Blurred photos is a common complaint among most photographers who are dedicated to this art as a hobby. How many photos have you had to send to the trash because they came out moved? Do you still have the account?
If you also suffer from the damn blurred photos, I invite you to read today’s article, in it I’m going to explain everything I know about blurred photos (it’s not much, but it’s something ;)), why they occur, in what situations they happen more frequently, what makes a photo come out more moved, and above all and most importantly: how to say goodbye to them and never suffer them again.
Why are some photos blurry?
In a nutshell: Blurred photos occur when the lens moves (sometimes small and inconspicuous) while the camera is “recording” the photo and the shutter is open.
Reminder: If you are a frequent reader of this blog, you will already know that in order for a photo to be taken at the moment we press the shutter, a small door inside the camera opens, letting in the light that passes through the lens, it remains open for a while. very briefly (usually a fraction of a second) and closes again. Everything happens very quickly while we hear that “click” of the camera shutter. (By the way, does anyone else like that click or how do I?).
So, if during that brief moment (fraction of a second as I said) our hand moves with the camera and the lens, MOVIE PHOTO!
In which situations will you get more shaky photos?
This blurry photo happens more often in situations where there is very little light or when we use a long focal length (zoom or telephoto).
In very low light situations…
When we shoot a photo in automatic mode, the camera calculates the time (normally fractions of a second) during which the shutter has to be open and the photo has to be registered based on the amount of light outside. If the camera detects that there is a lot of light (for example a photo in full midday sun) then it opens and closes extremely quickly, but if it is a photo with very little light (for example a photo in an interior house far from the window and with the light off) the camera, in automatic mode, decides that it has to remain open for a longer amount of time in order to capture enough light, since otherwise we would have a rather dark photo. If at that moment we are holding the camera by hand or on some unstable surface, the photo will be recorded and with it the movement of our hand.
In reality, everything happens quickly, without us realizing it. There are even times when we hold our breath, we try not to move at all, but still there are micromovements in our hand and arm that we don’t notice but the camera does, and boom.. MOVED PHOTO!
Using long focal lengths (telephoto)
This point is related to the previous point, and it is that generally the more we go up in focal length (80, 105, 200mm…) the less light enters the lens. It is an issue more related to the construction of the objectives and the arrangement of the crystals and the optics that make them up. For now, you should know that the higher the zoom, the greater the possibility of a blurred photo.
How to avoid those damn shaky photos
Here is a series of tips and tricks that will help you avoid that your photos always come out blurry or, at least, reduce the problem:
- Unless you are sure of the result or you are going to use flash, it is best to avoid automatic mode. Switch to manual mode and configure the settings yourself.
- Use very fast shutter speeds. There is a rule that I don’t know to what extent is true or a simple urban legend but a server has tested it and it works perfectly: always use a shutter speed equal to or greater than 1/x where x is the focal length used. . In any case, whether this rule works for you or not, the important thing is that you know that the higher the shutter speed, the less “shaky” the photo will be. Go trying.
- If you follow the advice above and turn up your shutter speed, you may at some point start getting dark photos. In that case try to increase the amount of light that the camera receives, you have 3 ways to achieve it: a) good using larger diaphragm openings (f/ value as low as possible); b) raising the ISO sensitivity and c) putting some light source like external flash, powerful spotlight, window or something like that.
- use a tripod. This would be optimal because with a tripod you really ensure the camera all the stability it needs and in that case you don’t worry about the rest. If you’re using a tripod you no longer need to apply the previous tips of changing shutter speed, aperture, or anything like that. If you are looking for one, in this complete guide we help you find the best tripod for you.
- Use your camera’s timer or a remote shutter release. You have to because, believe it or not, even when using a tripod the simple act of putting your finger on the shutter button and pressing it produces a very slight vibration that lasts a few seconds negatively impacting the camera. Better shoot with an infrared remote shutter, or use the timer of your camera (2 seconds of delay would be enough).
- Activate the image stabilizer. This is a function that some cameras and lenses offer where the camera itself tries to reduce the blur effect. In this article you have more information about image stabilizers, in case you are interested in the subject.
Nothing else from my side. I hope I have helped you understand a bit about the problem of blurry photos and that from now on more of your photos can “see the light” properly 🙂
You know, if you think this article will make someone’s life more comfortable, share it.