AboutTim Hrabia Expertise Picture quality problems and ideas for shooting great pictures.
Experience I have had my own darkroom since i was 14 and have developed color, black and white and Cibachrome prints from slides. I currently manage a department store photo lab and was a professional photographer for 8 years. I have shot weddings, boudoir, drag racing, rodeos and photojounalism. I have worked for 15 years with Fuji and Noritsu processors.
Organizations Northern Images photographers
Education/Credentials Several wedding photography seminars and photofinishing training seminars with Fuji and Noritsu.
Expert: Tim Hrabia Date: 7/8/2008 Subject: Poor quality pictures
Question QUESTION: I have a Canon S2 IS. I just can't get good sharp pictures with it. I have experimented with different settings and it just gets worse. Even with the Auto setting my pictures are not sharp and seem to not have the quality I would like. I'm thinking about selling it and getting another SLR. Do you have any ideas for me. I have taken some good pictures outdoors in a clear day but everything else is poor quality. Thank you
ANSWER: Good morning Sandy. Hey another great question and I can imagine you must be frustrated getting poor results. Makes you scared to try and take important pictures, right?
Your last line of your question was the most important because it tells me your camera is working fine and it may just be one of your settings. If your camera takes good pictures out in sunlight the problem is most likely your flash or it's settings. I will assume that your flash is actually working and you or your subjects have seen the flash work.
Here is the simplest and yet most common trick that pro photographers use. Force your flash to flash for every picture, even outdoors. Read your manual and set your camera so that the flash will go off with every picture and do not set it for "red eye reduction". I suspect your flash is set for "auto" and will only go off when it thinks there is not enough light. The problem with that is what is enough light? The biggest problem I see when developing customers' photos is when they take a family shot in the dining room with a window behind the subject. Your eyes are amazing at adapting to low light so you may think there is enough light, but the camera needs more or the picture will be blurry, poorly lit and will have an overall color problem, (lots of green or yellow). What happens is the camera needs more light, but the light meter sees the light from the window and thinks there is enough. The camera then decides not to use the flash and there's your poor picture.
By forcing the flash to go off you make sure the shadows are filled in and you freeze the action so no blur.
Hope this helps you out and you start to get the great pictures you always wanted.
Happy clicking
Tim (the husband)
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QUESTION: Thanks Tim, I will try what you suggested. It makes sense although sometimes when I do use a flash indoors it has blown my subject out. Over the 4th, even my outdoor pictures where not a very good quality. Some noise and not the crystal sharpness I would like. As you can see I am and have been frustrated by this for quite some time. Thanks so much for your help.
By the way...is there an online site that I might be able to send a picture for critique to maybe figure out what is going on. I'm sure it is something in the settings I am using. Thanks again
Answer Good morning again. I would suggest you find a high quality photo lab in your area and take samples of your pics into them for their suggestions. Up here we have a store called London Drugs and they are very good with photofinishing. Go in and ask to speak to the photolab manager or supervisor and they should be able to help you. If you don't like their answer go ask someone else. You may also want to find out if you have a photo club in your area. There you can get a room full of experts to help you out.
Take care
Tim
