15 foolproof tips Prevent blurry pictures

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Stay alert: 15 surefire tips to avoid blurry photos-

A sharp, crisp image is something that most photographers strive for, but it is something that is not always easy to achieve.

While blurring is a stylistic choice for some, it can ruin your photo when it's unintentional. There are several reasons why your photos can be blurry, the most common of which are camera shake, poor focus, and moving subjects. We've listed some tips to help you avoid blurry shots and take sharp photos.

01. Keep your hands steady

Shooting on your handheld makes you more prone to camera shake. There are several ways to keep your hands steady while shooting.

To keep your arms stable, use both hands to hold the camera close to your body (tuck your elbows in for stability); Extending your arms more than necessary will quickly tire you and induce camera shake. You can also try resting your arms on a solid surface or leaning against a wall.

As much as possible, reduce shake that can move the camera unnecessarily while shooting. This includes pressing the shutter button too hard or lifting your finger too fast. Keep your finger on the shutter button until you are sure the photo was taken correctly. Similarly, even your breathing can make the camera shake, so try holding your breath or exhaling slowly as you take the photo.

Make sure to hold your camera comfortably. Keep one hand on your camera and the other holding your lens. Shooting your handheld frequently can help you find techniques that give you the most stability, so exercise your arm muscles and shoot.

02. Use a tripod

One of the easiest ways to stabilize your camera is by using a tripod. Make sure the tripod rests firmly on the ground (be even more careful on uneven terrain) and pull the legs fully to avoid jerky movements. The closer to the ground the height of the tripod is, the more stable it will be. If you need to shoot from a higher angle, fully extend the thicker sections of the tripod legs first, then the thinner sections if you need to raise more.

Check if your camera is securely attached to the tripod to avoid accidents. If you are shooting with a long or heavy lens, use the tripod collar to mount it on the tripod rather than on your camera to balance the weight and avoid potentially damaging the lens mount.

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Alternatively, you can go for any stable, even surface if you don't have a tripod handy.

03. Increase the shutter speed

The shutter speed basically dictates the amount of time the shutter is open. Using a faster shutter speed when shooting will freeze motion in an image, while slower shutter speeds will allow you to capture motion blur.

While motion blur can create a dramatic photo in some cases, you won't be able to take a clear, sharp picture of your subject in action with a slow shutter speed.

If you want a clear shot of a moving subject, speeds of 1/500 and more (depending on how fast the subject is) will allow you to get a sharp image without motion blur. Increase the shutter speed if the subject is still blurry in the image or if you are shooting very fast motion. Prepare to shoot in good lighting (or adjust the aperture / ISO) as increasing the shutter speed may underexpose the image.

04. Use the self-timer or a remote control

Even the smallest movements, such as clicking the camera's shutter button, can cause blurry photos. Use a self-timer or remote control while the camera is mounted on a tripod (or any stable surface) to eliminate the risk of camera shake.

This practice will help you get a sharp shot, especially when shooting with slow shutter speeds. Taking clean, long-exposure shots of the Milky Way or city light trails, for example, will be easier to achieve with this setting.

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05. Shoot in burst mode

Moving subjects are difficult to photograph, especially if you want your shots to be as clear as possible. You have a better chance of getting a sharp image with multiple shots using the camera's continuous or burst mode. In burst mode, your camera will take multiple photos in rapid succession when you press or hold the shutter button.

Burst shooting is especially useful in sports photography, allowing you to capture every movement in multiple frames. Getting your time right is difficult, but crucial to getting the best shot, and you won't have a great opportunity to focus and frame quietly. Using this mode can give you a better chance of capturing a clear photo with those factors in mind. You can simply filter out the ones that are too blurry afterwards.

06. Review your approach

Camera shake isn't the only reason your photos can be blurry. Check if you are focusing on the correct area of the frame. If you use autofocus, wait until the camera has locked its focus on the subject before shooting. In most digital cameras, this is done by pressing the shutter button lightly (not all the way) and framing the subject accordingly, so the camera knows what to focus on.

If you're shooting with a smartphone, use the tap-to-focus feature to make sure you're focusing where you want it.

07. Use the proper autofocus setting

While autofocus (AF) is fairly straightforward to use, there are currently several AF modes available on many digital cameras, which you can tailor depending on the subject you're shooting. You should use the correct AF mode to increase your chances of getting a sharp photo.

These are the three most common AF modes found today (check your camera manual as they may be displayed under a different name):

Single area / single shot mode This mode is best used for stationary subjects, as your camera will only use one focus point. This is useful if you want to reframe your shot after focusing, as it will not refocus even if you hold down the shutter button halfway. There is no motion tracking in this mode, so your shot may end up out of focus if your subject moves.

Continuous / AI Servo Mode Select this mode if you plan to follow moving subjects. Continuous mode makes use of multiple focus points and will continue to refocus depending on the movement of the subject.

