Day One
Understanding Why Photos Blur
(And Why It’s Not Your Fault)
Before you learn how to avoid blur, you need the simple truth:
Blur happens when movement meets too little light.
There are two types of blur:
Motion Blur
The subject moves while the shutter is open.
Camera Shake
You move while the shutter is open.
Both are solved in almost the same way,
and both are more common in dim light —
not because you “did something wrong,”
but because your camera needs more time to make the photo.
Today you’ll learn exactly what’s causing blur in your shots,
so you can fix it without guessing.
What Movement Looks Like in Photos (Soft + Simple)
Movement Blur
The subject looks streaky or ghosted.
Happens when shutter speed is too slow.
Camera Shake
Everything looks soft —
not out of focus, just a little “mushy.”
Happens when YOU move during the shot.
Both are solved by the same things:
• faster shutter
• steadier hands
• more light
• or raising ISO
You’re not fixing problems —
you’re learning how to shape motion.
How iPhone + Camera Handle Movement Differently
On a Camera:
You control shutter speed directly (next lesson).
Fast shutter = freeze
Slow shutter = blur
On iPhone:
The camera chooses shutter automatically,
so your tools are:
• how steady you are
• how much light is available
• Burst Mode
• Live Photo → Long Exposure
• and tapping to lock focus/exposure
Both can create beautiful stillness or motion —
the tools are just different.
Today’s Practice: Spot-the-Blur Test
Choose a few simple subjects:
• your hand waving
• someone walking
• water pouring from a tap
• blowing leaves
• your own feet while moving
• anything with small motion
Take three photos of each:
Photo 1 — Let the camera guess
No extra steadiness.
Just take the shot.
Photo 2 — Stay steady
Elbows in
Gentle exhale
Soft shutter press
iPhone: two hands, tap-to-focus
Take the shot.
Photo 3 — Add more light
Move to a brighter area
(or point toward a brighter part of the room)
Take the shot.
What You’ll Notice
• Photo 1 may look soft — because movement + dim light = blur
• Photo 2 will likely be sharper — your steadiness changed everything
• Photo 3 will be sharpest — because more light = faster shutter
You didn’t change settings.
You didn’t use special tricks.
You simply learned how movement and light interact.
That’s the foundation of this week.
Why This Matters
You’re not “bad at holding a camera.”
You’re not “blurry by nature.”
Your iPhone isn’t “bad” in low light.
Movement simply needs enough light
and a steady hand
to stay sharp.
This awareness alone will make your photos feel more controlled.
Tomorrow, you learn shutter speed basics — the clear, simple version that teaches you the exact speeds that freeze motion and the speeds that show it.
A Quiet Story
A photograph freezes one tiny sliver of time.
Not the whole day… just a heartbeat of it.
Most people shoot without asking themselves
what moment am I actually capturing?
They see something pretty and click.
But real storytelling comes from presence.
Today wasn’t about making a “perfect photo.”
It was about learning to witness —
to see the moment inside the moment.
When you notice the small happening —
the way the light shifts,
the way your dog turns its head,
the way the curtain breathes —
your photos stop being snapshots
and start becoming stories.
Presence is the ingredient.
PAUSE
Let yourself arrive in the moment before you lift your camera.
NOTICE
What small happening is unfolding right now?
CAPTURE
Photograph three tiny moments:
• steam rising
• your dog shifting their weight
• wind moving leaves
• sunlight moving across a floor
• your own hand reaching for something
• the turn of a page
Capture the moment in between things.
REFLECT
• Did slowing down help you see the story?
Reflective Question:
What moment in your life today felt small on the outside but meaningful on the inside?