November 29, 2010
Learn Photography - What You Can Do To Avoid Blurry Photos
Blurry photographs are the bane of photographers across the world. Regardless of how perfect the lighting, how well composed or how rare the picture, the whole photo turns out bad if the picture is blurry. Understanding what causes images to end up blurry is key to avoiding this very common, and very frustrating, mistake. So here are three common causes of blurry pictures:
Problem Focusing
The first and most obvious culprit for a blurry subject is a focus error. This problem can be caused by several things. The most common is that the photographer failed to accurately focus the camera, either due to a simple error on the shooter’s part or the auto-focus choosing the wrong part of the picture.
In most cases, these problems can be easily avoided by making sure the subject you want in focus is what the lens is focusing on. If it isn’t, then you need to adjust the focus until you get the results you want. Many auto-focuses will also “hold” focus, so you can center the object in your frame, press the shutter button halfway down, then move the camera without letting go of the button for custom framing without dumping the focus area.
Motion Blur
Capturing a fast moving object in an image clearly, can be challenging task. You can spot motion blur because the stationary objects in the picture will be sharp but the moving objects will be blurry.
Motion blur is also easy to prevent. If you find that your action shots are turning out blurry, try setting your shutter speed a little higher to shorten the exposure of the photograph. This will help to capture quick-moving targets with minimal blur. Remember, faster shutter speeds will require more light and possibly faster film or a different digital setting, so come prepared if you’re planning on capturing fast-paced action. By remembering these tips, you’ll be able to create less blurry images and have more pictures for framing in wall picture frames in your house.
Camera Shake
A lesser-known villain of blurry photographs, camera shake is still a force to be reckoned with. Whether you realize it or not, we’re always moving (for example, just try holding your hand perfectly steady) so it can be difficult remaining perfectly motionless which can cause a problem when it comes to our pictures.
You can prevent camera blur by using a fast shutter speed (which should negate the minor movements) or by bracing your arms on something while holding your camera. If slow shutter speeds must be used, a tripod is a great way to dodge camera shake issues. Finally, you can remove the issue of minor movement caused by pushing the shutter button by using a remote or cable release.
If you take a bunch of photographs and they turn out blurry, the first step will be figuring out what kind of blur you’ve fallen victim to. If the issue is with focus, parts of the image will be clear and others will be blurry. If it is with motion, only the moving objects will show up unclear, and if it’s camera shake the entire image will be a blurry mess. Once you have a good idea of what caused your photo blur, go out prepared to compensate for that issue and re-shoot the subject. Your photographs will turn out much, much better and will look great displayed in your favorite frames like some fancy silver leaf picture frames.
When going into every photo opportunity, always be aware of the type of light, what subject you’ll be taking and the proper tools you’ll need to do the job right. In the case of blurry images, a little advanced preparation will go a long ways in solving this problem.