Why Does My Engagement Ring Come Out Blurry in Pictures?

Out of Focus

• Blurry engagement ring photos can be a result of focus. Getting detailed shots of a ring requires the use of a macro lens, which takes patience and precision in focusing properly.

Camera Shake

• The images may also be blurry from camera shake. This happens when the shutter speed used to take the photograph is slow enough to show any movement of the camera. This is typically any shutter speed 1/30 of a second or slower. You may not even notice the camera moving while pushing the shutter button, but even the smallest movements can cause blurring in a photo.

Dirty Lens

• Natural body oils can easily be smeared on the front of a lens from an inadvertent fingertip. This can cause a refraction of light through the lens, which causes blurring and other effects in photos. Natural oils from hands and fingers are not the only things which can cause a dirty lens. Chemical sprays, mist or raindrops and even lens cleaning fluid not used properly can leave a fine film over the lens, causing images to blur.

Wrong Depth of Field

• Depth of field is a photographic term referring to how much is in focus at a given f-stop setting. A larger f-stop, or aperture, renders less in focus than a smaller f-stop. In practical terms, this means correct focus is critical at large f-stops and becomes even more critical when photographing small objects such as an engagement ring using a macro lens. Even with critical focus, a large f-stop may still cause some parts of the ring to appear blurry. A smaller f-stop is needed to ensure the entire ring will be in focus.