How to Avoid Having Blurry Photos
If you’re fed up with having blurry pictures, then find out how you can avoid blurry pictures once and for all.
Blurry photographs are the bane of photographers across the world. No matter how well composed, how nice the lighting, or how exceptionally rare the shot, the whole thing is ruined if the final image turns out blurry. Understanding what causes images to end up blurry is key to avoiding this very common, and very frustrating, mistake.
Focus Issues
The first and most obvious culprit for a blurry subject is a focus error. This can manifest in several ways. 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.
These issues are easy enough to prevent in most cases; simply double check that what the lens is focusing on is what you want to be the focal point for your photograph. If it’s not, try adjusting the focus until you get the results you want in the viewfinder. 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
Film often has difficulty capturing objects in motion clearly, and those who have attempted to shoot action-heavy environments know this first hand. Motion blur will be identifiable by having clear focus on the stationary objects in a frame, but a blurry subject.
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, so come prepared if you’re planning on capturing fast-paced action.
Camera Shake
A lesser-known villain of blurry photographs, camera shake is still a force to be reckoned with. Basically, humans are always moving whether we can sense it or not (try to hold your hand perfectly steady, as an example), and even these minor movements can have a massive impact on our photos.
You can avoid the blur caused by camera shake by doing your best to hold the camera steady, using fast shutter speeds that will negate the possible interference of these minute movements, or by resting your arms and the camera on a ledge or sandbag. 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.
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 blur, a little preparation will go a long way.
