Photography 101

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Photography 101 - How To Prevent Blurry Pictures

Blurry pictures are one of the common frustrations of photographers everywhere. 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 the three main culprits that cause blurry photographs:

Problem Focusing

The first and most obvious culprit for a blurry subject is a focus error. This can manifest in several ways. The most common cause is that the photographer didn't properly focus the camera either because the auto focus didn't choose the right part of the picture to focus on or due to an error on the photographer's part.

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's not, try adjusting the focus until you get the results you want in the viewfinder. Some auto focus cameras have a focus lock that allows you to center your subject in the viewfinder, push the shutter button half way down and then move the camera without losing the focus area.

Blurry Movement

Capturing a fast moving object in an image clearly, can be challenging task. Motion blur will be identifiable by having clear focus on the stationary objects in a frame, but a blurry subject.

Luckily, motion blur is easy to avoid. 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.

Unsteady Camera

Having an unsteady camera is another common cause of fuzzy photos. 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 the problem is with motion, then only the moving objects will be fuzzy. And if it's camera shake, then the entire picture will be blurry. After you figure out what the problem is, then you can re-shoot the images knowing exactly what you need to do differently. Your photographs will turn out much, much better.

When heading into every shooting situation, be aware of what light you will have, what you will be taking pictures of, and what tools you'll need to ensure those photographs come out perfect. In the case of blurry images, a little advanced preparation will go a long ways in solving this problem.

About the Author

Autumn Lockwood is a writer for Your Picture Frames. Shop online and see our selection of jeweled picture frames in a wide variety of colors, styles and sizes. Visit our website and see our selection of exquisite jeweled picture frames and decorative pearl picture frames or call 800-780-0699.

Photography 101 Basics (Part 1 of 2)


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