blur in my photos of my niece

[Pink_Estrella]

so i have been trying to take a good photo of my niece and i am having trouble with the blur.the only photos i get of her that are not blury are close ups to her face like this photo i have posted


DSCF0160 by Pink_Estrella1, on Flickr

and then there are the photos like this that are at the same zoom and im not moving...with the back ground more the way i want her face to be...


DSCF0200 by Pink_Estrella1, on Flickr

what is the shutter speed i should be using for a all around good photo of hear i do hope that someone out there who can help me...

 

[Designer]

Usually the inverse of the focal length at he slowest. If your lens is a 50mm, for instance, then the slowest would be 1/60 sec. Faster shutter speeds are better for clear photos.

In the first one, I think the camera has focused on her shirt, and in the second one it apparently focused on the background. That is not unusual, but you need to be aware of how the camera focuses in order to anticipate where it will focus.

In the first one, the camera chose the high-contrast design on her shirt, so nearly everything on the shirt is in focus, but not her face.

In the second one, the camera could not focus on her face most likely becuse it is so close to the camera, so the camera focused on the sidewalk instead.

 

[MLeeK]

These are just plain missed focus. You need to be using ONE focus point and locking it onto the inside of the eye closest to you.

 

[Derrel]

Your subject might very well be closer than the MFD, or Minimum Focusing Distance for the lens in use!

 

[Pink_Estrella]

so if i use the tracker on the menu do you think that would help at all... new to this not really sure about all the stuff u guys are talking about

 

[MLeeK]

You need to begin to understand how the camera works if you are going to get better shots with it. From your photo stream you are playing in the auto modes. Until you learn how to get out of that and into at least shutter or aperture priority you won't be able to control that.
You are still pretty limited with your camera what you can control on the focus. Your options are Center, Multi, and Area. I'd go with that center focus to keep your camera from choosing just any point that it likes the contrast on.

Your camera also won't focus any closer than 1.3 feet from the lens if you are NOT using zoom and if you are using the zoom no closer than 9.1 feet
HOWEVER if you are in super macro mode you can focus as close as .8 inches (no zoom) and 3.3 (with zoom.)

 

[Pink_Estrella]

thanks Mleek i understand what your saying now i was in the auto mode when taking the photos the next step for me is to know what im focus <3