Here are 13 things to know about why your photos aren’t sharp and what you can do to fix them. Include a number that is often overlooked.
1. Standing in the wrong position when taking pictures causes camera shake
Although I have never been interested in boxing, I have told clients to stand like Mohammed Ali when taking pictures. Even I know how he stands in the ring. But then a customer asked me, “Who?” That makes me feel old.
Most people face forward when they use the camera. But this is an inherently unstable position.
Consider standing inside a moving train, you intuitively know that it will be much more stable if you turn diagonally in the direction of travel. When you face forward, your body will swing back and forth at your ankles and even changes in vehicle speed will cause you to fall.
But when standing diagonally, your feet form an isosceles triangle with the ground matching the vehicle’s acceleration and braking, and the lateral forces generated when the vehicle turns. A triangle is a strong, stable shape. So, stand with your legs apart so that the subject you are going to photograph is diagonally in front of you. Move your front foot forward so that your hip bones are facing the subject.
Unlocking your knee will also be helpful. If you think about the opening stance used in any martial art, the knees are always extended due to the damping effect of the leg muscles that keep you from swaying.
There are other things you can do to improve your stability while standing.
People often talk about placing the camera on something sturdy like a fence post or wall for stability. But leaning against something will also help keep the camera steady.
2. Don’t sit or bend over when it will improve your photo
By sitting, we are also aiding stability by removing the leg and foot joints from the system and lowering our center of gravity. Furthermore, we are placing the camera in a less normal position to be able to make the photo more interesting. Shooting from a lower height gives the image a more intimate and private feel, and it also brings the foreground closer to the lens. The horizon line also becomes closer and the angles of the converging horizontal lines become more confusing.
Lying on the ground is even more stable.
3. Why can’t relax when taking pictures is a problem
Another common mistake we make is getting tense when we are about to release the shutter. If your muscles are tight, they may twitch or tremble. This is especially true if you are stressed or anxious, but it happens to anyone. Try holding a heavy object in front of you for any length of time, and you will see the movement. With a comfortable posture, your movements will be less shaky and will be slower and smoother.
Also, don’t hold the camera too tightly in your hand. Your handle should be sturdy enough that you won’t drop it. An attachment like The ultimate design micro clutch can help.
4. Inhaling and holding it before releasing the shutter causes blur
Involved in not relaxing is inhaling and holding your breath. That puts strain on your diaphragm and chest muscles. Again, that can lead to uncontrolled movements. Instead, try taking a few deep breaths before taking the shot. Inhaling through your nose and exhaling through your mouth is a popular relaxation exercise that will help. Pressing the shutter-release button immediately after exhaling is when your body is most relaxed.
5. Pressing the shutter button moves your camera
I’ve had several people come to me to find out why their photos weren’t sharp. On close inspection, it became clear that the problem was with camera movement. When I check how they take pictures, they are pressing the shutter button, not squeezing it. As a result, the camera moves as they are shooting and that movement becomes evident in their photos. By pressing the button carefully, you minimize the risk of the camera moving.
6. Using the Live View monitor and not the viewfinder leads to failure
I see a lot of photographers holding their cameras out in front of them and looking at the live view screen just like they would using a smartphone. Again, this is unstable and makes it difficult to frame the image. Hold the camera’s viewfinder at your eye level and bend your elbows inward to form a stable triangle on both sides between your upper and lower arms to the camera.
Additionally, in daylight, the live view screen is difficult to see, while keeping the viewfinder close to the eye allows for a close inspection of the scene. However, the live view is very useful, especially when working on a tripod. But whenever you can, use the viewfinder.
7. Poor quality tripod can cause problems
A good quality tripod is one that makes a surprising difference to your photography.
A long time ago, I used an inexpensive, aluminum tripod. It has an elongated center column that can be rolled up with a crank and strut legs that add stability but prevent the legs from extending so I couldn’t take the low-angle shots I love.
I thought it was fine, until one windy day it fell over. Luckily, I was able to dive and capture it before my camera and lens hit the ground.
Around that time, my wife discovered a tripod in the window of a charity shop. She called me and asked if Manfrotto was a good brand. I said yes, and she went home with an old but very sturdy metal tripod that allowed the legs to extend all the way. Furthermore, the center column can be removed, so I can place the camera very close to the ground. There will be no problem with it being blown away by the wind.
