The shutter speed determines how long the film or sensor is exposed to light. Normally this is achieved by a mechanical shutter between the lens and the film or sensor which opens and closes for a time period determined by the shutter speed. For instance, a shutter speed of 1/125s will expose the sensor for 1/125th of a second. Electronic shutters act in a similar way by switching on the light sensitive photodiodes of the sensor for as long as is required by the shutter speed. Some digital cameras feature both electronic and mechanical shutters.Shutter speeds are expressed in fractions of seconds, typically as (approximate) multiples of 1/2, so that each higher shutter speed halves the exposure by halving the exposure time: 1/2s, 1/4s, 1/8s, 1/15s, 1/30s, 1/60s, 1/125s, 1/250s, 1/500s, 1/1000s, 1/2000s, 1/4000s, 1/8000s, etc. Long exposure shutter speeds are expressed in seconds, e.g. 8s, 4s, 2s, 1s. The optimal shutter speed depends on the situation. A useful rule of thumb is to shoot with a shutter speed above 1/(focal length) to avoid blurring due to camera shake. Below that speed a tripod or image stabilization is needed. If you want to “freeze” action, e.g. in sports photography, you will typically need shutter speeds of 1/250s or more. But not all action shots need high shutter speeds. For instance, keeping a moving car in the center of the viewfinder by panning your camera at the same speed of the car allows for lower shutter speeds and has the benefit of creating a background with a motion blur. Prosumer and professional cameras provide shutter priority exposure mode, allowing you to vary the shutter speed while keeping exposure constant

Lens aperture also affects how much in front and behind the lens focus distance will appear to be in focus in the image. This is called Depth of Field. The most common reason for wanting a narrow aperture (high f-number) is to have a very deep depth of field in which everything (or very nearly so) appears in focus. A very deep depth of field is almost always desired for landscape photographs. A wide aperture (low f-number) will create a shallower depth of field. The wider the aperture, the shallower the depth of field. One of the common uses for wide apertures is in portraiture, to isolate the subject from a distracting (possibly cluttered) background.

The last thing you want when taking portraits is cluttered, distracting backgrounds, that leads the eye away from the subject. The background appears out of focus, but not in a way you would blur in photoshop or some other photo editing software, but looks like circular or hexigan shaped blotches, reflecting the shape of your aperture. This is how you know whether the photography has been manipulated after a shoot or has been done in-camera.

one to one tutorials available here

Having jointly owed photography studios in Coppull and Wigan over the last few years, Mike has now branched out on his own and is pleased to announce the opening up of a new studio in Lowton under his wedding business name Mike Turner Photography (close to st. Marys church). The studio is aimed to provide a Portrait service for local people in and around the Lowton area. The studio is due to open on 8th November 08 – We are now taking bookings so give us a call on 01942 519702

Why have a professional portrait done?

All family have their times huddled around the family photo album, recollecting memories of past generations. The land owners of the past celebrated their family dynasties with large portraits of family members, proudly displayed on their walls. Have you often thought that you would like to have the opportunity to see your family members displayed proudly and professionally. Modern day portraits give you that chance, to capture your family, your children at a particular moment in time, as they grow up, through the various stages of their lives. Something for you, your children and your childrens chidren can cherish for years to come. A gift for many lifetimes. Have you been guilty of putting it off, and in the process missed the celebration of key stages of your childs life.

Imagine when friends walk into your home, displayed on your walls are breath taking images, capturing your family looking its best. Bright, vibrant portraits that will stand the test of time.

Everyone these days seems to have a digital camera, and family snaps are great to look back on, but professional images are just that. Something that take years of experience and technical ability to capture. Owning a car doesn’t make you Lewis Hamilton, and so it is with photography. Don’t sacrifice quality, get the real deal.

What do we offer at Mike Turner Photography?

Portraits need not cost you the earth. We pride ourselves on exceptional quality at reasonable prices. We want to nurture a lasting relationship with our customers so that they come back, time and again to visit us and update their families images as their family matures and new generations arrive. We want to be viewed as your family Portrait photographers. We have great pleasure in welcoming back customers and seeing their children grow, through lifes various stages. We almost feel part of the family and thats a feeling that makes our job such a pleasure to do.

If you have been using a photographer for a number of years, why not give us a try. You have nothing to lose. Our prices are very competitive, we are always looking for a fresh, cutting edge approach that reflects the modern world we live in, without looking gimicky.

While our prices are very competitive, we are driven by giving our customers the highest quality possible. Our products are long lasting. We could provide cheaper alternatives, cheaper frames, cheaper canvases, but we would be selling our customers short on quality. We guarantee satisfaction.

We endeavour to give our customers what they ask for, unlike some studio, tell their customers what is on offer and force customers to take things they don’t really want. Tell us what you are looking for and we will do our best to make it happen for you

We make business easy to do, we take cash, cheques, cards, we have payment plans available interest free. For local customers we can deliver goods