How to Avoid Blurred Photos

There are three reasons why photographs may be blurred. The first reason is that the camera is unable to focus properly. The second reason is that there was movement of the subject while the shutter was open and the picture being taken. The third reason is there is movement of the camera while the photo is being taken.

First I will look at the problems caused by poor focusing

Focusing problems can occur when you are too far away from the scene for the camera to focus sharply, when you are too close in or when there is not enough light for the camera to lock onto the subject. You may also find focusing can lose it’s sharpness as you move away from the centre of a photo. This last problem can be especially true when you buy a cheaper camera or lens.

If any of these focusing problems are affecting your photographs then you can try changing the focusing method you are using. For example if your camera supports manual focusing then you can try this setting. Other methods you can try are macro focusing for close ups and infinity focusing for subjects that are a long way away. If the scene is too dark for your camera to focus then all you can do is attempt to add more light. If your camera has an auto focus illuminator make sure this is switched on and try moving in closer to take the photo. Moving in closer can help to increase the strength of the illuminator and therefore increase its effectiveness.

Next I will look at blur caused by the subject moving.

An example of this type if blur is if you are taking a photo of a moving car or if you are taking a photo of a child and the child moves unexpectedly. In some instances this type of blur will enhance a photo. For example it can help to give a feeling of speed in a cycle race. At other times it can spoil the shot.

The problem is caused by the amount of time the shutter is kept open to let enough light in to properly expose a photo. Therefore we need to look at ways to decrease the length of time the shutter is open for.

1. If you have a camera with manual exposure controls you can set the shutter speed to a fast setting.

2. If your camera does not have manual controls then you can try using a special scene mode such as sports mode.

3. Unless you have a very basic camera you will be able to change the ISO setting. Try increasing the ISO level. Be aware though that increasing ISO levels is likely to reduce the overall quality of the photo.

4. You can also consider using flash.

Finally I will consider blur caused by the camera moving while the shutter is open. This is often a problem caused by lowlight with the shutter needing to stay open for longer to let enough light into the photo. The same tips as for blur caused by a subject moving can be tried. These may cause additional problems though. If the shutter is not open for long enough as in points one and two the photo may be under exposed (too dark). Tip three may force the ISO levels up so high that picture quality really does suffer.

The best solution is to use a tripod. This works especially well if you use the self timer to trigger the shutter or another method that means you are not touching the camera while the picture taking is actually in progress. Using a tripod avoids all camera movement. This will therefore eliminate all blur caused by camera shake. If a tripod is not available then resting a camera on a wall will have the same effect.

It is not always practical to use a tripod or a wall and a self timer. For example if the subject is moving in a way that is difficult to predict. The only other action you can take is to turn on image stabilisation if your camera has this feature. This allows you to continue to handhold the camera. This does not always eliminate all blur, but should help to improve the quality of the photograph.