Certified Professional Photographer (CPP) Practice Exam

Which setting controls the apparent movement of a subject during exposure?

1. Aperture

2. Shutter speed

3. ISO setting

4. White balance

The correct answer is: Shutter speed

The setting that controls the apparent movement of a subject during an exposure is shutter speed. Shutter speed determines how long the camera’s shutter remains open when taking a photograph. A fast shutter speed freezes motion, capturing fast-moving subjects sharply without blur, while a slow shutter speed allows more motion blur to be recorded, conveying a sense of movement. For instance, if you're photographing a racing car, a fast shutter speed would capture it in perfect detail, whereas a slow shutter speed might create a blur, emphasizing the speed of the car. This principle is crucial for photographers who want to convey dynamic action in their images or want to create artistic effects through motion blur. The aperture controls the amount of light entering the lens and affects depth of field but does not directly impact how movement is represented in an image. The ISO setting adjusts the camera’s sensitivity to light, influencing the exposure level but not the motion itself. White balance deals with color temperature and ensures that colors appear natural under various lighting conditions; it does not affect the motion or movement of subjects in a photograph.