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[LizardCop]

Not wanting to hijack someone else's thread, I'll answer this and get a discussion going here...

Originally Posted by PhilsEagles08

I'm actually interested in purchasing a new digi camera. For yrs I've only bought fujifilm cameras because they are so easy to use but I really am unhappy with the quality of the one I currently have. Why do some of my pics come out blurry??

There are usually two reasons for subjects being blurred.

Blurred Subject - Sometimes this is caused by high action, sometimes it is caused by slow shutter speed without a flash and the person is moving. A very common problem is taking inside photos without a flash because you don't want to bother anyone. Without the flash, the camera must use a much slower shutter speed, meaning that any movement will blur the photo. Use the flash indoors, or set your camera to the high ISO setting to get the shutter speed faster and reduce blurring. In high ISO mode, the pictures might be a little "grainy", but at least they'll more likely not be blurry.

Blurred picture - This is usually a result of camera movement while taking the photo. The smaller the camera, the more probable there will be camera movement when you push the button. If the lighting levels are low, the shutter speed will be slow and the probability of blurred photos is high.

There are many fixes for this;

1. You can brace your camera, or yourself, against a solid object.

2. Learn to make yourself a tripod. Stand with your feet slightly apart, comfortably apart. Center your body over your feet, no leaning and stand straight. Place your camera up to your face/eye and pull your arms to/against your body. This steadies the entire body and camera and allows you to take photos as much slower shutter speeds.

3. Learn to squeeze the shutter button. Taking a picture is like shooting a gun. Press the shutter button half way to get your camera to get its settings, then gently press the the shutter button the rest of the way. Like with a gun, it should almost surprise you when it goes off.

Many blurry shots are a result of jamming or jerking the shutter button. I used to have people practice this by placing a quarter on top of the camera and hold the camera at arms length from the body, repeatedly pressing the shutter button until they could take 10 photos in 10 seconds without knocking the quarter off the top of the camera. Then do the same thing with the camera a few inches from your face. You would be amazed how much this helped with clear photos, and by practicing frequently it became second nature when you took pictures. Unlike the old days when we had film in our cameras, digital is cheap! Delete the photos you don't like or want and shoot away. I, personally, never delete a photo (It's the photographer in me), ya never know when you can make something out of it or be able to save it...

These are some of my suggestions, anyone else got some thing they use???

[A & J's Dad]

I like your quarter trick Bill. Mind if I plagiarize?

Since you state your shooting with Fuji, I'll assume you're using a point & shoot (P&S). Most P&S cameras take a few seconds to focus and adjust exposure. Like Bill says, learn to depress the shutter button only enough to achieve focus then follow through to release the shutter. You can mash right through and trigger the shutter before focus is complete.

[LizardCop]

Originally Posted by A & J's Dad

I like your quarter trick Bill. Mind if I plagiarize?

Please do!!

I adapted it 40+ years ago from a gun class I attended, we were using half dollars on handguns to teach people to squeeze the trigger instead of jerking...

[DisneyLuv]

thanks for this tip! i also had the same problem with some of my pics coming out blurry, and couldn't figure out why! i will practice (lots of chances with spring and summer coming up!), and by our next trip i should be able to capture pics like a pro!

[Mares75]

Great tips! I'm big on making myself a tripod. It really helps if there's nothing nearby to brace myself on. I think a lot of it is trial and error, learning what settings on your camera work best for each situation. Sometimes I think people are intimidated changing shutter speeds manually, focusing manually, etc. Just reading articles and learning how cameras actually work (like shutter speeds, aperture, etc) helps a lot.

[Cam22]

I'm still working at getting myself in the habit of being a tripod. Luke says I'm almost in perpetual movement as I never seem to slow down. But I love the freedom of digital to make mistakes and learn from them without the expense of developing poor shots.

I don't know if it's a tip or not, but I love photographing my nieces and nephews, so I've learned to take two or three or more pictures in rapid succession on my DSLR. Usually one of these will have captured a memory without the blur.