What exactly is shutter drag? If you’re looking for the answer, you’ve come to the right place.
I’m certain you’ve seen those photos at weddings where there are light trails and also where movement is enhanced or blurred—that’s essentially what shutter drag is. I love this style of photography because it is so fun and vibrant and truly one-of-a-kind artistic photos to capture.
As a wedding photographer, I know from experience that it can be tricky to take shutter-drag photos that actually look good and that you want to show off in your own wedding galleries. So, I’m sharing my best tips on how you can achieve the shutter-drag technique and answering your questions on what shutter-drag is and why photographers use it.
What is Shutter Drag?
I know I gave a little intro above about shutter drag, but I want to go more in-depth to give you a better understanding of this technique.
Shutter drag, also known as long exposure photography, is an effect used in flash photography that uses ambient light to create more movement in a photo. This effect is commonly seen on dance floors and flash detail photos, where motion is added to change the appearance and dynamic of the photos.
When discussing shutter drag, I also have to mention shutter speed. Shutter speed is the duration your camera’s shutter remains open and controls how much light enters the lens.
An easy way to remember this? The longer the shutter is open, the more light and movement it captures.
Shutter dragging simply involves using a slower shutter speed and flash to achieve the technique. The slow shutter allows light and motion to blur while the flash freezes the subject. The longer you leave your shutter open, the more light trails and movement you’ll capture.
How can you achieve shutter drag?
To capture shutter drag, you’ll first need a camera with manual shooting mode, a wide-angle lens (24 mm—35 mm is best), a Speedlite flash, and editing software.
You also need some sort of ambient light or light effects when taking your photos—it also needs to be dark enough for the shutter drag technique to work. A dark space with a few bright lights scattered throughout usually captures the best photos.
In your camera settings, you want to set your shutter speed lower than 1/25, your f-stop higher than 4.0, and your ISO to your desired exposure. Also, when you’re taking the pictures, make sure to aim your flash directly at your subject.
Depending on what you adjust your camera settings to depends on the effect you’ll create. My advice? Set your Iso to around 800 – 1000 and your aperture to f/16.
Here is a quick overview of settings you can use to get the shutter drag effect:
Shutter speed set between 1/5s and 1/15 s
Iso – 800 – 1000
Aperture – f/16
You’ll want to play around with different settings to figure out which settings and effects you like best.
Pro tip: you can always practice this technique before your next wedding with string lights and a subject to get the hang of things and figure out your desired settings.
Why Do Photographers Use Shutter Drag?
Photographers use shutter drag to transform ordinary photos into more vibrant and dynamic ones.
I personally love the shutter drag technique because it allows me to add movement to my images and capture the cool DJ or band lighting that is included on the dance floor.
Also, shutter drag allows me to capture the energy of the wedding celebration and make my photos look exactly how things actually feel in the moment. The dance floor at a wedding is always pulsing with energy and movement, and shutter drag conveys this high energy and all the joyful emotions in my final images.
When to Use Shutter Drag
Shutter drag is best used for dance floor shots at wedding receptions. However, this technique can also be used to capture the ambiance of the reception, for example, if it’s dark and candles are lit or string lights adorn the reception space.
There’s not really a necessity to use shutter drag at any other point of the wedding other than maybe a grand reception exit if there are going to be sparklers, fireworks, or something similar.
You can also use shutter drag for any photos you take at night if you want, for example, to capture your subject set against city lights.
Other Tips on Shutter Drag
- Shutter drag photos also look great in black and white
- Try twisting or pulling the camera down to get different effects with your photos
- Try shaking your hand slightly to add more movement
- Try using longer and shorter shutter speeds to mix things up
- If you aren’t getting hardly any trails of light, make your shutter speed long
- The lower your flash output is, the closer you will need to be to your subject
Final Thoughts on Shutter Drag
I hope you found this guide on shutter drag helpful and that you feel ready to start practicing so you can use this fun technique at your next wedding.
Shutter drag adds such a different dimension to your photos, and I would highly recommend learning how to master this technique to elevate and enhance your skill set and wedding galleries.
And if you aren’t a photographer and are currently searching for a wedding photographer to shoot your wedding and capture your own unique photos, check out my wedding day services here or get in touch with me here to chat through what you and your partner are looking for on your big day!
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