How do I stop the blurring?

Anthony · 10-20-2015, 08:50 AM

I'm still in learning mode; this blurring mess happens too often. What am I doing wrong / what can I do better?

Fenwoodian · 10-20-2015, 08:55 AM

The photo you posted shows that there is probably more than just one problem (blurring) with your photography.

Sorry, but there's no quick fix or magic bullet that will take you from poor photos to great photos.

I suggest that you put in the time needed to improve your photography. Read a book (or multiple books) on photography. Take a photography class. Read, re-read, and then commit to memory the entire 356 pages (?) of the operating manual for your digital camera.

Scintilla · 10-20-2015, 08:59 AM - **2 Likes**

The fact that the most blur is of the man who's moving, while other areas such as the drink menu are less blurred, indicates that the main problem is too slow of a shutter speed (too long of an exposure).

If you're shooting in shutter priority mode (Tv) or shutter/aperture priority mode (TAv), you can adjust the shutter speed directly, and the camera will automatically adjust the other settings (aperture, sensitivity) to compensate. (But if one of those numbers starts blinking at you in the viewfinder or on the LCD screen, then it's a sign that you've pushed the camera/lens beyond what it can handle.)

If you're shooting in full manual mode (M), you would need to adjust the other settings yourself to compensate, in order to keep the exposure correct. The exposure slider will tell you how far off your settings are from what the camera judges to be the "correct" exposure.

LFLee · 10-20-2015, 09:15 AM

easy fix: don't shoot in a bar where everyone is drunk?

jk.

bluespearbone · 10-20-2015, 09:19 AM

From film camera days, before image stabilisation, the rule of thumb was to avoid (unless practised, stabilised and confident) a shutter speed less than the focal length of the lens. Considering Pentax shake reduction and the crop factor; am going to suggest that is still a good guide to begin with. Then again, that only covers camera shake. The fact that your subjects are moving means you can either pan (move the lens, using yourself or a support as a pivot point) with the subject[s] or use flash to 'freeze' the moment. These are just pointers; am sure many here can help for you further, though reading and practising may not be avoidable.The good news? Far less expensive practising in the digital era.

bobore · 10-20-2015, 09:23 AM

Originally posted by bluespearbone

The good news? Far less expensive practising in the digital era.

Isn't that the truth!

**csa** · 10-20-2015, 09:25 AM

Scintilla gave great advice; if you follow his post, I'm sure you'll see improvements in your photography!

BTW, Welcome to the forums!

CarlJF · 10-20-2015, 09:37 AM

Originally posted by bluespearbone

From film camera days, before image stabilisation, the rule of thumb was to avoid (unless practised, stabilised and confident) a shutter speed less than the focal length of the lens.

Yes, and this works well with static subjects. With moving subjects, it's better to aim for 3 times that speed on an APS-C camera.

For example, if you use a 50mm lens on moving subjects, as in the shot above, you should aim for at least 1/150 sec. You can easily adjust this by using Tv or TAv modes. If can't go that fast, you know you'll have blur and either be creative with it or use a flash.

**savoche** · 10-20-2015, 09:41 AM

The main problem here is, as already stated, a too slow shutter speed. If you do a search for "exposure triangle" you will find pages like these:

https://fstoppers.com/education/exposure-triangle-understanding-how-aperture...together-72878

http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/camera-exposure.htm

...explaining the relationship between the three variables involved in getting a good exposure.

TaoMaas · 10-20-2015, 09:42 AM

Originally posted by Scintilla

...the main problem is too slow of a shutter speed (too long of an exposure).

Scintilla is right. There's two types of movement that can cause blurriness. One is subject movement and the other is camera movement. Your camera could be rock-solid, but if your subject is moving too fast, it'll be blurred. Likewise, your subject could be stable, but if you aren't holding your camera steady, you'll get blurring. It looks to me like you've got both things going on because not only is the man in the foreground blurred (subject movement), but the items on the wall in the background are blurred, too (camera movement). Blurriness in the background can also be caused by a shallow depth of field, but the reason I think it's camera movement in this instance is because the blur is a bit of a smear. As Scintilla said, the way to fix that is use a faster shutter speed.

**wtlwdwgn** · 10-20-2015, 09:43 AM - **1 Like**

If you're still in P mode the auto exposure will set too slow a shutter speed especially indoors. I'd recommend TAv mode and set the Auto ISO between 100 and at least 3200 (I set mine between 100 and 51200). You can then set the shutter speed to 1/60 or 1/125 and the aperture to f/5.6 and let the meter select a suitable ISO. Just my $0.02.

