: (What's this?) #7 in  Books > Arts & Photography > Photography > Reference #17 in  Books > Arts & Photography > Photography > How-to #22 in  Books > Arts & Photography > Photography > Equipment

---

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

	53% buy the item featured on this page: Understanding Shutter Speed: Creative Action and Low-Light Photography Beyond 1/125 Second 4.7 out of 5 stars (41) $17.13
	28% buy Understanding Exposure: How to Shoot Great Photographs with a Film or Digital Camera (Updated Edition) 4.7 out of 5 stars (560) $17.13
	7% buy The Photographer's Eye: Composition and Design for Better Digital Photos 4.6 out of 5 stars (81) $19.77
	6% buy The Digital Photography Book 4.5 out of 5 stars (616) $16.49

Explore similar items

---

Tags Customers Associate with This Product  (What's this?) Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people. Check the boxes next to the tags you consider relevant or enter your own tags in the field below. photography(33) bryan peterson(23) shutter speed(22) creative photography(13) digital photography(10) nikon(8) canon(5) photography book(5) exposure(4) blur(2) ppsop(2) See all 23 tags... Your tags: Add your first tag

Search Products Tagged with   See most popular tags

Help others find this product — tag it for Amazon search

No one has tagged this product for Amazon search yet. Why not be the first to suggest a search for which it should appear?

---

Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store

If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store. Learn more

---

 