Hybrid mode This mode switches between single and continuous mode depending on the subject. If it detects that your subject is still, it will use single mode and automatically switch to continuous if your subject moves. Many high-end professional cameras do not have this mode, as it mainly appeals to beginners due to the ease of use.

08. Practice manual focus

Since autofocus may not always identify the desired subject in the image, it's a good idea to master manual focus. It can be a bit challenging at first, especially if you're shooting with a wider aperture, but you get a lot of artistic control over how your subject will appear in the photo this way.

If you plan to isolate a very specific part of the image, it is a good idea to focus manually, as autofocus may not be reliable in this situation.

Manual focus also comes in handy in low-light conditions, as it can pinpoint exactly where to focus when your camera's AF mode is still lacking.

09. Use a smaller opening

Using a wide lens aperture (like f / 1.4 or 1.8) when shooting gives you a shallow depth of field, which means you can be more selective with your focus. This can lead to some artistic shots; however, you must be careful, as it is more difficult to focus perfectly with a wider aperture.

If you have trouble keeping areas in focus with a wider aperture, consider lowering your apertures to a smaller one. The smaller your aperture (like f / 8 or f / 11), the more parts of your image will be in focus.

10. Lower your ISO

While increasing your ISO allows you to take brighter photos in low light, it also means that your photos will show more noise. Noise is a term commonly used in photography that describes visual distortion and resembles the grainy effect that some film photographs have.

Shooting at a low ISO will produce little to no visible noise, while shooting at a higher ISO will make the noise more prominent in your photos. Although many of the newer cameras do not exhibit prominent noise even at high ISO, the finest details can be drowned out and your photos can show discoloration on closer inspection.

Keep your ISO settings as configured.

11. Shoot in good lighting

Lighting conditions also influence the sharpness of shots. Shooting in low light will make autofocus difficult for the camera as it will try to "hunt down" the subject. You may hear or feel the camera focus and refocus before the shutter releases, and even then you may not be able to focus on the correct area.

Low light can also force you to use a slower shutter speed or wider aperture to compensate, and these settings make you more prone to blurry photos. You will also need to use a higher ISO which will add noise to your images and lose details.

There are endless benefits to shooting in good lighting, as well as being more flattering to your subject; this way, you will have more control and flexibility with your camera settings, avoiding blurry photos.

12. Activate image stabilization

If your camera or lens is a fairly recent model, check to see if it has an Image Stabilization (IS) feature. It could come in alternate names like vibration reduction or OIS.

The general rule of thumb when holding the camera by hand is to set the shutter speed to the same focal length to avoid camera shake. In other words, the shutter speed should be 1/300 or faster when using a 300mm lens, 1/20 or faster with a 20mm lens, and so on. With image stabilization on, you'll be able to shoot at shutter speeds much slower than these, as low as 1/2 second for a 20mm lens.

Cameras and lenses that have image stabilization are a great advantage, especially if you shoot frequently on your handheld. However, there are times when you should consider turning it off when shooting with a tripod or on any stable surface. Since the camera is completely still in this case, the IS system may try to detect non-existent vibrations and affect the sharpness of the image. It is a good idea to test if IS will work well for your setup.

13. Clean your lens

Check your lens for grease stains or fingerprints as these can affect the clarity of your photos. Taking the camera from cold to humid environments can cause your lens to fog up; Besides your photos looking blurry or softer than normal, you could also end up with a damaged lens.

Remember to replace the lens cap when the camera is not in use and store your equipment in suitable containers, away from humid places. Clean your lenses regularly to prevent fungus from growing on the glass. It also helps to have a lens cloth in your gear bag for quick cleaning when needed, especially if you're filming outdoors.

14. Use a good lens

Good lenses are worth investing in if you want to take your photography to the next level. Although they may come at high prices, high-quality lenses produce sharper photos compared to cheaper, entry-level ones. Of course, there are exceptions and it would be good to do some research before buying the lenses you have been looking at. Some lenses produce images that are sharp in the center but slightly distorted at the edges, so consider these factors if you want detailed photos throughout.

Prime lenses (lenses with fixed focal lengths like 20mm, 50mm, etc.) are generally sharper compared to zoom lenses. This is because they have less glass in the lens (which means less diffraction) and are less complex to manufacture. However, there are already many equally sharp zoom lenses. It's just a matter of finding the best type of lens for your shooting style.

15. Check your shots

One of the best things about digital photography is that you can take photos as many times as you want. If you are unsure whether your photos were sharp, you can always review them so you can retake them if necessary.

Post-processing software can also help you take a closer look at the details in your images and adjust the sharpness if your photos turn out smooth. Keep in mind that increasing the sharpness will not lighten blurry photos as there will not be enough details to work with, so it is best to take a clear shot on camera and avoid problems afterwards.

Photography Tips: For example, if you’re using a 50mm lens you should use shutter speeds of 1/50 sec or faster to be able to capture handheld images and keep them sharp.

Longer lenses are heavier and more difficult to keep steady — making the shutter speed faster helps avoid camera shake.