c/blurry-photo-help

Used to take 50 blurry shots of my dog at the park, now I just burst mode 3 seconds and pick the winner

I switched last month after my golden retriever ran straight at the lens during golden hour and I got 47 blurry paws and 3 usable frames, has anyone else noticed burst mode saves you from having to throw away half your memory card?

2 comments

scott.miles•2d ago

Had to pick between a tripod or a monopod for night shots downtown

I went with the monopod for my trip to Nashville last month figuring it'd be easier to carry around. Got some okay shots of the skyline but the 2 second exposures were all blurry cause I couldn't keep it still enough lol. Anyone else struggle with this choice for low light stuff?

2 comments

the_holly•3d ago

Phone night mode vs real camera in dim lighting - no contest

I compared my iPhone night mode to my old Canon Rebel from 2015 last week at a friend's birthday party in this dark bar downtown, and wow the difference was insane. The phone cranks up the ISO and smooths everything out so people look like waxy mannequins, every face is a blurry ghost if anyone moves even a little bit. My Canon with a cheap 50mm f/1.8 lens at 1600 ISO gave me sharp faces, natural skin texture, and actual atmosphere from the string lights. Sure I had to hold still and use a higher shutter speed, but I got 3 usable shots out of 10 tries. Phone gave me 12 out of 12 but they all look like AI smeared plastic. Has anyone else ditched phone night mode for an old DSLR in dark spots, or am I just being stubborn?

2 comments

the_linda•4d ago

Just realized my phone camera has a night mode I never noticed

I kept getting super dark photos at a birthday party last week so I dug into the settings on my Galaxy. Turns out there's a night mode option that brightens things up without using a flash. Has anyone else missed a basic feature for way too long?

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sandraflores•4d ago

My buddy's comment about his phone camera made me realize I've been holding mine wrong

I was out with my friend Mike last weekend at a barbecue in Austin and he pointed out that every photo I take looks like I'm trying to steady a boat. He said I grip my phone too tight and exhale right when I tap the shutter. I thought he was just being annoying until I looked back at my last 50 photos and yeah, they all had that weird blurry edge. Turns out I was doing this little jerk motion every time I pressed the button. I tried his tip of breathing out halfway and then holding still for a second after tapping. My dinner plate shots actually came out sharp for once. Has anyone else realized they have a random bad habit that ruins their photos without knowing?

2 comments

rodriguez.felix•6d ago

Debating focus modes: manual vs auto for night shots

I used to always shoot on autofocus, but last month at a concert I kept getting blurry lights. Then a friend said their manual focus setup nailed every shot. Which side do you land on for low light situations like that?

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taylor_miller10•8d ago

Why does everyone hold their phone vertically at concerts?

I was shooting photos at the Starland Ballroom show last Friday and literally half the crowd had their phones sideways (you know, portrait mode) filming the whole set. It drives me crazy because those vertical videos look terrible on a regular screen and they never get the whole stage. Is there some trick to getting people to rotate their phones that I haven't found yet?

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eva_adams68•10d ago

The $3 lens cleaning trick that saved my vacation photos

I went to the Grand Canyon last spring and every single shot looked like fog rolling in. I was about to blame my phone camera until my buddy wiped his lens with his shirt and handed it back. The difference was night and day just from some pocket lint and sunscreen smudges. Now I keep a little microfiber cloth in my wallet and swipe my lens before any important shot. Has anyone else messed up a whole trip album because of a dirty lens?

2 comments

lopez.jana•11d ago

Why did it take me 20 years to figure out a tripod helps?

I was at a family reunion in Phoenix last spring, taking photos of all the kids playing. Every single shot came out blurry. My niece's boyfriend, who just got into photography, asked why I kept shooting at 1/15th of a second. I didn't even know that was a number to look at. Turns out I had been holding the camera too steady but not steady enough, if that makes sense. Has anyone else had that moment where a simple fix like a tripod or faster shutter made all the difference?

2 comments

riley_miller25•11d ago

Showerthought: Old tripod trick I forgot I knew

Was digging through my grandpa's old camera bag last weekend and found a little beanbag he used to keep in there. Turns out he'd wedge it under his lens on fences or car hoods to steady shots when he forgot his tripod... Tried it myself at a park in Denver last Tuesday for some golden hour shots and it worked way better than I expected. Kept getting blurry shots of birds because I was too lazy to carry the big tripod up the trail. The beanbag trick gave me sharp enough results that I could crop in without losing detail. Anyone else got an oddball stabilization method they swear by?

2 comments