Customer Reviews

41 Reviews 5 star:  (32) 4 star:  (6) 3 star:  (3) 2 star:    (0) 1 star:    (0)           Average Customer Review 4.7 out of 5 stars (41 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews 44 of 46 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars Another Excellent Book, April 3, 2008 By  M. Warriner "M.Warriner" (Surprise, AZ United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    I have read and used the material presented in all of Mr. Peterson's books and I have found them all to be extremely helpful in my quest to learn photography. "Understanding Shutter Speed" is yet another fine example of his excellent teaching abilities simplifying even the most complex topics so beginners like me are able to "understand". This book like his others is full of beautiful sample photographs vividly illustrating the subject he is discussing. I highly recommend this book for any beginner photographer! 36 of 37 people found the following review helpful: 3.0 out of 5 stars Good, but not great, July 7, 2008 By  Michael R. Stoller Jr. (Grosse Pointe Farms, MI) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    I first bought "Understanding Exposure" from this same author, and felt it was one of the best books I have ever read re: photography. A manual of sorts I still keep nearby. This edition focuses on the sub-point of shutter speed as it relates to exposure. The Good: Great color photography with good examples of how varying shutter speeds will affect an image. There are a number of tricks -- like you can shoot action coming directly at you at 1/250, but need 1/500 for lateral or vertical movement. The Bad: I felt the book had a lot more fluff than the author's other effort. Some of the images were re-used -- or at least came from the same shoot -- and it had a lot more creative examples which I personally didn't like. It was outside the box a bit in terms of how to use shutter speeds, my complaint is that the results, even if intended, were not desirable. Overall: I liked this book, and glad I have it as a supplement to my growing photo library; but, I would not buy this before having his other edition. Shop price on this. I wouldn't overpay. I would give this 3 1/2 stars if Amazon allowed it. 50 of 54 people found the following review helpful: 4.0 out of 5 stars More Understanding Exposure, April 10, 2008 By  Conrad J. Obregon (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)       I've seen photography books on many subjects but this is the first one I've ever seen that claimed to limit itself to an understanding of shutter speed. How could I resist? Bryan Peterson is the author of "Understanding Exposure: How to Shoot Great Photographs with a Film or Digital Camera (Updated Edition)", a very popular book with photographers just getting into using cameras that allow them to adjust shutter speed, aperture and ISO for a proper exposure. This book might well have been entitled "More Understanding Exposure". The book, which reads quickly and clearly, offers chapters covering the range of shutter speeds from 1/2000 of a second to several seconds and shows you when their use is appropriate. Peterson shows the reader how the use of different shutter speeds may be appropriate for the same subject, as when photographing action one might use a fast shutter speed to stop the action dead or a slow shutter speed to achieve deliberate blurs. Along the way, he scatters tips some of which are directly related to shutter speed, like shooting into the light in the rain at 1/60 of a second to get the best rain trails, and some only indirectly related, like using a Bogen Magic Arm attached to a broom to get a broom's eye view of sweeping. Occasionally the pictures offered in illustration are extremely striking, like the image of a cat making its way down a flight of purple stairs, and sometimes quite banal, like the pictures of his daughter running toward the camera. The final chapter of the book, a summary of the rules of composition, seemed more like an add-on to make sure the author had a book's worth of pages. I found Peterson's description of clinging to the roof of a car without handholds, while being driven down a road taking pictures, to capture a sense of movement, alarming. It also seemed to me that a great deal of the information related to capturing blurred images, either as a result of camera or subject movement. I've used the procedure myself to convey my artistic intent, but here there seemed to be a suggestion that the result would inevitably be art, and I'm certain that's not a correct conclusion. New photographers who have just begun to master exposure may benefit from the wide array of techniques offered and may find the inspiration to experiment. On the other hand, there is little here that will be new to experienced photographers, most of whom will have already learned the virtues of slow shutter speeds.		Most Recent Customer Reviews 3.0 out of 5 stars Just Okay.... Decided to purchase Peterson's book based on my previous purchase of his "Understanding Exposure." Truly enjoyed reading and learning from the first book however was not able to... Read more Published 2 months ago by clee 5.0 out of 5 stars Understanding Shutter Speed I love the book the Author really makes it easy for any level of photographer to learn several tricks of the trade when it comes to playing with shutter speed. Read more Published 2 months ago by Tim W 3.0 out of 5 stars Not that great. It is an OK book and it doesn't look like it is written by the Author of "Understanding Exposure", which was a five star book. Published 2 months ago by Mamo M. Abebe 4.0 out of 5 stars What One Can Do with ISO 100! Bryan Peterson does it again for me with "Understanding Shutter Speed." I'm a fairly avid photographer (mainly nature) and Bryan provided me with new ideas on how to capture... Read more Published 2 months ago by Nature Photog 5.0 out of 5 stars A must for beginners and pros alike. I purchased this book right after reading the author's other title "Understanding Exposure". The book is not really thick, but it is packed with vital information and a ton of... Read more Published 3 months ago by Ariana Bauer 4.0 out of 5 stars Very good book, nicely focused Understanding Shutter Speed is a well-written and nicely focused book on photography. There are no wasted pages about what camera you should buy or on Photoshop tips and tricks... Read more Published 4 months ago by Bakari 5.0 out of 5 stars great book for understanding photography better I have found that this author,Bryan Peterson, is an excellent author. i have all of his books and one of his videos that he has made and they are all excellent books. Read more Published 6 months ago by Bill Coleman 5.0 out of 5 stars Like it This is the third book I'd purchased by the same author (first two were Understanding Exposure and Learning to See Creatively) and it is, no doubt, something I was looking for... Read more Published 7 months ago by M. Sebetovsky 5.0 out of 5 stars Another great book I bought this book to help me practice setting the exposure manually. It has beautiful and inspiring images that help motivate. Published 7 months ago by Taunya T. Waxham 5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing... I was originally going to buy "Understanding Exposure", but decided that since I am a photography student and I actually understand exposure that, that might not be the greatest... Read more Published 8 months ago by Dawn Charleston Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews

---

Customer Discussions

 Beta (What's this?)

New! See all customer communities, and bookmark your communities to keep track of them.