It’s relatively heavy, but not so much that I don’t use it. But, as time has passed, my needs have changed. My photography style now is to move as lightly as possible. So then I bought a great little Benro travel tripod that I can carry on my bike. Then, after borrowing a Benro Turtle Tripod To write a review of Fstoppers, I was impressed by the quality, functionality, and ease of use. Therefore, I bought it.
There’s an old saying that with a tripod, you have to choose between any two of three factors: stability, weight, and price. I find that to be generally true, and I easily get better photos by spending more on a good quality tripod.
8 Use the Sunshade when strong winds cause flag-hanging
The lens hood is a great addition to the lens, but it can catch the wind and move the camera. This is called flagging and is especially problematic with long lenses mounted on tripods. I once saw a poorly designed lens hood on a customer’s camera vibrate so much that a buzzing sound could be heard in strong winds.
Removing the hood is the obvious solution. Of course, that means there’s more chance of direct sunlight hitting the objective, which the hood is meant to block. Furthermore, you have lost the physical protection of the hood if the camera is dropped, although that is not the purpose of the hood.
9. Lens and tripod image stabilization are not the same
Image stabilization is something that always appeals to people. Image stabilization works on fixed tripods and may cause blurry images. Admittedly, even though my camera’s manual says to do it, I’ve never had to disable in-body image stabilization (IBIS) on my Olympus/OM System cameras because the auto settings detected that the camera was stationary and stopped it. However, I’ve had dozens of other system camera customers experience the same problem and result in blurry images.
10. Moving closer to your tripod during long exposures can upset your camera
I often wade into the sea with a tripod to take pictures. However, during shooting, the movement of the sand can move the entire rig during the exposure. However, even above the line, the sand can move if you do, resulting in unintentional camera movement and blurred images. Freeze!
Using a remote trigger is useful when shooting long exposures with a tripod, especially when shooting on unstable surfaces such as sand. The act of pressing the shutter button can be enough to get the camera to move.
I have an app that wirelessly connects to the camera and displays the live view on my phone or tablet. I was then able to change the exposure settings remotely to trigger the shutter without touching the camera. I also always switch the camera to silent mode, thus eliminating any mechanical movement as well.
Many cameras have a socket for attaching a wired trigger, while some use an infrared (IR) probe. However, the infrared detector is usually in front of the camera, not necessarily where you want to stand for the shot. If you don’t have a remote trigger option, the self-timer is another way to release the shutter without touching the camera.
11. Using the wrong autofocus method and your subject
Single AF (S-AF or AF-S on most cameras) locks focus on a non-moving subject when you press the shutter button halfway and is great for still subjects. Meanwhile, continuous autofocus (C-AF or AF-C) changes the focus point as the subject moves closer and further away. It’s great for moving subjects. However, if you try to use continuous autofocus on a still subject, the lens will re-hunt and you will not focus correctly. Switching between the two modes is essential.
Some products have a hybrid mode that automatically switches between the two. It’s not perfect, and the slip rate is much higher than choosing the right mode for the subject.
If those terms aren’t familiar to you, you’re probably using Canon and will have to learn its weird naming. It calls S-AF “One-Shot,” a term that would be more appropriate for single-frame capture. Meanwhile, the C-AF is “AI Servo,” which describes its design, not its function.
12. Incorrect aperture and shutter speed adjustments are the cause of bad photos
Many images are not sharp because the shutter is too slow. It’s worth practicing and finding out how slow you can keep your camera at shutter speeds with different focal lengths. The rule of thumb used to be that the reciprocal of focal length was the slowest shutter speed you could get your hands on a 35mm SLR. For example, you will need 1/50th of a second to hold a 50mm lens. However, everything has changed. The crop sensor means you’ll need a faster shutter, but this goes beyond image stabilization; I held the 45mm lens on my OM System Micro Four Thirds camera for over a second and got a sharp image.
Likewise, there is a temptation to shoot with wide apertures, especially if you own a fast lens. However, this may result in too few subjects in focus. Likewise, having an aperture that is too small will make the light that bends around the edges of the iris to be highlighted. This is called diffraction.
13. Poor filter means soft image
I’ve tried a lot of different filters over the years and you get what you pay for. However, I noticed that even some of the expensive filters degrade the image quality significantly. This includes UV filters that many photographers use to add some layer of protection to the front element of the lens. One that I’ve noticed with no discernible adverse effects is Urth Filter (Plus+)also eco-friendly and affordable.
Blurred photos ever happened to you?
Do you use any of the methods above to help avoid blurry images? There are other causes of blur that I haven’t mentioned here that affect your photos. Do you have any other tricks worth sharing with our readers? It would be great to hear your comments below.
