Shutter (photography) facts for kids
When you take a picture with a camera, a special part called a shutter opens and closes very quickly. Its job is to let light hit the camera's sensor or film for just the right amount of time. This is how the camera captures the image you see.
Shutters aren't just for taking photos! They can also control light in other ways. For example, a shutter in a movie projector lets flashes of light through to create moving pictures on a screen.
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Understanding Camera Shutters
Camera shutters are usually found in two main places inside a camera. Each type works a bit differently to control the light.
Central Shutters
Central shutters are often built right into the camera's lens. They are placed where the light beam is narrowest. These shutters usually have several thin, overlapping pieces, like leaves, that open and close. Think of them like the iris of your eye, but much faster!
Focal Plane Shutters
Focal plane shutters are located very close to the camera's sensor or film. They work by moving across the sensor to let light hit it. Imagine two curtains that quickly slide open and then close again. This movement uncovers the film or sensor for a brief moment.
In the past, some cameras used shutters placed just behind the lens. Other very early cameras even had shutters in front of the lens!
Images for kids
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An early (1875) rapid acting shutter by A. A. Pearson of Leeds
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The 1911 Cyclopedia of Photography divides shutters into "roller-blind" and "diaphragm" types, corresponding roughly to the modern focal-plane and leaf types.
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A focal-plane shutter. The plastic curtains travel vertically.
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Entries in Cassell's Cyclopedia of Photography, 1911. The terminology diaphragm shutter has since fallen from common use.
See also
In Spanish: Obturador para niños