This product's forum (1 discussion)   Discussion Replies Latest Post tokina 12-24 versus sigma wide angle, which is better? 0 April 2009 › See all discussions...   [Start the discussion] Start a new discussion Topic: First post: Receive e-mail when new posts are made Prompts for sign-in   [Cancel] Guidelines Active discussions in related forums   Discussion Replies Latest Post photography What's the difference? 7 1 hour ago photography Best super wide angle lens for Canon? 28 4 hours ago photography football lens 2 5 hours ago photography Best Hybrid Digital Camera / Video Camera - Or I Can't Afford a 5dmark2 32 6 hours ago photography Another Seeking Lens Advice :) 10 11 hours ago nikon Nikon CLS, Dollar Signs, And My Freaking Out 16 1 day ago nikon SDHC Card for Nikon D40 10 2 days ago digital photography books for adobe photoshop elements 7 8 12 days ago

The Photography community Latest activity 12 minutes ago 19,622 customers have contributed 12,585 products, 405 discussions and more... › Explore the community The Digital Photography community Latest activity 3 hours ago 3,367 customers have contributed 1,333 products, 172 lists & guides and more... › Explore the community The Nikon community Latest activity 2 hours ago 4,051 customers have contributed 1,399 products, 105 discussions and more... › Explore the community Related forums bargain books bryan peterson digital... (10 discussions) nikon (105 discussions) photography (405 discussions) shutter speed Explore more › See all Customer Communities › Your communities

---

Product Information from the Amapedia Community

Beta (What's this?)

Be the first person to add an article about this item at Amapedia.com.

› See featured Amapedia.com articles

---

Listmania!

My Expensive Photography Journey with Nikon: A list by Manvendra Bhangui   Buy a DSLR on a Budget: A list by Lola Catteneo "Lola"   Nikon D40 Digital SLR: A list by Sanjeev Chandra Create a Listmania! list

Search Listmania!

---

So You'd Like to...

Get Into Digital Photography: A guide by Edward P. Matos "edmatos52"   Upgrade from Point-and-Shoot to Digital SLR: A guide by Fred Telegdy   Get into DSLR Photography: A guide by Just Anonymous Create a guide

Search Guides

---

Look for Similar Items by Category

• Books > Arts & Photography > Photography > Equipment
• Books > Arts & Photography > Photography > How-to
• Books > Arts & Photography > Photography > Reference
• Books > Bargain Books

---

Get to Know TomTom ONE XL With its widescreen, Bluetooth compatibility, and turn-by-turn directions, your new travel buddy is the TomTom ONE XL. ›Shop all TomTom

Best Books of 2008 Find our top 100 editors' picks as well as customers' favorites in dozens of categories in our Best Books of 2008 Store.

DEWALT Pro-Quality Power Tools Feel confident with power tools from DEWALT. Check out the wide variety available from Amazon.com. ›Shop DEWALT power tools

Best Books See our editors' picks and more of the best new books on our Best of the Month page.

Ad feedback

 

Feedback If you need help or have a question for Customer Service, contact us.  Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images? Is there any other feedback you would like to provide? Your comments can help make our site better for everyone. Please note that we are unable to respond directly to all feedback submitted via this form, but we'll ask you to sign in so we can contact you if needed.

Where's My Stuff? Track your recent orders. View or change your orders in Your Account. Shipping & Returns See our shipping rates & policies. See FREE shipping information. Return an item (here's our Returns Policy). Need Help? Forgot your password? Buy gift cards. Visit our Help department.

Your Recent History

  (What's this?)

You have no recently viewed items or searches. After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in. Look to the right column to find helpful suggestions for your shopping session.	Continue shopping: Top Sellers Paranoia by Joseph Finder 4.1 out of 5 stars (190)$0.00 Glenn Beck's Common Sense by Glenn Beck 3.8 out of 5 stars (243)$6.59 Finger Lickin' Fifteen by Janet Evanovich 2.6 out of 5 stars (187)$9.99 Glenn Beck's Common Sense by Glenn Beck 3.8 out of 5 stars (243)$6.59

Amazon.com Home  |   Directory of All Stores

International Sites:  Canada  |  United Kingdom  |  Germany  |  Japan  |  France  |  China

Business Programs: Sell on Amazon  |  Build an eCommerce Site  |  Advertise With Us  |  Developer Services  |  Self-Publish with Us

