Podcasts · Photography Explained Podcast

📷 Why Are My Photos Blurry? All the Reasons and How to Fix Them

· 21 min · Episode 224

Episode 📷 Why Are My Photos Blurry? All the Reasons and How to Fix Them

0:00 21:01

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You've taken what you thought was the perfect shot, but when you look at it later, it's blurry. Frustrating, right? 📸 This episode breaks down all seven main reasons your photos might be blurry and gives you practical fixes for each one. In this episode, you'll learn: ✅ How camera shake ruins photos (and the proper technique to eliminate it) ✅ The reciprocal rule for shutter speed that prevents blur ✅ Why your focus might be off and how to manually control it ✅ How to handle motion blur in your subjects ✅ When shallow depth of field becomes a problem ✅ Why a dirty lens makes everything soft (and how to keep yours clean) ✅ How high ISO affects apparent sharpness (and when to use a tripod) Whether you're using a camera or your phone, these seven fixes will transform your photography. From the breathing technique that stops camera shake to the simple habit of cleaning your lens after every shoot, you'll get actionable advice you can use immediately. 📸 What You'll Learn: ✅ Tip 1: Camera Shake - You're Moving When You Press the Button Learn the proper holding technique, breathing method, and when to use a tripod. ✅ Tip 2: Wrong Shutter Speed for Your Focal Length The reciprocal rule prevents blur. Using a 100mm lens? Minimum 1/100th second. ✅ Tip 3: Your Focus Is Off - You've Focused on the Wrong Thing Manually select the focus point and always check your shots. ✅ Tip 4: Your Subject Is Moving - Motion Blur Learn exactly what shutter speeds you need for different subjects. ✅ Tip 5: Shallow Depth of Field - Not Enough Is in Focus When to close down your aperture to keep everything sharp. ✅ Tip 6: Dirty or Smudged Lens Clean your gear after every shoot - takes 30 seconds, makes a massive difference! ✅ Tip 7: Low Light and High ISO - Noise Disguising as Blur Use a tripod to stick to ISO 100 for the highest quality. 📱 For Phone Photographers: Everything applies to phone cameras too! Hold with both hands, use the volume button to shoot, tap to focus on the right spot, and clean that lens regularly! 🔗 Related Episodes: Episode 222, The Best of The Photography Explained Podcast: 29 Essential Photography Tips That Actually Matter Episode 220, The Photographer's Eye: See a Great Photo Before You Take It Episode 152, How My One Photo Rule Will Help You Take Better Photos ⏭️ Next Episode: Episode 225 - I Just Got My First Camera - What Do I Do in the First Week? 🎯 Your Action Step: Take 10 photos this week, but before each one, ask yourself "What could make this blurry?" Run through the seven things in your head. 🌐 Website 🎓 Courses 📺 YouTube: Search "Rick McEvoy" on YouTube

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Get your question answered This is what my podcast is all about: answering your photography questions. Just head over to my shiny new website to find out more about me, my podcast and my photography. Thanks very much for listening Cheers from me Rick

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