About shutter speed for portrait photography

[ad20126]

Hello, I am a beginner in photography. I would like to ask what shutter speed you typically use when shooting portraits. I thought a speed of around 1/160 to 1/250 would be sufficient, but when I watch reels on Instagram and Facebook, I see many photographers setting it to 1/400, even in daylight. May I ask why that is?

 

[smoke665]

Hello and welcome. All cameras with a focal plane shutter, have a maximum sync speed when using a flash that ranges from 160-250 depending on the brand. Flash Sync Speed Definition - What is Flash Sync Speed by SLR Lounge when shooting ambient light it doesn't matter, you can use whatever speed is required for the exposure.

Some cameras and flash support HSS which let's you exceed the sync speed. High Speed Sync (HSS) Definition - What is High Speed Sync (HSS) by SLR Lounge

 

[ad20126]

Hello and welcome. All cameras with a focal plane shutter, have a maximum sync speed when using a flash that ranges from 160-250 depending on the brand. Flash Sync Speed Definition - What is Flash Sync Speed by SLR Lounge when shooting ambient light it doesn't matter, you can use whatever speed is required for the exposure.

Some cameras and flash support HSS which let's you exceed the sync speed. High Speed Sync (HSS) Definition - What is High Speed Sync (HSS) by SLR Lounge

Thank you, but I noticed that they don't use flash. That is why I don't understand why they don't use a higher shutter speed to set the ISO to the minimum.

 

[petrochemist]

Photographers often want a shallow depth of field in shooting portraits, this requires a wide aperture & tends to give fast shutter speeds.
When trying out a f1.2 projector lens on a reasonably bright summer day, I found even at base ISO, I couldn't get a shutter speed slow enough for the camera (1/4000 was the cameras fastest available speed). Projector lenses do not have variable apertures so I had to resort to paper apertures (or ND filters) to prevent over exposure as I couldn't move the subjects into the shade.

As you say a speed of 1/160th should be ample, but that doesn't mean you can't use faster

One of my personal favourite portraits is one I took back in film days lit only by a campfire. I does show lots of movement (probably something over a 10s shutter speed so that's not surprising) but somehow the lighting makes it so I don't mind.

 

[smoke665]

Thank you, but I noticed that they don't use flash. That is why I don't understand why they don't use a higher shutter speed to set the ISO to the minimum.

The simplist way to explain is using the Exposure triangle and how Aperture, Shutter and ISO intereact when setting your exposure, such that any change in one requires a corresponding change in another. For example you want a shallow DOF, so you open your Aperture, to balance your exposure will require an equal change to either shutter, ISO, or in some cases both.

 

[adamhiram]

It depends on what you're shooting, but generally speaking:

• Flash only: if you're shooting exclusively with flash, such as in a studio environment, you'll typically want to use the fastest flash sync speed your camera supports to ensure as little ambient light as possible is captured. This is often 1/200s or 1/250s.
• Mixed lighting: If you are using a combination of ambient light and flash, you'll want to choose settings for the optimal ambient exposure without flash first, then adjust flash power to your liking. Since flash is still involved, you'll want to keep your shutter at or below the camera's maximum sync speed, which again, is usually around 1/200s or 1/250s. Slower shutter speeds will work fine here too.
• Ambient only: There really are no hard and fast rules here, other than utilizing the exposure triangle to determine the best exposure based on your preferred settings. I usually start with aperture to establish the desired depth of field, then set shutter speed to something fast enough that will capture the scene without motion blur (unless I want motion blur). A good rule of thumb is (1/focal length) or faster, so if I am using a 50mm lens, I would aim for a shutter speed of 1/50 or faster. This allows me to set my ISO as low as possible. If I am capturing fast motion, I would be more likely to prioritize faster shutter speed and raise my ISO, again using the desired aperture.

There are shutter speed limitations when using flash, but with natural light only, there is a tradeoff between shutter speed, aperture, and ISO. If you want a faster shutter speed, you'll have to use a wider aperture or raise your ISO. If you are going for a specific look and changing your aperture is not desirable (or possible), the tradeoff becomes between shutter speed and ISO. That means using a faster shutter speed than needed often results in having to raise ISO higher than desired.

 

[CherylL]

I shoot mostly natural light portraits as a hobby. I like a very shallow depth of field so I tend to shoot around 2.0 or 2.2 with a very low ISO and then drag the shutter to get the correct exposure. As a general rule I like shutter speeds at 400 or much higher depending on the light. For me anything lower than 400 I will get camera shake which the focus is not as sharp.

If there is more than one subject then I will shoot around 3.5 or 4.0. This will effect the ISO and the shutter speed. It is a trade off depending on the light.

 

[smoke665]

I shoot mostly natural light portraits as a hobby. I like a very shallow depth of field so I tend to shoot around 2.0 or 2.2 with a very low ISO and then drag the shutter to get the correct exposure. As a general rule I like shutter speeds at 400 or much higher depending on the light. For me anything lower than 400 I will get camera shake which the focus is not as sharp.

If there is more than one subject then I will shoot around 3.5 or 4.0. This will effect the ISO and the shutter speed. It is a trade off depending on the light.

Think you might have meant this differently. "Dragging the shutter" is a technique used to balance ambient light with flash and requires using a slower shutter speed. The flash stops any movement.

Opening up the aperture in an ambient only setting (depending on light) would require a lower ISO, higher shutter speed, or both.

 

[CherylL]

Think you might have meant this differently. "Dragging the shutter" is a technique used to balance ambient light with flash and requires using a slower shutter speed. The flash stops any movement.

Opening up the aperture in an ambient only setting (depending on light) would require a lower ISO, higher shutter speed, or both.

What I meant by Dragging the Shutter is to use the dial to change the shutter speed keeping in mind not to go too low. I think I've seen others on here using the term this way.

 

[Golem]

Hello, I am a beginner in photography. I would like to ask what shutter speed you typically use when shooting portraits. I thought a speed of around 1/160 to 1/250 would be sufficient, but when I watch reels on Instagram and Facebook, I see many photographers setting it to 1/400, even in daylight. May I ask why that is?

Theres no important difference from 1/160, 1/250 and 1/400 so theres no reason to puzzle over others very minor decisions. See all three as 1/250 +/- a half stop.

Whatever momentary little reasons cause the user to choose among very similar choices are impossible to tease apart. They may be keying shutter speed to FL. Some use an 85mm, a 105, or a 135. Its all about the same, but a longer FL does call for a bit faster speed.