PDA

View Full Version : Three Tips to avoid picture Blur



MuranoSilver
23-04-2010, 11:30 AM
The bane of macro photography is movement, it produces annoying blurred images when taking close-up pictures.
That’s because the magnification not only increases the size of the image, but also any movement.

1) By putting your jewellery in a solid stable well lit area you can eliminate subject movement.
which just leaves camera shake...
2) Use a tripod or solid support ~ this will remove the slight movement you produce when holding the camera

Even with the camera on a solid support or tripod slight movement can be introduced, as you press the shutter button.
3) Remove Shutter Button Wobbles....
You can either use a cable or remote (if you have one) or many cameras now have a timer function.
Set the timer so that when you press the shutter button there's a few seconds delay beforethe picture happens
(mine counts down from 10 seconds).

These three mini tips really help me avoid "camera shake" blurs :)

Nic xx

caroleallen
23-04-2010, 04:17 PM
Good advice Nic. Do you have a macro lens? I haven't got one on my camera and although people say it's not necessary, I just don't think I get in close enough with my lens. I think it'll be on my Christmas list, as they seem to cost more than the camera.

MuranoSilver
23-04-2010, 05:28 PM
Thanks Carole
I've just got a normal lens on my camera, check the focal range on your macro setting.
Mines from about 1-20cms :)
Nic x

Dennis
23-04-2010, 09:31 PM
Yes, good advice Nic, I'd forgotten about the timer. I have two seconds as one option, so that should be just enough time to calm your hands before the shutter clicks. Comparing with and without macro, macro wins hands down, but it does show up the tiniest defect, incuding dandruff on your background.

Gemma
25-04-2010, 07:54 AM
Def a good idea to photograph with the timer. I really should scan some old photos I took of the solar eclipse back in 1999(?). They were taken with a 35mm and I used a tripod. But I pressed the shutter release rather than used a cable or the timer. As I was using a slow shutter speed, the pics show a black page with a white ring bouncing on it. Rubbish pics of the eclipse but I kept the pics cos I find them amusing

crestes
13-06-2010, 05:14 PM
I have an Olympus camera which had a very poor macro ability and I thought that I would need a macro lens which [I]was[I] more than the camera! Then I found some lenses on ebay which could be screwed onto the lens and they worked really well. I think they cost about £20. There were 4 of them that all fitted together just like filters.

FVT
13-06-2010, 06:15 PM
Set the timer so that when you press the shutter button there's a few seconds delay beforethe picture happens
(mine counts down from 10 seconds).

These three mini tips really help me avoid "camera shake" blurs :)

Nic xx


This is one of those tips that makes you think "WHY didn't I think of that?!!"

I was battling with this problem yesterday....maybe I won't chuck my camera away just yet ;-)

jille
14-06-2010, 07:40 PM
Good advice thanks Nic.
Have you any tips on photographing dichroic glass with an automatic camera. The glass tends to look fuzzy, i put it down to the fact the clear top glass is distorting things.
jille

MuranoSilver
14-06-2010, 09:10 PM
Hi Jille
Dichroic glass is difficult to photograph but it definitely helps to have indirect light
e.g a light tent or a light bucket (there's a tutorial on here on how to make one)
My pics of it normally come out like this....
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3532/3817526396_4d6c17f1ab.jpg
This piece has the foil reversed so it's on top and the glass is in the middle.
Looking at the bottom Purple area ~ is that what you mean by fuzzy?
nic x

jille
15-06-2010, 08:07 AM
thank you Nic, your piece looks great. I often cap the dichro with a layer of clear glass, my photo's look in focus on the rest of the pendant but the glass detail looks out of focus
jill

MuranoSilver
15-06-2010, 11:49 AM
You could try going further out for more focal depth then crop to the detail (that seems to help with me)
Nic x

jille
16-06-2010, 07:16 AM
thanks i will try that, I just wish there were more hours in a day!
jill

rainbow
06-07-2010, 03:27 PM
you could try taking the shot at an angle. Use natural light from say a window during the daytime with a net covering it and reflect the light back towards your piece but putting something shiney on the other side of the piece, tin foil will do at a pinch or even white card so you can highlight the shadows and get some fill in light. Just ideas as i've never tried anything like but the principles should be the same. I'm sure I have an article on making your own home made set up somewhere, i shall have a looksee. Sorry for butting in, it's me and photography, it's one of my things.

MuranoSilver
06-07-2010, 04:32 PM
All suggestions are appreciated the more help to get great pics the better! :Y:

andrew_berry
06-07-2010, 04:40 PM
If you try making a large tube of tissue paper and place it over the item being photographed you will avoid any harsh shadows.

Also if you cover the top with another sheet and cut a hole out to poke the lens through , then you will get a nice even exposure and pictures without those 'black' reflections.

The tissue paper is a cheaper option than a photographic cube.

Also if your camera takes pictures at a large image size, such as 8 - 12 mb then it does not matter too much about a macro lens as you will be able to crop the photos and still retain a good amount of detail for website pics.

Andrew