Help  |  View Cart  |  Your Account  |  1-Click Settings

Investor Relations  |  Press Releases  |  Careers at Amazon  |  Join Associates  |  Join Advantage

Conditions of Use | Privacy Notice © 1996-2009, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Amphoto Books (April 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0817463011
• ISBN-13: 978-0817463014
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (41 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,554 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #7 in	Books > Arts & Photography > Photography > Reference
  #17 in	Books > Arts & Photography > Photography > How-to
  #22 in	Books > Arts & Photography > Photography > Equipment

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

44 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another Excellent Book, April 3, 2008

By	M. Warriner "M.Warriner" (Surprise, AZ United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I have read and used the material presented in all of Mr. Peterson's books and I have found them all to be extremely helpful in my quest to learn photography. "Understanding Shutter Speed" is yet another fine example of his excellent teaching abilities simplifying even the most complex topics so beginners like me are able to "understand". This book like his others is full of beautiful sample photographs vividly illustrating the subject he is discussing. I highly recommend this book for any beginner photographer!

36 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good, but not great, July 7, 2008

By	Michael R. Stoller Jr. (Grosse Pointe Farms, MI) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I first bought "Understanding Exposure" from this same author, and felt it was one of the best books I have ever read re: photography. A manual of sorts I still keep nearby. This edition focuses on the sub-point of shutter speed as it relates to exposure.

The Good:
Great color photography with good examples of how varying shutter speeds will affect an image. There are a number of tricks -- like you can shoot action coming directly at you at 1/250, but need 1/500 for lateral or vertical movement.

The Bad:
I felt the book had a lot more fluff than the author's other effort. Some of the images were re-used -- or at least came from the same shoot -- and it had a lot more creative examples which I personally didn't like. It was outside the box a bit in terms of how to use shutter speeds, my complaint is that the results, even if intended, were not desirable.

Overall:
I liked this book, and glad I have it as a supplement to my growing photo library; but, I would not buy this before having his other edition. Shop price on this. I wouldn't overpay. I would give this 3 1/2 stars if Amazon allowed it.

50 of 54 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars More Understanding Exposure, April 10, 2008

By	Conrad J. Obregon (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

I've seen photography books on many subjects but this is the first one I've ever seen that claimed to limit itself to an understanding of shutter speed. How could I resist?

Bryan Peterson is the author of "Understanding Exposure: How to Shoot Great Photographs with a Film or Digital Camera (Updated Edition)", a very popular book with photographers just getting into using cameras that allow them to adjust shutter speed, aperture and ISO for a proper exposure. This book might well have been entitled "More Understanding Exposure".

The book, which reads quickly and clearly, offers chapters covering the range of shutter speeds from 1/2000 of a second to several seconds and shows you when their use is appropriate. Peterson shows the reader how the use of different shutter speeds may be appropriate for the same subject, as when photographing action one might use a fast shutter speed to stop the action dead or a slow shutter speed to achieve deliberate blurs. Along the way, he scatters tips some of which are directly related to shutter speed, like shooting into the light in the rain at 1/60 of a second to get the best rain trails, and some only indirectly related, like using a Bogen Magic Arm attached to a broom to get a broom's eye view of sweeping. Occasionally the pictures offered in illustration are extremely striking, like the image of a cat making its way down a flight of purple stairs, and sometimes quite banal, like the pictures of his daughter running toward the camera. The final chapter of the book, a summary of the rules of composition, seemed more like an add-on to make sure the author had a book's worth of pages.

I found Peterson's description of clinging to the roof of a car without handholds, while being driven down a road taking pictures, to capture a sense of movement, alarming. It also seemed to me that a great deal of the information related to capturing blurred images, either as a result of camera or subject movement. I've used the procedure myself to convey my artistic intent, but here there seemed to be a suggestion that the result would inevitably be art, and I'm certain that's not a correct conclusion.

New photographers who have just begun to master exposure may benefit from the wide array of techniques offered and may find the inspiration to experiment. On the other hand, there is little here that will be new to experienced photographers, most of whom will have already learned the virtues of slow shutter speeds.