Shutter Speed Experiment: From 1/3200 to 60 Seconds

A photographer conducted an experiment on the Northumberland coast near Coquet Island, shooting the same scene at shutter speeds from 1/3200 to 60 seconds to demonstrate the effects on motion blur. Using an OM-1 Mark II with a 12-40mm f/2.8 PRO lens on a Benro Tortoise tripod, they combined an ND1000 filter with the camera's LiveND feature to achieve long exposures in bright light. The results show no visible blur from 1/8000 to 1/250 second; slight blur appears at 1/125 second, becoming more pronounced but ineffective until 1/15 second. Between 1/15 and 1/2 second, blur resembles exploding fireworks. From 1 second onward, splashes become ghostly, water turns milky, and by 30-60 seconds the sea appears smooth with motion blur on distant yachts. The experiment highlights that shutter speed choice depends on subject speed, distance, and lens angle of view, with no single best setting.