newbie needs help with these shots

  • by
  • on 01.08.09
  • creampiesca.com
  • edit
  • Camera: Canon Rebel XT

    Mode: Auto and Landscape

    Problem: Blurry, not-crisp shots.

    Solution: ????????????????


    Any help would be GREATLY appreciated.


    http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c370/rollincatera/IMG_0199.jpg

    http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c370/rollincatera/IMG_0188.jpg

    http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c370/rollincatera/IMG_0207.jpg


  • Very good shot! Obviously, it's a church but the area is long and narrow. Where is it?

    Thank-you for the compliment. :) This is a place that I could spend days shooting at, and one of my favorite places to go for a little "personal" time when I am needing a little one on one with the "big man" above. ;) Its St Joseph's Oratory in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Its a huge place and a photographer's dream to shoot.

    That shot I first posted is just past the main entrance.

    Here are a couple more links that can be used as examples of what I meant. On the day I took these pics, I decided to limit myself to only using the Sigma 10-20mm lens on my Nikon D200.

    ISO 800, SS 1/5th, F/4 aperture
    http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2147/2335055501_5e10e2cc7e_b.jpg

    ISO 800, SS 1/5th, F/4 aperture
    http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2404/2335890644_61567261e5.jpg

    I figure that if you can get a clear motion-blur-free shot without a flash in this place, your technique is good. :)

    Edit: Added some info on the top of each pic and removed pics, replaced with 2 links instead of 4 pics.


  • JerryPH, you are actively hijacking someone else's thread to showcase your own photography and it feels a tad wrong to me... links to your photos would have been ok, since you want to give examples, but posting them directly seems to go against forum etiquette...


  • I also believe it is camera shake. As frXnz said use Manual or AV mode. AV mode would probably be the easiest for you, since I'm assuming you are still learning the camera by using auto mode. Set the f/stop to the smallest number you can. If the problem is still persists turn up your ISO. It should be at 100 by default (if you haven't played with it before). If you up it up to 400 or 800 you will notice the difference and should cure your issue.


  • Camera shake. You are trying to hand hold your camera for a 1/4 of a second in the first 2 shots, and for 1/3rd of a second in the last shot and not acheiving it. All shots are taken in relatively low light scenarios.

    There are 2 things that could be done... up the ISO further than the ISO 400 you had your camera set at and increase shutter speed, or place the camera on a tripod.

    Hand holding below 1/64th becomes a consideration. Trying to do it for 1/4 of a second is very challenging, not many can do it without lots ofpractice and a little cheating (leaning on a wall, chair, holding their breath, proper camera holding technique, etc...).

    Here is an example of a picture taken with a 0.8 second shutter speed, ISO 400 and F/4.0 aperture. It is about double the length of time of your first two pics. It was done hand-held, but I had to use every trick in the book to get it (breath control, ISO, speed, custom WB, back leaned against my backpack that leaned against a wall, proper camera holding technique and a couple other things were used to get this shot... but it WAS hand held). This was also in a VERY dark place, where candles were *almost* the main light source:

    http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3040/2334995941_82b154a61e_b.jpg

    Until you get your technique down, practice, practice, practice! And to help, raise ISO, shutter speed and of course, do NOT overlook the possibility of using off camera strobes. Though the setup and techniques used in that scenario is often more complex, the results are potentially WAY more pleasing when it comes time for indoor home shots. In places like I took my shot, multiple flashes were obviously not an option.

    As a final piece of advice... I would say that I would prefer a grainy shot that is in perfect focus over a "clean" picture that is blurred. You can do nothing about blur... but we have noise ninja available to nicely clean up a shot, if needed.

    Good luck!


  • Get a tripod and try it that way :)

    Also, you can get a focus sheet to make sure your camera doesnt have backfocus issues (just in case)


  • what is a focus sheet and how do you use it sorry for my ignorance

    this website will be helpful :)

    http://www.scribd.com/doc/266756/Camera-Focus-Test-Chart


  • These are all indoor photos!!! :shock:

    No wonder they show camera shake!
    There is too little light indoors to "automatically" get shake-free photos. Your shutter speed must have been way too slow for you to still be able to hold the camera still enough. A tripod would have helped, or a shorter shutter speed. If the camera is on AUTO, I believe it also automatically changes the ISO-settings, though I am not sure. But it will have itself take slow pics without you noticing, and on the tiny screen, those photos will still look ok, making you believe you took a good, sharp photos, and then you open them on your computer and ... oops!

