Help with taking baby pics

[chicagosun]

I've been playing around with my G9 for several months now, but I still can't figure why I can't take clear pictures of my 1 year old indoors. It's constantly blurry (mostly b/c she moves all the time), but I hate using the flash. I'm usually using the Auto mode or try to use the AV mode - sorry in no way am I a photography buff. Just want to take good quality pics of my kid.

Can someone offer me suggestions on settings and photog tips?

[Echostrung]

The only way around blurry photos indoors without using flash is to either increase your lighting so that your shutter speed is faster (slow shutter speed is why the pics are blurry, that and movement) or increase your iso (film speed) which will make your picture grainy but allow for faster shutter speeds. Cheese is delicious.

[tonybear007]

As suggested above use a higher shutter speed, consider using a higher ISO and use a wide angle lens and get in close. (There is a lesser chance of blurry handheld photos with a wide angle lens.)

[denncald]

Some things to consider is making sure you have lots of extra available light; open your window blinds to let in more sunshine, turn on all your indoor lights, etc. Set your ISO to Auto, this will let the camera automatically increase your ISO up to ISO 200 as needed. Also, using the wide angle and getting closer means you will be able to use the widest lens opening of f/2.8. If you zoom out to get a shot, then the max f stop opening will get smaller (f number gets larger), so less light gets in. You should also consider using Tv, to set you shutter speed to 1/60 sec to help get a faster shutter speed to cut down on the blur.

If this is too fast a shutter speed to get the proper exposure, then turn on the Auto ISO shift feature in your menu (see page 133 of your camera user manual), but this only works in P and Av modes. This will automatically adjust your ISO to reduce or eliminate camera shake, according the book, but still depends on the speed of your child. :-)

Also, be aware that higher ISO settings will result in more noise in your images. You can correct some of this with noise software, so don't be completely upset by some noise. Some noise software to look at is Noiseware, Noise Ninja, and Neatimage. They all offer trial versions, and there is a free Community Edition of Noiseware to download.

Edit: don't eliminate the idea of using flash. I use the Scene mode Indoor and flash combo to get my grandkids running around quite often. You can also reduce the flash output some to cut down the intensity of the light if necessary.

Dennis

[Kevan_G9]

Home Depot and such sell portable flood lights (<$20) that help bath a room in light. Point or "bounce" the light off the ceiling to mute the effect. Watch out, these lights get VERY hot for even grownup fingers, and you will want to remove the safty grate off the face of the lamp if there is one to avoid shadows. One light does wonders. Two are even better.

And you thought this was easy...

[tkbslc]

You need more light. You have to use either high ISO to gain extra light sensiticity, or add more light. Problem is that your G9 doesn't look that great at ISO 400+. Luckily, your g9 has a flash hot shoe. An external bounced flash will solve your problems.

Don't use the 500w heatlamps near your baby please. A flash is a bit more money, but so much easier and safer to use!!

[denncald]

I've managed to get some good available light images of my new grandson this month. I make sure there is some, though not a lot, of extra light from a reading lamp. I've had pretty good success in macro up close, even hand held, at ISO 800, in RAW (Canon G9). Here's one example, first the RAW image processed to a TIF, the the TIF processed in Noiseware Standard Edition to 8 bit TIF, then resized for posting. Edit: I just went back to the EXIF data, and I DID use flash, so it must have been using my 403EX II in bounce mode, sorry. Still good results.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3631/3315398380_fbd3f61393_o.jpg
[original TIF resized]

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3661/3315397674_5e90161fe6_o.jpg
[after processing in Noiseware]

Dennis

[10megapixel]

These are cheap, safe and work fine for added lighting. You can diffuse with piece of thin white cloth so you don't blind the kid;)

Bought a Wal-Mart for around $6.00 if I recall correctly, and a florescent bulb added for $2.50 ( these get very warm to touch, but don't throw off the heat like a regular bulb). the kind I bought have clamps which are great and 15 ft. cord.

http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i199/laserbug/IMG_0486.jpg

Natural light from a window works great with the combination of the flash turned down low and just used as a fill (try setting to 2nd curtain).