Problems and Solutions

We have all taken pictures that don't look the way we hoped. It can be frustrating and disheartening. What follows are several common errors and how I suggest correcting them.

Problem: Blurry, Dark, and Dull

When I saw this flower, it looked great. It was bright and vibrant with wonderful texture and lines. When I took the picture, it came out like this. What did I do wrong and how can I fix it?

Solution:
The image is blurry because the photo was taken at a shutter speed that is too slow to hand hold. In this case, the flower was photographed at 1/10th of a second. A simple rule to live by is anything lower than 1/60th or 1/125th of a second will likely have camera or hand "shake". You literally can't hold the camera still enough when your shutter speed is too slow. To prevent camera/hand shake, take the photo at 1/60th of a second or higher. If you are using a compact point and shoot camera that handles exposure data automatically this may mean increasing the light around the subject. Increasing the available light around the subject will ensure the camera automatically increases the shutter speed to something you can hand hold without blurriness. If you are inside, turn on a light, open some blinds, use a flash, or take the subject outside. I retook the flower at a higher shutter speed and it came out like this:

A big improvement!


Problem: Boring...

From a technical aspect, there is nothing wrong with this photograph. There is a range of tonality in the photograph and the exposure is correct. However, the photo is dreadfully boring and is the worst type of snapshot. I stood on the upper bank of this lake in Cooperstown, New York and took a picture.

Solution:

This is clearly an improvement on the first example. It is not boring and has an interesting perspective that is uncommon. I walked down to the bank of the lake and put my camera about an inch from the water to take this picture. The solution to a boring photograph is to try something new. Change perspectives, angles, and/or ideas! With persistence, you will find something you like.


Problem: Dark!

This photograph is obviously too dark to be acceptable. This was taken inside at night. In this situation, there is only one solution!

Solution:

Use your camera's flash!


Problem: Flat, clinical lighting with a documentary feel

There isn't anything wrong with this picture in the sense that it documents, in a very cold, harsh way, exactly what the wedding cake looks like. This is fine, but could I do better?

Solution: Try different things!

In this case, I put away my flash, set up my tripod, and took a long exposure of the cake. In post-production, I converted the image to black and white. I feel this is a more interesting exposure that truly represented the mood of the evening. The moral of the story is, don't be satisfied with one idea or exposure. Keep shooting! Your last photograph will be vastly more interesting than your first.


Problem: Dark, Blurry, Weird Horizon, etc.

I did everything wrong with this picture. I took the image without a flash at a distance that was not acceptable for the lens I had on my camera. The subjects were inside a dim room so my exposure was lower than I could hand hold without camera shake. I was also rushing the shot so my horizon is crooked. I could go on, but I'm sure you get the point.

Solution:
It's simple on paper. Slow down, use a flash, and get closer. In reality, if it was so simple, I wouldn't have made the mistakes I did.


Problem: Out of focus, dark, terrible composition, etc.

In the interest of full disclosure, this is a photograph of one of my two (at the time) year old daughters. If someone out there knows how to take a decent picture of a two year old, please please please please send it along.

In all seriousness, this image has a lot of problems. It is dark because it was taken inside on a gloomy afternoon without a flash. Two year olds move.... a lot.... and that is exactly what she was doing. She was not about to pose for the camera. Put all this together and its a recipe for a frustrating photographic experience for the one behind the camera.

Solution:
If you find yourself photographing young children, I recommend a few tactics. Be patient and reasonable. You will not get exactly what you want so be happy with what you get. Plan on taking a lot of photographs. I took over 200 pictures of my girls last year for our Christmas card. Make sure you have good light when you photograph children. They will not sit still for you so you need to have a higher shutter speed. This might mean using a flash or taking the photos outside. Be sure your equipment is ready to go, fully charged, and in proper working order. Take a few test shots before you start with the kids to make sure you are getting the right exposures. Finally, have an idea of what you want your picture to look like going in, but if it doesn't end up that way, don't let it bother you. With kids, you never know what you'll get and half the fun is seeing what things look like photographed.