Bringing the blur back into focus...
Restore blur to clarity
Isn't it annoying when you take a set of photos, and many of them come back blurred? It's one of the most common problems photographers have, but one of the hardest to correct after the photograph has been taken!
Doesn’t it bother you when you take a lot of photos and many of them are blurry? This is one of the most common problems for photographers, but the most difficult is how to fix these blurry photos.
This tutorial will show you how to repair photo blur, and how to avoid it in the future.
This tutorial will show you how to fix blurry photos and how to avoid taking such photos in the future.
The Basic Principle
basic principles
If you've used Photoshop or Photoshop Elements for a while now, you may have noticed two terms that walk hand in hand. 'Blurring' and 'Sharpening'.
If you are currently using Photoshop or Photoshop Elements, you will notice two items together - "Blur" and "Sharpen".
Basically, sharpening an image is the opposite of blurring it. Photoshop Elements provides many different ways to sharpen an image.
Generally speaking, sharpening an image is the opposite process of blurring an image. Photoshop Elements offers many different ways to sharpen an image.
To start with there's the 'Sharpen Tool', found near the bottom of your tool palette. This allows you to sharpen just a certain area of a picture, using an appropriate brush shape and size.
You can find the Sharpen Tool at the bottom of the toolbar, which allows you to sharpen an image within a certain range using the appropriate brush shape and size.
If you're sharpening the whole image, you can use the filters in the 'Sharpen' category under the 'Filter' menu. These include 'Sharpen', 'Sharpen More', and 'Sharpen Edges'.
If you want to sharpen the entire image, you can use the filters in the Filter Library in the Filter menu, which include "Sharpen," "Sharpen Further," and "Sharpen Edges."
Additionally to all of that, if you like to correct photos in 'Quick Fix' mode, there is a sharpen slider available in that section for you to use.
Also, if you want to fix an image in Quick Repair mode, only the Sharpen slider is at your disposal.
A 'Quick' Example
Examples of quick fixes
Shown further down is a portion of a photograph I took which exhibited minor blur. This is a correctable level of blur, and so I opened the photo in Photoshop Elements, and switched into 'Quick Fix' mode, using the button shown below:
Shown below is a slightly blurry part of the photo I took (the translation of this sentence is not accurate, I don’t know how to translate it), which is within the scope of blur repair, so I opened the photo in Photoshop Elements, and then switched to the quick repair mode , using the buttons shown below:
I always like to see the before and after picture in quick fix mode, and so I changed my view accordingly.
Typically, I look at before and after pictures in quick mode, so I change my opinion as time goes by.
To do this, use the drop down box in the bottom left hand corner, and select 'Before and After (Portrait)', as shown below:
To do this, use the drop-down menu on the left hand side and select Before and After (Portrait) as shown below:
The 'Sharpen' slider is the furthest one down on the right hand side by default. By dragging it around two thirds of the way along, I was able to reduce the blurring effect on my photo. Shown below is the photo before and after sharpening :
The sharpening slider is by default on the far right. By dragging the slider to 2/3, I can usually reduce the effect of blur on my photos. The following pictures are before and after sharpening:
Over-Sharpening
Over sharpening
Unfortunately, sharpening is a rather in-exact art, and carries a danger with it. Because of the way it works, it is all-too-easy to 'over-sharpen' an image, causing very unattractive results.
Unfortunately, sharpening is a relatively imprecise art, and it comes with certain dangers, because of the way it works, it's easy to over-sharpen an image, resulting in rather undesirable results. This is especially common when using the sharpen tool on a high strength setting. Below is shown an image which demonstrates the effect of over-sharpening:
This is especially common when using the sharpening tool at high intensity settings, as the image below shows the effect of over-sharpening:
To avoid over-sharpening, use the sharpen tools on low intensities, and only where they are needed.
To avoid oversharpening, use the sharpening tool at a low intensity and only where needed.
Severe Blurring
violent blur
In cases where images are extremely blurred, it is often impossible to repair them effectively.
If a photo is severely blurred, there's usually no effective way to fix it.
Below is shown an image, with some close-up sections, which is blurred to the point of no return:
The image below shows that in similar areas, the blur is not reduced.
There is very little you can do to correct images like this, but there is a lot you can do to avoid them!
There's almost nothing you can do to fix photos like this, but you can avoid taking photos like this.
Camera Shake
camera shake
The photo above was taken from a moving vehicle. To avoid blurring, photos should always be taken when the camera is stationary.
The photo above was taken from a moving car. To avoid blur, keep the camera still while shooting.
If you find (like me!) that your hands shake when you are taking photos, find something to rest the camera on. Ideally this would be a tripod, but if there is not one available, look for walls or other surfaces.
When you find that your hands are shaking when taking pictures, look for something to hold the camera, ideally a tripod, but if there is no tripod available, look for a wall or other surface. If no surface is available, try leaning up something again, or putting your elbows by your side, to steady your arms and reduce camera-shake.
If you don't have a suitable surface, try leaning against something, resting your elbows against your body, or stabilizing your arms to reduce camera shake.
Shutter Speed
shutter speed
Another way to reduce blurring is to increase the shutter speed of your camera. If your camera allows you to manually set the shutter speed, it is useful to remember that on high shutter speeds, blurring is usually dramatically reduced.
Another way to avoid blur is to increase the shutter speed of your camera. If your camera supports manual shutter speed settings, remember that increasing the shutter speed can greatly reduce blur.
Unfortunately the reverse is also true. Using slow shutter speeds, perhaps to compensate for bad light, blur is dramatically increased. Ensure that the camera is perfectly still on low shutter speeds.
Unfortunately the opposite is also true (the translation of this sentence is not accurate and I don't know how to translate it). Using a slow shutter speed may be able to compensate for the lack of light, but the blur will increase dramatically. It is still a slow shutter speed to ensure that the camera is perfect. .
Bad Light
Not enough light
Apart from shutter speed, photos are usually more prone to blurring in bad light anyway. If you are taking photos inside, ensure you use a flash if light is fading. When outside, the best tactic is once again a perfectly still camera.
In addition to shutter speed, blurry photos are sometimes caused by insufficient light. If you are shooting indoors, make sure to turn on the flash if there is insufficient light. When outdoors, the best strategy still depends on the camera. (This sentence is not accurately translated and I don’t know how to translate it.) .
If in Doubt...
Confused...
If you are struggling to take a particular image, the only other advice I can offer is to take lots of pictures! On a digital camera there can be a reasonably large variation between repeat shots. The more pictures you take, the more chance you stand of getting at least one good one!
If you strive to take special photos, my only advice to you is to take more! On a digital camera you can shoot repeatedly, and the more you shoot, the better your chances of getting the best photo!
Other Photo Repair Techniques
Other photo restoration techniques
If you are interested in learning about how to repair other forms of photographic damage, such as faded color or rips and blemishes, why not read my main tutorial on Restoring Photos.
If you're interested in how to repair other photo damage, like color casts, cracks and blemishes, why not check out my tutorials on Restoring Photos.
As you can see, especially around the text on the sign, the blur has been reduced by sharpening the image.
As you can see, especially in the text on the logo, the blur of the image is sharpened.
