Question from a newbie

flatheadfisher

I have a weird blur to the left of the bird's head in this picture: http://michaelayers.smugmug.com/photos/355967977_q6q3b-X3.jpg . I used a Rebel XTi and a Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM with the flash built into the camera. I don't have a clue what caused it but I want to know how to avoid it in the future.

Thanks for any advice!

pyry

Looks like a slow sync effect. The bird has moved during the exposure and it shows as ghosting around the flash lit image.

You could make the ambient lighting brighter or up the sensitivity to help make the exposure shorter or use a bounced flash.

Btw, to help us help you, post your pictures right here in the thread with the exif

Tee Why

Do you have the setting/EXIF?
Looks like ghosting from a UV filter to me. Another option maybe subject blur but I wouldn't think so with a flash as it would tend to freeze motion.

pyry

Tee Why wrote:

Another option maybe subject blur but I wouldn't think so with a flash as it would tend to freeze motion.

It does, but if there's some ambient light and you use a longish shutter speed, you can get a neatly frozen flash lit subject surrounded by a severely motion blurred ghosting effect - what the camera saw of the subject in the ambient. This is called a slow sync effect and looks like this. This is one those things that should generally be avoided - or put to good use

flatheadfisher

Thanks for the replies. I did have a UV filter on the lens. Here is the image info:

Basic

Date Modified2008-08-20 21:36:14Date Taken2008-08-20 17:06:55CameraCanon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XTiExposure Time0.0166s (1/60)Aperturef/2.8ISO100Focal Length100mm (160mm in 35mm)Photo Dimensions3888 x 2592File Namefeh g.jpgFile Size2.29 MB
Detailed

Flashflash fired, compulsory flash mode, red-eye reduction modeExposure ProgrammanualExposure Bias0 EVExposure ModemanualWhite Balanceauto

Scott_Quier

This is slow-shutter sync artifact. You shot at 1/60 second. The bird was to the right at the start of the exposure (when the flash fired). After the flash finished, you still had the major portion of that 1/60sec left. The bird moved it's head somewhere during that time period and created the ghosted affect.

This is a very common effect and, if you use second shutter synchronization (see your owner's manual, it'll be one of the custom functions on your camera), the ghosting affect can be quite interesting.

flatheadfisher

That makes sense. Thanks for the help. I thought it was probably something like that. But, the lens is only two weeks old and I wanted to be sure there wasn't something wrong with it! I don't use the flash much - another variable I must learn more about.

Thanks again!

Scott_Quier

flatheadfisher wrote:

That makes sense. Thanks for the help. I thought it was probably something like that. But, the lens is only two weeks old and I wanted to be sure there wasn't something wrong with it! I don't use the flash much - another variable I must learn more about.

Thanks again!

It's ALL a learning process. Once you think you have one thing figured out something else pops up it's head and you're off again! That's what makes it fun and interesting. Every situation is different and requires you to apply what you know in different ways and/or learn something new. It doesn't get any better than that!