BrianR · 10-20-2015, 10:02 AM

Originally posted by LFLee

easy fix: don't shoot in a bar where everyone is drunk?

jk.

Or get them drunk enough to pass out and stop moving around

DeadJohn · 10-20-2015, 10:15 AM

The man who is most blurred was moving while the photograph was taken. The only way to stop that is a faster shutter speed. That can be accomplished by increasing ISO, picking a wider aperture (lower f #), or adding flash. We can make better recommendations if you tell us more about the settings you used. If Auto mode, the camera said "low light so I need to use a slow shutter" without considering movement.

The background blur looks like camera shake. You weren't holding the camera steady enough for the shutter speed. That's not the main issue, though, and a faster shutter speed to freeze the man's movement would fix the background too.

Anthony · 10-20-2015, 10:41 AM

Thanks again, everybody. I'll give these suggestions a try.

**Just1MoreDave** · 10-20-2015, 10:43 AM

I have a lot of pictures similar to this because I like to visit craft beer tasting rooms. Obviously the light levels in a bar can vary a lot but many of my shots use ISO 1600 to 3200*. I often use a 28mm lens because it's small, but you could just as easily use the DA 18-55 that probably came with the camera. I often use f4 to f5.6. I know that with that lens I can use 1/30 sec. without camera shake, even down to 1/4 sec. sometimes. (That's not a fixed number for everyone, so test it yourself.) I probably have a hundred shots with settings close to that.

*With the K50 and those ISOs, you'll see some noise in an unprocessed shot. If you are shooting JPGs, the in-camera noise reduction settings can get rid of it. There is a balance between ISO noise and detail but 3200 should look OK, 51200 is more trouble.

In this one I used 1/10 sec. on purpose to blur the moving bartender.

10-20-2015, 08:50 AM	#1
Anthony New Member Join Date: Sep 2015 Posts: 6	How do I stop the blurring? I'm still in learning mode; this blurring mess happens too often. What am I doing wrong / what can I do better?

10-20-2015, 09:42 AM	#10
TaoMaas Pentaxian Join Date: May 2007 Location: Oklahoma City Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,574	Originally posted by Scintilla ...the main problem is too slow of a shutter speed (too long of an exposure). Scintilla is right. There's two types of movement that can cause blurriness. One is subject movement and the other is camera movement. Your camera could be rock-solid, but if your subject is moving too fast, it'll be blurred. Likewise, your subject could be stable, but if you aren't holding your camera steady, you'll get blurring. It looks to me like you've got both things going on because not only is the man in the foreground blurred (subject movement), but the items on the wall in the background are blurred, too (camera movement). Blurriness in the background can also be caused by a shallow depth of field, but the reason I think it's camera movement in this instance is because the blur is a bit of a smear. As Scintilla said, the way to fix that is use a faster shutter speed. Last edited by TaoMaas; 10-20-2015 at 09:49 AM.

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10-20-2015, 08:55 AM	#2
Fenwoodian Pentaxian Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: USA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,875	The photo you posted shows that there is probably more than just one problem (blurring) with your photography. Sorry, but there's no quick fix or magic bullet that will take you from poor photos to great photos. I suggest that you put in the time needed to improve your photography. Read a book (or multiple books) on photography. Take a photography class. Read, re-read, and then commit to memory the entire 356 pages (?) of the operating manual for your digital camera.

10-20-2015, 08:59 AM - 2 Likes	#3
Scintilla Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2013 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 347	The fact that the most blur is of the man who's moving, while other areas such as the drink menu are less blurred, indicates that the main problem is too slow of a shutter speed (too long of an exposure). If you're shooting in shutter priority mode (Tv) or shutter/aperture priority mode (TAv), you can adjust the shutter speed directly, and the camera will automatically adjust the other settings (aperture, sensitivity) to compensate. (But if one of those numbers starts blinking at you in the viewfinder or on the LCD screen, then it's a sign that you've pushed the camera/lens beyond what it can handle.) If you're shooting in full manual mode (M), you would need to adjust the other settings yourself to compensate, in order to keep the exposure correct. The exposure slider will tell you how far off your settings are from what the camera judges to be the "correct" exposure.

10-20-2015, 09:15 AM	#4
LFLee Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Southern California Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,292	easy fix: don't shoot in a bar where everyone is drunk? jk.

