Blurry photos can become the bane of an iPhone photographer’s existence. You probably see so many perfect, pristine iPhone photos on social media and wonder “what am I doing wrong?”
The truth is that there could be several problems causing your blurry photos. Discovering which is plaguing you is really a matter of narrowing down the possibilities.
In order to help, we’ve listed some of those possibilities below. By eliminating them one by one, you may just get rid of blurry photos altogether.
iPhones Are Not Magic Cameras
iPhone cameras have a strange legacy. There seems to be this belief that they’re cameras for dummies. That they’re what you use when you don’t want to bother to learn to use a “real” camera.
This mentality is a leading cause of blurry photos. Modern iPhones feature great cameras. Modern iPhones feature cameras that help automate and refine certain camera functions. What modern iPhones don’t do is take photos for you. You still need to know the basic elements of the process in order to succeed.
As such, be aware that blurry photos can often be the result of a misunderstanding regarding camera techniques. That’s what we’ll be focusing on most throughout this article.
Clean Your Camera Lens
While blurry photos are often the result of technique issues, this is one simple tip that could fix your problems.
Yes, it’s entirely possible that the problem with your camera is a dirty lens. Even the smallest smudge can throw off the quality of your images. It’s also surprisingly easy for a camera lens to suffer from the effects of debris.
Just wipe your iPhone lens with a microfiber cloth once in a while, and you should be good. More serious scratches may require repairs.
See if Your Case is Causing Blurry Photos
Do you use a larger iPhone Case? If so, it could be “blocking” your camera and causing blurry photos.
You may be thinking that case manufacturers would never design a case that would block a camera. To that, we’d first argue that nobody is perfect. We’d also suggest that while a case may not directly block your camera, it can obscure it in a way that causes focus problems.
Finally, there are just some cases that are too bulky to hold properly when taking photos. The point is that you may want to reconsider your phone case if blurry photos are an issue.
Check the Autofocus Settings
Autofocus can be a real lifesaver. It can also be one of the leading causes of consistently blurry photos.
The difference between the two outcomes comes down to situations and settings. It could be that your settings are not optimized to generate the right level of focus in the proper situations. It could be that your phone is consistently trying to focus on the wrong things.
Whatever the specifics are, playing with your autofocus settings can eliminate so many common causes of blurry photos. It’s really just about trying different things.
Play With Lighting Settings
Along with focus, your lighting is one of those common iPhone settings that routinely results in blurry photos.
Again, the issue here is that your phone is trying to adjust the lighting in the wrong situations. Maybe your flash setting is off or maybe your phone isn’t properly reading the lighting. In most cases, your phone probably isn’t automatically adjusting to a given situation properly.
Much like focusing, this is really a matter of playing with overall and individual settings in order to find what works for you.
Watch Your Movements
It takes a lot of practice to take a steady photo. Even with software designed to help you stabilize images, learning to keep your hands steady is a bit of a process.
Still learning to steady yourself while taking photos can certainly result in blurry photos. Even the slightest movement can cause your phone to adjust its settings in such a way that ruins the photo. Even the motion itself can blur an image.
The two best ways to prevent this involve practice and accessories. Practice obviously makes perfect while stabilization accessories can help in the short-term. You should certainly consider buying a smaller tripod for larger shots.
Subject Movements Can Result in Blurry Photos
You know that moving the camera too much can cause blurry photos. However, have you considered that your subject could be the problem?
Despite technological advancements, a moving subject can still cause havoc in your photo. The good news is that you don’t have to ask them to remain completely still. The bad news is that you may need to learn to adjust for minor movements which can cause big problems.
When possible, try to get the subject of your photo to remain as still as possible. When that’s not an option, make sure your own hands are stable and your settings are optimized.
Restart the Camera App/iPhone
Yes, we know you hear this advice all the time. However, that’s because it really does work in a surprising number of instances. It can even fix your blurry photos.
If you just can’t seem to shake those blurry images, try to reset your phone, camera, and associated photo apps. Whatever is causing the problem could be an issue that is best addressed via a simple reset.
We can’t guarantee this is the cause of your issues, but it’s certainly one of the first things you should try.
Wide Shots Can Lead to Blurry Photos
More often than not, we tend to take wider photos. That is to say that we take photos in a horizontal orientation that feature a variety of subjects and objects.
These also tend to be the most blurry photos. That’s usually because you have so much in your photo that your settings can struggle to focus on any one thing. You’re also trying to account for various lighting and movement conditions with some shots.
When taking wider photos, be aware of how much is happening in them and what your camera is focusing on/adjusting for.
Take Lots of Test Photos in Various Environments
The worst thing about blurry photos is that they tend to ruin a photo you can’t recreate. That’s not always the case, but the factors that contribute to blurry photos mean such pictures are more likely to be wasted.
The best way to avoid this is to take pictures that don’t matter. By taking a series of test shots in various environments, you can safely test your phone without running a photo you care about.
This is honestly the one tip that you should follow if you want to truly fix blurry photos. It’s the only one that allows you to adjust your techniques and settings in such a way that addresses the real problems.
Leave a Reply