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How to Fix Blurry Pictures With Software

One of the most common reasons for blurry photographs is shooting in low light conditions that require you to use a slow shutter speed. Using a slow shutter speed allows more light to enter the camera, but will also show any signs of camera shake if the camera is not properly mounted on a tripod. Blurry photos will also occur if you have not used the focus on the camera properly. You can transform a blurry photograph into a work of art using digital editing programs such as Adobe Photoshop.

Instructions

- 1
  Open the image into your image editing software to begin the editing process. In Photoshop, select "File" and then "Open" to browse for the image. The image will open automatically as its own background layer.
- 2
  Enhance the photograph before applying any filters. Adjust the levels of the picture to bring out the differences between the white and blacks in the picture and adjust the contrast. These enhancements will make the picture appear sharper by creating greater definition between the colors. In Photoshop, select "Image" and then "Adjustments" and then "Levels" to open the levels window. Move the arrow white and black arrows on either side to adjust the black and white portions of the image.
- 3
  Apply a sharpening filter to the entire image to reduce the overall blurriness of the photograph. Click "Filter" and then "Sharpen" followed by "Sharpen" again to apply this filter. Sharpening filters increase the contrast of adjacent pictures to make the picture look sharper. Avoid over-sharpening the image, which will make the picture too grainy.
- 4
  Use the unsharp mask or sharpen edges feature to sharpen just the edges of the picture while leaving the rest smooth. Click "Filter" and then "Sharpen" to open a drop down menu. Choose the type of sharpening from the list to apply it.
- 5
  Sharpen select areas of the picture using the sharpen tool. Move the tool over the picture to sharpen only select blurry pictures. This is effective for a picture in which only a few features are out of focus. In Photoshop, select the "pointing finger" icon from the toolbar, and click and hold it. When the drop down menu appears, choose the triangular icon called "Sharpen Tool."

Photography