10-20-2015, 09:19 AM	#5
bluespearbone Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Derbyshire, United Kingdom Posts: 325	From film camera days, before image stabilisation, the rule of thumb was to avoid (unless practised, stabilised and confident) a shutter speed less than the focal length of the lens. Considering Pentax shake reduction and the crop factor; am going to suggest that is still a good guide to begin with. Then again, that only covers camera shake. The fact that your subjects are moving means you can either pan (move the lens, using yourself or a support as a pivot point) with the subject[s] or use flash to 'freeze' the moment. These are just pointers; am sure many here can help for you further, though reading and practising may not be avoidable.The good news? Far less expensive practising in the digital era.

10-20-2015, 09:23 AM	#6
bobore Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: North Oregon Coast Posts: 162	Originally posted by bluespearbone The good news? Far less expensive practising in the digital era. Isn't that the truth!

10-20-2015, 09:25 AM	#7
csa Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: Montana mountains Posts: 10,133	Scintilla gave great advice; if you follow his post, I'm sure you'll see improvements in your photography! BTW, Welcome to the forums!

10-20-2015, 09:37 AM	#8
CarlJF Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2014 Location: Quebec City Posts: 1,185	Originally posted by bluespearbone From film camera days, before image stabilisation, the rule of thumb was to avoid (unless practised, stabilised and confident) a shutter speed less than the focal length of the lens. Yes, and this works well with static subjects. With moving subjects, it's better to aim for 3 times that speed on an APS-C camera. For example, if you use a 50mm lens on moving subjects, as in the shot above, you should aim for at least 1/150 sec. You can easily adjust this by using Tv or TAv modes. If can't go that fast, you know you'll have blur and either be creative with it or use a flash.

10-20-2015, 09:41 AM	#9
savoche Master of the obvious Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Lowlands of Norway Posts: 18,311	The main problem here is, as already stated, a too slow shutter speed. If you do a search for "exposure triangle" you will find pages like these: https://fstoppers.com/education/exposure-triangle-understanding-how-aperture...together-72878 http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/camera-exposure.htm ...explaining the relationship between the three variables involved in getting a good exposure.

10-20-2015, 09:43 AM - 1 Like	#11
wtlwdwgn Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Billings, MT Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 13,853	If you're still in P mode the auto exposure will set too slow a shutter speed especially indoors. I'd recommend TAv mode and set the Auto ISO between 100 and at least 3200 (I set mine between 100 and 51200). You can then set the shutter speed to 1/60 or 1/125 and the aperture to f/5.6 and let the meter select a suitable ISO. Just my $0.02.

10-20-2015, 10:02 AM	#12
BrianR Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Ontario Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,332	Originally posted by LFLee easy fix: don't shoot in a bar where everyone is drunk? jk. Or get them drunk enough to pass out and stop moving around

10-20-2015, 10:15 AM	#13
DeadJohn Pentaxian Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: New York Posts: 4,834	The man who is most blurred was moving while the photograph was taken. The only way to stop that is a faster shutter speed. That can be accomplished by increasing ISO, picking a wider aperture (lower f #), or adding flash. We can make better recommendations if you tell us more about the settings you used. If Auto mode, the camera said "low light so I need to use a slow shutter" without considering movement. The background blur looks like camera shake. You weren't holding the camera steady enough for the shutter speed. That's not the main issue, though, and a faster shutter speed to freeze the man's movement would fix the background too.

10-20-2015, 10:41 AM	#14
Anthony New Member Join Date: Sep 2015 Posts: 6 Original Poster	Thanks again, everybody. I'll give these suggestions a try.

10-20-2015, 10:43 AM	#15
Just1MoreDave Site Supporter Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Aurora, CO Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 6,340	I have a lot of pictures similar to this because I like to visit craft beer tasting rooms. Obviously the light levels in a bar can vary a lot but many of my shots use ISO 1600 to 3200. I often use a 28mm lens because it's small, but you could just as easily use the DA 18-55 that probably came with the camera. I often use f4 to f5.6. I know that with that lens I can use 1/30 sec. without camera shake, even down to 1/4 sec. sometimes. (That's not a fixed number for everyone, so test it yourself.) I probably have a hundred shots with settings close to that. With the K50 and those ISOs, you'll see some noise in an unprocessed shot. If you are shooting JPGs, the in-camera noise reduction settings can get rid of it. There is a balance between ISO noise and detail but 3200 should look OK, 51200 is more trouble. In this one I used 1/10 sec. on purpose to blur the moving bartender.