Know the Lighting Conditions and Film Speed

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  The speed of the film is on the film box and on the canister.film roll image by Dubravko Grakalic from Fotolia.com
  
  Make sure the camera's film speed setting corresponds to the speed of the film. The film speed is indicated by the ISO number on the canister, either 100, 200, 400, etc. The higher the number, the "faster" the film, which means a slower shutter speed can be used. The camera will have a setting mechanism that can be moved to the correct number on the film. Most single-lens reflex cameras have a built-in light meter that will provide a correct exposure for the speed of the film. Read the manual on where to locate the light meter and how to use it.
  
  
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  The f-stops and shutter speeds need to be coordinated to get the best exposure.photographer at work image by Jake Hellbach from Fotolia.com
  
  Exposure is calculated by how much light goes through the lens combined with how long the film is exposed to the light. The shorter the shutter speed, the shorter the amount of time the light is hitting the film. The aperture of the camera dictates how much light is let through. This is the "f" number, also known as an "f-stop." The smaller the aperture number, the greater the aperture opening. Each "stop" and the shutter speeds are divided into 1/3 increments. You have to figure out how much your object is moving to find out how much speed is needed to stop the motion in the picture and get the optimal exposure.
  
  
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  A faster shutter speed will capture a crisp action photo without any blur.karts image by Harald Soehngen from Fotolia.com
  
  Since the f-stops and shutter speeds are coordinated in 1/3 increments, the following are examples of settings that will create the same exposure: f/8 @ 1/30; f/5.6 @ 1/60; f/2.8 @ 1/125, and so on. Each full stop is one measurement away from another full stop on a basic single lens reflex camera. Both of these settings will let in the same amount of light. As the shutter speed gets faster, the aperture needs to get bigger, which means a smaller aperture number. The aperture is an inverse proportion.
  
  
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  When using a shutter speed that is greater than the length of the lens, use a tripod.slr on a tripod image by Aussiebloke from Fotolia.com
  
  Let's say you have an ideal exposure of f/11 at a speed of 1/125 second, but need to increase the speed to stop the action. To do so, increase the shutter speed by one, to 1/250 which will let in twice as much light. Now the aperture needs to be opened up one stop so the photo will be properly exposed. Leaving the f-stop at f/11 will underexpose the photo. Remember, the aperture is an inverse proportion, so the number of the f-stop needs to be lower one stop, or f/8. Now the exposure is the same, but the shutter is twice as fast. To catch even faster action, increase the shutter by two stops from the original 1/125 to 1/500. Now the original aperature of f/11 needs to be increased by two stops, or f/5.6. Experimenting with exposures will help you understand how your individual camera works. Notice how all of these settings are letting in the same amount of light, it is just that the camera is opening the aperture to compensate for the faster shutter.