Photography Tips: 3 Ways to Ensure Crisp, Beautiful Photos

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Have you ever wondered why your photos turn out so blurry even if you're using an iPhone or the same DSLR your friend uses? More than likely, you're doing one of a few things that you can fix today.

Hold Still

First, you need to hold your camera still. Get a good grip on it. If possible, tuck in your elbows and arms firmly against the side of your body. When necessary, brace your arms or body on a chair, fence, or other stable object or surface. We like to hold our breath for a second or two when taking an important or challenging photo in order to get the shot.

A clear photo of Noah smiling
A clear photo of Noah smiling
This is a blurry example of Noah smiling
This is a blurry example of Noah smiling

Wait a Second

Secondly, don't be quick to pull away from a scene. Take an extra second to hold still: it's really not that long for the reward of a beautiful and better photo!

Brace Yourself

Lastly, if you've mastered those items above and are still having blurry photos, you may be using shutter speeds that are longer than you are capable of taking photos with handheld.

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A photo of young Pelaiah looks up at the sky with a smile

Depending upon what lens you're using, your lighting, ISO settings, and shutter speed all have a profound effect on the quality of image your photograph will produce. You can look up that information online or wait until we cover it in another blog post. As a general rule, you have to take great care to hold your camera still at shutter speeds of 1/60s or slower.

A clear photo of our organic dinner. This was taken at 1/30s and I purposely chose to make the food in the front of the plate in focus.
A clear photo of our organic dinner. This was taken at 1/30s and I purposely chose to make the food in the front of the plate in focus.
I moved my camera a little but enough to make this pretty photo slightly blurry. I chose 1/30s for my shutter speed but knew that I should take a couple because it can be more challenging to take crisp photos handheld.
I moved my camera a little but enough to make this pretty photo slightly blurry. I chose 1/30s for my shutter speed but knew that I should take a couple because it can be more challenging to take crisp photos handheld.

Most photographers need to support their cameras or themselves on something or use a tripod especially for 1/30s or slower. You can support yourself against something while using these shutter speeds, using a tripod, or selecting a shutter speed that's faster.

[reminder]What techniques do you use to get crisp, beautiful photos?[/reminder]