Very new... Need help with camera shake/blurry pics

Shannon,

would it be possible for you to post one of the pictures you are referring to? With the EXIF information?

That would help us a lot in suggesting what you might do different.

Also ... try something else. I understand that you don't really appreciate using flash, as it makes the photo look harsh, but you could soften the flash a bit by holding a tissue (a single layer of it) in front of the flash. Maybe that will improve the pictures with flash.

Another option (but more costly) is to get a flash that can be tilted (e.g. 380EX, 420EX or 550EX) so that you can aim it at the ceiling ... the light thet gets bounced off looks a lot softer and nicer.

Best regards,
Andy

Thanks for the help. I'll try to get a pic or two up by the weekend, since that's usually the only time I can get afternoon/daytime light for the pics. :0)

1. Setup your indoor room bright up with some table lamps
2. Use Wide Angle - no zoom and move your G6 closer to the object
3. Use ISO 100 or smaller
4. Use largest aperture in Aperture Priority mode

If you want to take shake free pictures of toddlers or babies, then you'd better be shooting at 1/90s or faster. If it means using the flash then there's no choice.

Ok, i'm getting a little better here... Yes, the ND filter is off. I can now set the f-stops and the shutter, but not at the same time, unless i'm in Manual. I can set the shutter speed in Tv mode, and the f-stops in Av mode, and both of them in Manual mode. The largest aperture I can get is f2.0. The fastest shutter speed I can get with no zoom is 1/1250, which should be more than fast enough if I have enough light, correct? I am slightly confused about the major differences in opinions that are given. (I appreciate them all) Some say to use quicker speeds, other slower speeds. I am trying to stay away from flash when I am taking these portraits. I do take many other pictures with flash, so I will have many pics. I am just trying to learn to take natural light pictures. I hope to post some pics this weekend. More help is welcomed. Also, I would like to get a very close close-up of my son (as in his whole face filling the LCD)
, but I don't think Macro works well for moving subjects. Any ideas?

Try using your remote as this will eliminate any accidental movement of the camera. Also, if you use the flash at about -2 this may help.

There are a lot of posts, so if I missed this, sorry. When shooting in low light on a tripod, I always use the 2 second delay. Release the shutter and get your hand completely away from the camera. I'm not sure it is that big a deal but I'm sure that my pressing the release didn't move anything.

What are you taking ? Human ,room or still life ? If human, I would suggest you not to use tripod. You can handheld your camera with shutter speed of 1/60sec. Follow my previous post tips :

1. Setup your indoor room bright up with some table lamps
2. Use Wide Angle - no zoom and move your G6 closer to the object
3. Use ISO 100 or lower.
4. Use largest aperture (f2) in Aperture Priority (Av) mode

when you press half shutter to meter the human exposure, check the speed is 1/60sec or faster. You should able to get decent shots for above setup. You have to learn how to shoot with no zoom and keep your setup near to the human for closeup portrait shots.

So here they are....

http://www.twopeasinab​ucket.com …rofile.asp?user​_id=123689
Scroll all the way down. I lightened it up a little with ps elements 3.0.

I know there's not enough natural light... but I can't really get much more. I've heard many people say that natural light is so much better... Is it that much better than using lights? Because I think I might have to start using them. I don't have the $ right now to spend on nice lights or a flash, but I can use regular lights. How do I get a nice, wrinkle free background? Do I have to get more fabric so I can pull the subject away from the backdrop more? Also, how can I get rid of the shadow on the left? Position him a different way? Put a reflector there or a light source there?

Thanks, any help is appreciated.

Shannon

http://www.twopeasinab​ucket.com …rofile.asp?user​_id=123689

Shannon,

the problem with the picture you posted looks more like an exposition problem to me.

If you photograph anything with a white background, the camera will assume that the background should be gray (as in a 'balanced' photography) and adjust the exposition accordingly. Same with winter pics outside in the snow.

If you set exposure compensation to +1 step (or experiment with manual exposition based on the values the camera calculated in 'automatic' mode), you might get better results.

Best regards,
Andy

bounce the flash off the ceiling with a folded up white piece of paper, or buy a slr and use a higher iso.

mint20_00 wrote:
So here they are....

http://www.twopeasinab​ucket.com …rofile.asp?user​_id=123689
Scroll all the way down. I lightened it up a little with ps elements 3.0.

I know there's not enough natural light... but I can't really get much more. I've heard many people say that natural light is so much better... Is it that much better than using lights? Because I think I might have to start using them. I don't have the $ right now to spend on nice lights or a flash, but I can use regular lights. How do I get a nice, wrinkle free background? Do I have to get more fabric so I can pull the subject away from the backdrop more? Also, how can I get rid of the shadow on the left? Position him a different way? Put a reflector there or a light source there?

Thanks, any help is appreciated.

Shannon

Hi Shannon, The FIRST thing I noticed was the available light appears to be coming in from a rear angle, which is creating a backlit sittuation that is fooling your cameras meter into thinking there is more light on your subject than there really is. You mentioned using a reflector, and in your case for this particular shot, that would be an excellent idea if you want to maintain the same angle.
If your going to be shooting these types of shots on a regular basis, you might want to consider getting a light meter.
Oh, by the way, those are some cute shots.
-Bruce

Ballen Photo wrote:
Hi Shannon, The FIRST thing I noticed was the available light appears to be coming in from a rear angle, which is creating a backlit sittuation that is fooling your cameras meter into thinking there is more light on your subject than there really is. You mentioned using a reflector, and in your case for this particular shot, that would be an excellent idea if you want to maintain the same angle.
If your going to be shooting these types of shots on a regular basis, you might want to consider getting a light meter.
Oh, by the way, those are some cute shots.
-Bruce

Bruce,

Thanks for the encouragement!! Ummm.. how much does a light meter retail for? Are they easy to use???

Thanks,
Shannon

Shannon...about using the flash.

Here is what I do sometimes when I find using the flash creates light that is too harsh :

I use the shiny side of a CD to bounce the light to the ceiling . Just make sure you lock the focus first (half press) in case the CD would get in the way.

It worked great on a few occations. Here is a pic of my sofisticated ( :/ ) setup with my G5

Good luck .

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mint20_00 wrote:
Bruce,

Thanks for the encouragement!! Ummm.. how much does a light meter retail for? Are they easy to use???

Thanks,
Shannon

Hi Shannon, I dont want to send you down the road of "Spend Lots of Money" just yet. Try experimenting with a cheap reflector like white foamocore insulation that can be had quite cheap at hardware/lumber stores, or something similar that you may already have around the house. A four foot square piece of white flat and rigid material should reflect enough light to act like a fill light.
The light meters I've seen start at around $170 and go up from there. They are pretty easy to use once you know the basics. You set the desired ISO, take a reading, then in manual mode on your camera, set your aperture and shutter speed to the reading you just took, while ensuring the camera ISO is set the same as the ISO you input into the meter, then take the shot.
I recommend looking at them in your favorite camera store, as once you have it in your hand and the (hopefully) knowledgeable counter person helps to explain it's functions, you'll have a much better understanding of how they work.
-Bruce