1. Blurry Pictures
One of the top complaints from amateur photographers is that their images have come
out blurry. The simple answer to this problem usually is that there isn’t enough light
reaching the sensor, so the camera struggles to take a sharp image. Various ways to solve
this issue include using a tripod or a monopod (a must in low light conditions!), choosing
a higher ISO setting for faster shutter speeds or using flash to freeze any movement.

2. Too Much Contrast
A photograph with too much contrast has a
strong difference between light (highlight) and
darker (shadow) areas of the image. This is
very apparent in photographs taken on a sunny
day. Use flash to fill in the dark shadowy areas
of the image and try underexposing the image
by one or two stops to see the difference it
makes.

3. Underexposed Pictures
An underexposed image is one that is too dark because there wasn’t enough light
reaching the sensor when the image was taken. If you see on your LCD screen that
an image looks too shadowy and underexposed, you can try opening the aperture
to allow more light in. You can also adjust the exposure on a DSLR, selecting the ‘+’
to add more light, usually in ½ stop increments.

4. Overexposed Pictures
If your photograph is too bright and lacking in detail, then it is overexposed. This means
there is too much light hitting the sensor. Overexposure can be particularly bad on bright
days or with light colored subjects. To correct for overexposure, you can try
underexposing the image by choosing -0.5 or -1 and seeing if more detail has been
retained. Additionally, use spot metering for accurate results - pick a grey mid-toned area
in your image as the guideline.

5. Off-Colors
Off-colors, or color casts are a well known problem in digital photography. In digital
imaging we can use the white balance (WB) settings to deal with this problem. Choose
“auto” or the proper WB settings for the scenario. For example, an indoor photograph
tends to look orange because the incandescent (tungsten) light bulb emits “warm” or
orange light. The tungsten setting devised for this scenario will add blue to balance it out.