    When you shoot indoors, try to find some support for the camera and put it down there firmly to avoid camera shake. Or use a tripod (provided you may... which you must not in every possible place).


  • Camera shake. You are trying to hand hold your camera for a 1/4 of a second in the first 2 shots, and for 1/3rd of asecond in the last shot and not acheiving it. All shots are taken in relatively low light scenarios.

    There are 2 things that could be done... up the ISO further than the ISO 400 you had your camera set at and increase shutter speed, or place the camera on a tripod.

    Hand holding below 1/64th becomes a consideration. Trying to do it for 1/4 of a second is very challenging, not many can do it without lots ofpractice and a little cheating (leaning on a wall, chair, holding their breath, proper camera holding technique, etc...).

    Here is an example of a picture taken with a 0.8 second shutter speed, ISO 400 and F/4.0 aperture. It is about double the length of time of your first two pics. It was done hand-held, but I had to use every trick in the book to get it (breath control, ISO, speed, custom WB, back leaned against my backpack that leaned against a wall, proper camera holding technique and a couple other things were used to get this shot... but it WAS hand held). This was also in a VERY dark place, where candles were *almost* the main light source...

    Very good shot! Obviously, it's a church but the area is long and narrow. Where is it?


  • how do you bounce off an index card?

    www.abetterbouncecard.com (http://www.abetterbouncecard.com)

    Watch the free videos. ;)


  • What are your shutter speeds? My guess is that they are too slow and you're getting camera shake. Try shooting in Manual (you shouldn't be shooting Auto anyway), and set your aperture as low (small number) as it will go. Judging by the lighting, this still might not be enough light, and you'll have to either crank up your ISO or use a flash (preferably not the built-in, but if you must use that, bounce it off an index card).

    how do you bounce off an index card?


  • JerryPH, you are actively hijacking someone else's thread to showcase your own photography and it feels a tad wrong to me... links to your photos would have been ok, since you want to give examples, but posting them directly seems to go against forum etiquette...

    I never realized this was against forum etiquette and did not post with the intent of "showcasing", but I have no problems fixing that... give me a few seconds to address it to your satisfaction.

    Apologies.

    Edit: All done. :)


  • Exif states the shutter speeds were 1/4, 1/4, and 1/3 respectively. ISO was 400.

    Yes, the shutter speeds were way too slow for hand held shots. Nothing you can do about that with the camera in "auto" mode.

    Like others stated here, use shutter priority (Tv I believe) or aperture priority (Av) to start out with. Those allow you to either set a specific shutter or specific aperture to achieve a bit what you want to do.

    Using shutter priority so you can set the speed, if you can not achieve a non-blurry photo with a decent exposure, then you will want to increase the ISO until you are able to use the shutter speed you want. I would think you have plenty of room with the XT to increase ISO.

    I can shoot at 400 and have nice shots, or increase to 800 if I want noisy shots with my camera, but the XT produces much better quality than my camera does. I would think compared to my camera, the XT should be able to produce nice quality at 800 with the noise starting to show at 1600.


  • Thanks a lot. Very nice! :D


  • Thank-you for the compliment. :) This is a place that I could spend days shooting at, and one of my favorite places to go for a little "personal" time when I am needing a little one on one with the "big man" above. ;) Its St Joseph's Oratory in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Its a huge place and a photographer's dream to shoot.

    That shot I first posted is just past the main entrance.

    Here are a couple more links that can be used as examples of what I meant. On the day I took these pics, I decided to limit myself to only using the Sigma 10-20mm lens on my Nikon D200.

    ISO 800, SS 1/5th, F/4 aperture
    http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2147/2335055501_5e10e2cc7e_b.jpg

    ISO 800, SS 1/5th, F/4 aperture
    http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2404/2335890644_61567261e5.jpg

    I figure that if you can get a clear motion-blur-free shot without a flash in this place, your technique is good. :)

    Edit: Added some info on the top of each pic and removed pics, replaced with 2 links instead of 4 pics.

    I'm impressed with your abilities AND the subject matter!


  • What are your shutter speeds? My guess is that they are too slow and you're getting camera shake. Try shooting in Manual (you shouldn't be shooting Auto anyway), and set your aperture as low (small number) as it will go. Judging by the lighting, this still might not be enough light, and you'll have to either crank up your ISO or use a flash (preferably not the built-in, but if you must use that, bounce it off an index card).


  • what is a focus sheet and how do you use it sorry for my ignorance


  • thanks guys!







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