[koopa troopa]

hi there. i'm having trouble focusing on my camera. when i normally take pics, i don't like to use flash because it makes everything look less natural, imo. i take the flash off, adjust the white balance, but the camera always tells me i'm too shaky and the pics end up out of focus. what should i do?

if i continue to use flash, how can i make things look more natural?

[fi_di_bot]

Hi Koopatroopa
i use a nikon coolpix 4.1 but i use the flash for taking pics, i just try to point the flash away from flowers.
(give a look to my gallery to see how the pics come out)

you can try to take the pics without the flash but with a strong enviromental light or try to use the flash added to the light of your bulb. let me know

[koopa troopa]

thanks for helping. i thought no one had these cameras. can you please explain what you mean by pointing flash away? i think i realize now that when i take pics away from the light, they get more blurry.

[hazyfontazy]

leave the flash on but cover it with a cig paper or tissue

[koopa troopa]

wow thank's a lot. is that so the flash isn't as intense?

[hazyfontazy]

yes ,,i'm not sure how good it will work but if i wanna stop light getting to my propagator i cover it with nft spreader to filter the light abit ,so principle should work the same

[FastForward]

Koopa -

You're right - flash sucks, but it gives the light needed for a fast enough shutter speed to stop blur. What you need is to put it on a tripod, or rested on a surface (beanbags work well, make one with plastic bag and rice, or coco, or whatever) and then either press gently on the shutter release....or if it has a timer, use that - set the self timer and take your hands off. You should get a nice sharp photo without using flash (you just can't handhold it at those low levels of light)

[MR.SOG]

i think a tripod will solve your focusing problem. using one of fastfoward's suggestions isn't too bad either.