PHOTOGRAPHY EXPOSED
by John Peters A.R.P.S.
BLUR
Blur, it can be wanted, or unwanted. Camera shake is the most likely cause of blur (too slow a shutter speed), or blur can be used intentionally to give the feeling of speed or motion such as in panning, where the subject is sharp but the background is blurred.
TOP TIP Blur in a photo caused by camera shake ruins many's a picture and its caused by selecting or allowing the camera to select when on auto, too slow a shutter speed. Don't beleive all you read, just bump up your ISO setting, usually in your camera menu, unless using a Fuji. Unless utmost quality is your goal, as a standard, I'd set your ISO to 400 (In the UK, perhaps not in brighter countries.) I'd even consider an ISO of 800.
A higher ISO will help reduce the chance of ruined photographs through camera shake, and will widen the range of other settings available to set the exposure. Did you know that smartphones by design, often use a very high shutter speed compared to a camera.
TOP TIP Always use a TRIPOD.
As I said, you wouldn't buy a car and use only three of the gears. A tripod and (cable release) can give you access to all the shutter speeds, even those you wouldn't consider using in manual mode, handheld. I always carried a right angled viewfinder that allowed me to shoot from a low viewpoint if required, an extremely useful accessory if your camera doesn't have a vari-angle screen. If I was investing in gear again, I would buy a camera with a vari-angle screen, a no-brainer.
TOP TIP Use blur to your advantage and as part of COMPOSITION. Select your depth of field carefully, stopping the lens down to check, if necessary.
Panning (a more advanced technique), has blurred the background nicely in the above photograph taken at Knockhill in Fife. Beginners should just aim for a sharp photograph.