Alberta Film School

same street. slower shutter. completely different photo.

that’s long exposure — car lights become light trails, and a still moment becomes motion.

long exposure 101:

slow shutter speed = light has more time to hit your sensor.

When there’s zero movement you can bring your shutter as low as you’d like.

Save this tip for later.

shutter speed doesn’t just control exposure — it controls motion

fast shutter = frozen, crisp, still
slow shutter = blur, drag, movement

most people default to the 180° rule for natural-looking motion (shutter = 2x your frame rate)

but if you want to freeze motion completely, you need to break that rule

The sweet spot to freeze motion:

• Walking/talking subject: 1/250s
• Fast hand movement, sports: 1/1000s
• Very fast action (cars, birds, athletes): 1/2000s+

Rule of thumb: the faster the subject moves, the faster your shutter needs to be — freezing action usually means going well past the 180° rule, not following it.

high shutter: freezes motion. fast (1/1000+), stops action, needs more light.

low shutter: blurs motion. slow (1/60-), lets movement flow, needs a steady hand.

shutter speed, simply put: how long your camera’s sensor is exposed to light.

Setting the scene, one move at a time 🎙️

Gimbal modes, in 10 seconds:

pan follow — moves with you, holds your horizon
lock — freezes in place, you move around it
fpv — moves with you on every axis, wild and cinematic

pick based on the feeling, not just the shot.

which mode do you reach for most?

When your gimbal shakes, don’t panic:

check your motor stiffness — too loose causes wobble
balance your camera on the mount before powering on
recalibrate if it’s drifting or jittering
keep firmware updated, old versions get glitchy

steady shots start before you hit record.

Gear talk: lens choice, frame rates, audio setup and more. The questions every beginner asks us

rapid fire edition