Blurry photos are always disappointing. Canon EOS Rebel T3 | Canon EF-S 18-55mm F3. 5-5. 6 IS II | F5. 6 | 1/5 sec | ISO 2500Photo: Mitchell Clark We've all been there: you're excited about an image you took, only to pull it up on your camera or computer and realize it's blurry.
If you're new to photography, though, you may not know the cause of that blur, making it hard to prevent such problems in the future. Your photo may be blurry for multiple reasons, with different solutions for each.
Before diving into the details, it's important to know that there are primarily two types of blur you'll encounter: blur from movement and blur from focus issues. Movement blur appears as streaks, trails or ghosted outlines with a clear sense of directionality. Blur related to focus, on the other hand, is a more even, uniform softness with no directionality.
Slow shutter speeds
One of the most common causes of blurry images is related to shutter speed and movement. Shutter speed (which you can learn more about here) determines how long your camera's shutter is open, allowing light to hit the sensor. Slow shutter speeds mean the shutter is open for a longer period, which can result in blur caused by either movement of the camera or of the subject. Moving the camera with a slower shutter speed will typically result in complete image blur, while motion blur related to subject movement only causes specific portions of an image to be blurry.
Camera movement
If your photo looks streaky all over, like this image, that's because your shutter speed was too slow to hand-hold the camera.
Canon EOS Rebel T3 | Canon EF-S 18-55mm F3. 5-5. 6 IS II | F5. 6 | 1/20 sec | ISO 2500
Photo: Mitchell Clark
If your entire image is blurry, that's likely a result of camera movement while using a slow shutter speed. This type of blur is also called camera shake. Camera shake can be subtle with small streaks that are only noticeable when zoomed in, or dramatic, with everything in the image streaking together. The key is that it is blurry across the entire image, not select portions of it. That's because, as steady as you may try to hold your camera, your body will always have some movement, which will transfer to your camera, producing blur.
There isn't a hard and fast rule of what shutter speed is necessary to avoid blur, though the long-standing rule of thumb is to use a shutter speed that is at least the same as your focal length (or the full-frame equivalent focal length for crop sensor cameras). So, for example, if you're using a 50mm lens, you should use a shutter speed of at least 1/50 sec to keep your image sharp.
"The shutter speed that is necessary depends on your camera, lens and how steady your hands are. "
However, the shutter speed that is actually necessary depends on your camera, lens and how steady your hands are. Some modern cameras and lenses feature built-in stabilization that can help prevent camera shake at slightly slower shutter speeds. Turning on your stabilization settings while using slow shutter speeds can help you prevent camera shake.
However, stabilization can only do so much, and many cameras don't offer it. Blur may simply be unavoidable if you're trying to hand-hold your camera at a shutter speed that is too slow. In those situations, an easy way to prevent blur is to use a tripod (or another solid surface). The key is to use a sturdy tripod, as shutter shock (movement from the shutter), or mirror slap in the case of a DSLR, can cause vibrations that result in camera shake. Fimsy tripods can even introduce movement on their own. Using the self-timer on your camera is also useful so that the action of pressing the shutter button doesn't result in blur.
Subject movement
If only your subject is blurry, your shutter speed is too slow for their movement. In this case, the cat rolling around was too fast for the shutter speed, so he's completely blurred.
OM System OM-5 II | OM System 20mm F1. 4 Pro | F5. 6 | 1/2. 5 sec | ISO 500
Photo: Mitchell Clark
Sometimes, only some elements in the frame, such as people, animals or cars, will be blurry, while the rest of the image is sharp. If that's the case, the blur is caused by a shutter speed that's too slow for the subject's movement. Slow shutter speeds, even if you're using a tripod, will blur any movement in the image, so moving subjects will end up blurry. Additionally, photographing fast-moving subjects will require especially fast shutter speeds to ensure they are clear and sharp.
There is no silver bullet shutter speed that will freeze (or purposefully blur) movement. Multiple factors are involved, including the speed and direction of the movement and how close it is to the camera. For example, a Formula 1 car will require a much different shutter speed than a child playing. If you notice that your subject is blurry and you are in a situation where you can retake the image, use a faster shutter speed to freeze that movement.
Focus issues
Another very common type of blur isn't caused by shutter speed but by focus issues. This type of image issue is often referred to as 'out of focus' instead of blur, as it helps to differentiate between the two problems. Unlike motion blur, out-of-focus images are soft without blur in a defined direction. However, like shutter speed, multiple problems can arise to cause out-of-focus images that either impact the entire image or only select areas.
Completely missed focus
This image is completely out of focus, which is different than blur from motion.
Canon EOS Rebel T3 | Canon EF-S 18-55mm F3. 5-5. 6 IS II | F5. 6 | 1/160 sec | ISO 160
Photo: Mitchell Clark
If your entire photo is soft-looking but not streaky (caused by motion blur), it's out of focus. This can happen because your camera (or lens) was set to manual focus and you didn't realize it, or because your camera was substantially off in finding a focus point.
To remedy this, double-check your autofocus settings. Ensure that autofocus is on (if you want it to be), and that you know which autofocus setting is appropriate for your situation. An entirely out-of-focus image could also be caused by being too close to your subject. Every lens has a minimum focus distance, or a limit to how close it can focus. If your lens won't autofocus correctly, try backing up to see if that helps.
Missed focus point or too shallow a depth of field
I accidentally focused on the brick wall in this image, leaving the cityscape, my desired subject, out of focus.
Sigma BF | Sigma 35mm F2 DG DN Contemporary | F5. 6 | 1/1000 sec | ISO 125
Photo: Abby Ferguson
If only a portion of your image is out of focus, such as the foreground or background, that's a result of either missing the focus point or using too shallow a depth of field. For example, if you're taking a portrait, and the person is out of focus but the background is sharp, that's caused by the focus point not being on top of your subject. To remedy that, you simply need to change where your camera is focusing by manually focusing or changing the placement of the focus point.
Sometimes, you may have the focus point in the right spot, but some of your subject is out of focus, and you may not want that. When that's the case, it's because your depth of field is too shallow. Depth of field – the amount that's in focus in a scene – is controlled by multiple factors, one of which is aperture (which you can learn more about here). If you want a deeper depth of field so that more of your subject is in focus, use a smaller aperture (larger aperture number). Just be sure to adjust your shutter speed to maintain a correct exposure.
Lens issues
A fogged-up lens will make your images very blurry.
Photo: Abby Ferguson
Finally, sometimes blurry photos are caused by lens issues. Some lenses don't provide sharpness all the way to the edge of the frame, so your images may have blurry-looking corners.
Another potential issue is that you may have a smudge, water spots or condensation on your lens, creating blurry areas in your images. It's smart to keep a microfiber lens cloth or other lens cleaning items on hand to keep your lens clean for sharp photos.
Parting thoughts
As you now know, blurry photos can result from many issues. Unfortunately, blurry or out-of-focus images can't usually be fully corrected after the fact, so it's important to pay attention and address what's causing the blur while out photographing. Alternatively, some of the above items can be used intentionally to create creative, meaningful images. Blur doesn't always have to be a bad thing.
. dpreview.com2025-8-21 21:34
