Beginner Shutter Speed

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Dawn Allen

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Dawn
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Hello,

I am a beginner to photography and currently doing a course, my next module is Shutter Priority. I am currently using a Nikon Coolpix P510 (I am looking to upgrade) but each time I choose a shutter speed over 1/500 the image comes out grey or black, for example I took a picture from a motoway bridge an night trying to focus on teh red lights from the cars and the image came out black with a very faint white dot as a car tail light.

Does anyone have any ideas on where I am going wrong? I have looked through my manual etc but there isnt any helpful information.

I have tried taking pictures in different settings, lights, areas, subjects but I am having the same issue.

Any help would be gratefully received :-)

Thanks o_O
 
Hi Allen,

Could you please go ahead and try to change your ISO settings? Most probably your ISO settings are set to manual at something like ISO 100 or ISO 200.

If you are just a beginner, then put your ISO in AUTO and start reading on how ISO impacts your images.

Let me know if that was the issue.
 
Over 1/500th at night just isn't going to work your not giving the camera time to gather enough light to properly expose the scene unless your able to use a crazy high ISO but that's for cameras in the price range of the 1DX or D4S

You need to use a much lower shutter speed in dark conditions/night likely several seconds...that or raise your ISO or open your aperture or a combination of the three

You should really look up the exposure triangle
 
As Matthew has already said, you need to learn about the exposure triangle, in relation to shutter speed, aperture and iso.

In this instance, you will need to give the camera enough time to gather the required amount of light, therefore you'll need a long shutter speed, even if you're wide open aperture wise and probably even if you have raised the iso. Given the need, for a longer shutter speed, you also benefit from being on tripod to eliminate camera movement.

Plenty of good tutorials on TP regarding the exposure triangle.
 
Aperture, shutter speed control the amount of light getting to the sensor, to keep a set aperture and shutter speed you can increasing the ISO, but by increasing the ISO you introduce noise. If you want more light getting to the sensor but keep the ISO at 100, then you need to open up your aperture (smaller f numbers), but then you need to reduce you shutter speed to compensate. Light trails require slow shutter speeds, which means to get the best results, the camera needs to be supported by a tripod to avoid camera shake. Check out the tutorial on light trails, but you really need to understand the exposure triangle and the effect of aperture, shutter speed and ISO.

https://iso.500px.com/light-trails-tutorial/
 
When you were shooting cars at night, were you trying to get the classic "streaks of light" shot? If so, 1/500th of a second is far too fast. Those shots where headlights and tail lights turn into long streaks of white and red started because, to form an image at night, the camera shutter had to be open for a long time.
Find yourself a tripod or rest your camera somewhere VERY steady and out of the wind, and then try the shot at 2seconds exposure. See what that does, and adjust.
As for the rest - all good advice on here. You need to understand the exposure triangle.
 
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