Freeze It or Blur It: Creative Shutter Speed Photography with Shutter Mode

Photography isn’t just about stillness—it’s also about energy. Whether it’s a dog leaping for a toy or a person mid-flip, movement brings photos to life. And with Shutter Mode (Tv or S on your dial), you get to choose how that movement appears. In this post, I’ll show you how using Shutter Mode can help you freeze fast action and create artistic blur – a perfect introduction to creative shutter speed photography.

What Is Shutter Mode and Why Should You Try It?

Shutter Mode is one of the four “pro” modes on your DSLR or mirrorless camera. It lets you control the shutter speed—how long your camera’s sensor is exposed to light—while your camera chooses the correct aperture.

Want to freeze fast movement or create motion blur for artistic effect? This is your mode.

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🐆 Creative Reason #1: Freeze the Action

Let’s start with a powerful way to use Shutter Mode—freezing a split second in time. This is perfect for sports, wildlife, kids, and pets… basically anything that doesn’t sit still!

📷 Leopard & Cub in Kenya

In Samburu National Reserve, I spotted this mama leopard and her cub walking through the undergrowth. In the early dawn light, I quickly set my camera to 1/500 second in Shutter Mode to freeze their motion mid-step. The high ISO was needed to allow enough light to reach the sensor at that shutter speed.

Settings: 1/500 sec, f/5.6, ISO 2500

➡️ Tip: For wildlife, I often start with 1/500 sec or faster. Raise your ISO in low light to maintain a sharp exposure.

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🤸‍♂️ Creative Reason #2: Capture Movement Mid-Flight

Some moments happen in the blink of an eye, like a person in the middle of a backflip. Shutter Mode lets you catch the peak of the action—something your phone’s auto mode might miss.

📷 Backflip in South Africa

This image was taken near the beach in Camps Bay as a young man did a spontaneous backward somersault on a grassy hill. By using 1/2000 second, I froze him in mid-air at the height of his flip.

Settings: 1/2000 sec, f/4.0, ISO 200

➡️ Try This: Want to capture a mid-jump photo of your kids or grandkids? Use a fast shutter speed—1/1000 or faster—to get them airborne!

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🐶 Creative Reason #3: Stop the Chaos (and the Cute)

Pets in motion are full of personality—and often unpredictability. Shutter Mode helps you get sharp, expressive photos even in a flurry of movement.

📷 Kenzie & the Toy Thieves

In my front yard, I captured Kenzie (our Boston Terrier) and her cousins, Napoleon and Enzo, mid-tug-of-war. I used 1/1600 second to freeze their lively scuffle and catch all those playful expressions. Enzo was a young puppy and was trying his best to keep up.

Settings: 1/1600 sec, f/4.0, ISO 1250

➡️ Tip: When photographing pets at play, burst mode is your best friend—pair it with a fast shutter speed to catch the perfect moment.

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✨ #4 Creative Shutter Speed Photography: Blur for Mood and Motion

Shutter Mode doesn’t only freeze action—it can also show motion in a beautifully expressive way. Whether you’re photographing water, people, or animals, a slower shutter speed adds a feeling of time passing.

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💧 Smooth the Waterfall

📷 Multnomah Falls, Oregon

Using a 2.5-second shutter speed allowed the water to blur into a silky stream, even in bright daylight. Since I didn’t have a neutral density filter with me, I let the camera choose a narrow aperture (f/22) and low ISO (100) to manage the light. A tripod was essential.

Settings: 2.5 sec, f/22, ISO 100

Tip: Without a tripod, this image wouldn’t have worked—any camera shake would blur the whole scene.

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🐎 Pan with Your Subject for Artistic Blur

Slower shutter speeds don’t just show motion—they can help you isolate your subject against a streaked background using a technique called panning.

📷 Horse-Drawn Carriage, Colonial Williamsburg

This historic scene came alive thanks to a 1/15 second exposure and some steady hands. I followed the carriage with my camera, keeping the horses and carriage sharp while letting the background blur.

Settings: 1/15 sec, f/22, ISO 100 and shot handheld

📷 Bicyclists in a Triathlon

I used the same technique here, tracking the cyclists as they raced by. Even though they were moving quickly, a slow shutter speed helped convey their motion through the blurred greenery behind them.

Settings: 1/15 sec, f/11, ISO 100 and shot handheld

➡️ Tip: Try panning at 1/30 to 1/15 second to start, and move with your subject smoothly. The goal is to keep the subject sharp while the background streaks.

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🧠 A Note About Going Even Slower

Once you dip below 1/15 second, you’ll want to reach for a tripod (or a very stable surface). While Shutter Mode is excellent for experimenting, there comes a point where Manual Mode gives you even more control—especially when using filters, or shooting in dark settings.

👉 I’ll be diving into Manual Mode and how to shoot long exposures in my next blog post—stay tuned!

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Now It’s Your Turn

Whether you’re freezing a backflip or creating a dreamy blur of water or wheels, Shutter Mode is a creative playground. You don’t need to master every setting—just try a new shutter speed, notice what changes, and have fun capturing the energy of the moment.

👉 Want to explore panning in more depth? My Panning Technique Mini-Workshop shows you step-by-step how to use this artistic skill to photograph moving subjects with beautiful background blur.

📸 And if you’d like to take full creative control of your camera, my Camera Mechanics Workshop walks you through all four pro modes—so you can photograph with confidence in any situation.

👉 Click here to read my post on shooting steady shots if you don’t have a tripod.