Avoid Blurry Photos With These 10 Tips

Monday 24 August 2026, 20:20 by Nando Harmsen | 1,820 views | 9 comments

This article was translated from Dutch with the help of AI. Read the original.

A blurry photo can have several causes. Preventing blur can sometimes be a matter of using the right settings. It can also be down to the way you take the photo.

A blurry photo can be frustrating. Do your photos often turn out blurry? There can be several causes. Find out what the reason is, and you can solve it.

I have listed a number of causes of blurry photos. See it as a guide to discovering why it happens to you.

1. A shutter speed that is too slow

The shutter speed must not be too slow, otherwise you cannot hold the camera still and you get motion blur. Follow this rule: the shutter speed must be at least 1/focal length, corrected for the crop factor.

There is some room for manoeuvre. Image stabilisation can help. Some people have more difficulty holding the camera steady, and therefore need to use slightly faster shutter speeds.

2. Subject moves too fast

The 1/shutter speed rule, corrected for the crop factor, gives you the minimum shutter speed you should use for sharp photos. You can use slower shutter speeds thanks to image stabilisation.

Bear in mind that image stabilisation does not correct movement of your subject. The movement of the subject determines your minimum shutter speed for sharp photos.

Moving people certainly require 1/125 to 1/250 sec. If they are running, it needs to be faster. The same applies to other action photography. A flying bird quickly requires 1/2000 sec. Adjust your shutter speed accordingly.

3. Autofocus on the wrong point

There are many clever focusing methods. From subject recognition to eye detection. But if the wrong subject, or the wrong eye, is selected, things go wrong.

Always keep an eye on the point where your camera is focusing. Make sure the right point is selected. Never blindly rely on what the camera chooses for you.

4. Wrong autofocus setting

This follows on from the previous point. Choose the right autofocus setting. This can be a single point, or you can give the camera the freedom to choose the point.

There is no single perfect setting. Every situation has an optimal autofocus setting. Learn which one works best for your photography. That means trying things out and learning how your camera responds.

5. ISO value too high

A high ISO value causes noise. If the ISO is set extremely high, it can cause loss of detail. This can come across as blur. Bear this in mind.

This problem only occurs at extremely high ISO values. In fact, at values that already produce an unusable result. Prevent the camera from using those extremely high ISO values.

6. Poor or unstable tripod

A tripod is there for stability. It allows you to use slow shutter speeds or support heavy equipment. But it must actually be stable, otherwise it does not work.

Match your choice of tripod to how you use it. Make sure you have a good tripod. Make sure your tripod is suitable for your equipment. Above all, make sure you set the tripod up stably.

7. Image stabilisation on when using a tripod

Modern lenses and cameras detect when a tripod is being used. Image stabilisation is then switched off. If it remains on, blur will occur.

It is always better to switch off image stabilisation when working from a tripod. Even if the camera detects the tripod, operating the camera can be enough to switch the stabilisation back on.

8. Pressing the shutter button too abruptly

It is important to press the shutter button in a controlled way. If you do it too roughly or abruptly, you can move the camera, which causes blur.

Press the shutter button gently. Practise this too. Avoid pushing the camera down when pressing the button.

9. Autofocus is off or limited

If autofocus is not switched on, the camera will not focus automatically. Always check that autofocus is actually switched on. This can easily go unnoticed, especially when using a wide-angle lens.

Also check the focus limiter, if the lens has one. It limits the range of the autofocus. This is often intended to focus better and faster, but it can also work against you.

10. No stable stance

Your stance while taking photos can make a big difference between a sharp and a blurry photo. If you stand on one leg while taking a photo, you are less stable than when standing on both legs.

Make sure you are standing steadily, with good support for the camera. Even breathing can make a difference. Find that stability, and the number of blurry photos can decrease.

It happens to everyone

Do not get frustrated when you occasionally have blurry photos. It happens to everyone to some extent. Always try to find out why they are blurry. Then you can do something about it.

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