How could I freeze a fast moving object with my digital camera without loosing from the picture's brighness?

Question

How could I "freeze" a fast moving object at daytime without loosing from the brightness? I guess it requires some settings to be done using the Shutter Speed priority function,(the quicker an object is that I want to photography, the faster shutter speed it requires, meaning that less light is able to go through the lens, resulting the obtained pictures to become darker). but what are the other ways through which I could accomplish this? Is there any other ways of freezing, or stopping any fast moving objects in the air (for example a lightning in a storm, or the movement of a fast flying bird...) while still obtaining a clear, sharp, and "frozen" photo or a give moment without loosing from the picture's brightness? (I don't have an optical stabilizer in my camera). Thank you.

Answer 1

You understand the tradeoffs correctly. When you use a faster shutter speed, the amount of light is cut back.

So the trick is to use a shutter speed only as fast as required, and not too fast. Also to shoot in as bright a light as possible.

If your camera does not have any manual controls, set the scene mode to "Sports", and your EV (Exposure Value) to the highest positive value. That is probably the best you can do.

Another thing that may help is to set the "ISO" setting to a higher number. That makes a digital camera act like it is using more light sensitive film (higher ISO number). But you have to experiment; sometimes you just get a brighter picture with lots of visual "noise".

If your camera has manual controls, test out various speeds with your subject to see what is the slowest "Fast" speed that will capture the action.

If your camera has a "Shutter priority" mode, set the speed you determined. The camera will set the Aperature (lens opening) wider to try to capture more light at that speed.

You might also get it a little lighter by setting the EV (exposure value) to the highest positive setting.

If your camera has full manual mode, set the shutter at the speed you determined, then set the Aperature progressively lower (more open) until you get the lightest possible picture.

This is a trial and error process until you learn your camera well enough to know what settings to use in what circumstances.

Different cameras have more or less capability to capture difficult pictures.

Good Luck

Answer 2

Some cameras take pictures much faster with Flash ON, even if it's bright outside. Don't ask me why, it's just bad artificial camera intelligence.