How do I shoot a sharp photo?
Learn how to eliminate camera shake and shoot a photograph of a moving object that comes out sharp.
Published
[Photography Basics] [Hosted by Madison Murphy] Hey, Madison here.
Today's question comes from Sasha.
"How come when I take pictures sometimes "they look clear when I focus and shoot, but then they turn out blurry?"
This just happened to me recently, Sasha.
I went to an event and took some pictures.
I thought they were going to turn out great because everything looked nice and crisp through my camera.
But when I got home and looked at them they were blurry.
Let's ask one of our experts why this is happening to us.
Hi, Madison.
Not holding your camera still is likely the cause of your blurry images.
Next time use a faster shutter speed.
Shutter speed is the length of time the camera shutter is open.
When the shutter is open a short time, you are stopping action, including the movement of your camera as you try to hold it steady.
Typical shutter speeds are measured in fractions of seconds such as 1/60 of a second, 1/30 of a second, 1/15 of a second and so on.
While all these speeds seem incredibly quick, 1/15 of a second is 4 times longer than 1/60 of a second, which means your subject is being recorded 4 times longer, and your camera and subject matter are 4 times more susceptible to movement.
With the faster shutter speed, you'll be able to freeze a subject like this moving train while a slower shutter speed will record more of the train's movement and cause a blurry image.
On most cameras, you can control the shutter speed by setting your mode dial to TV, which stands for time value.
Then rotate the main dial to your shutter speed of choice.
This fixes the shutter speed as the priority setting, forcing the camera to automatically set the corresponding aperture and ISO to yield good exposure.
If your camera doesn't offer this much control, like a mobile phone, check your manual to see what settings are available.
Also you can always minimize camera movement by using a tripod or another safe stationary surface for your camera, especially when your shutter speed is 1/30 of a second or slower.
When using a shutter speed of 1/60 of a second or faster you should still try holding your camera steady by bracing it against your body.
Also, if you want a clear picture of something moving quickly, try to take the picture from an angle that minimizes the perceived movement.
For example, capturing this train from a frontal view versus a side view.
And finally, if you already have photos that show some camera shake and you want to save them, try the Shake Reduction filter in Photoshop.
[Adobe]
