My photos on my nikon d5100 are coming out blurry on action mode and automatic mode?
I shoot skateboarding photos and all of the sudden every photo is coming out blurry, my friend was using it right before it started so i don't know if it was her
Check the ISO. She may have changed it. You probably want it on Automatic unless you have discovered what works better.
Two reasons, one your shutter speed isn't fast enough. Get off that cheesy action mode and start to learn to use your camera.
In manual shoot at at least 1/500. You'll need lots of light so if it's outdoors it'll be fine. In sun you can go up to 1/1000.
The real reason is that you are depending on the camera to do all your thinking when if comes to exposure.
To shoot action you need to have a shutter speed of at least 1/500th second and sometimes you have to take control and adjust both the lens aperture and ISO to achieve that shutter speed.
Blur as you have found out is caused by slow shutter speeds when either the camera and/or the subject is moving during the exposure
You have two choices. Shoot in manual mode and use the cameras light meter or set the shutter speed to 1/500th second in the shutter priority mode with the lens wide open… The viewfinder will say "lo" if not enough light is getting though the lens. That will mean you will have to manually raise the ISO until you shutter speed 1/500th of a second and lens aperture needed is not out of range
Sample shot taken at 1/500th second @f/2.8 with the ISO set to 3200.html? Sort=3&o=15
Sun already setting? Light is fading fast. Bump ISO up a bit and test. Take note. The higher you set ISO, the more grain/noise the picture will have. Your aim is to strike a balance between taking a decent shot with the less grain possible.
Automatic and scene modes are just a crutch for new DSLR owners until they can obtain the skills to advance to manual exposure modes. Auto mode is not going to provide acceptable results in every situation, and that is likely what is happening here.
At some point, you should familiarize yourself with the concept of exposure if you want to obtain the best photos from your camera.
I highly suggest picking up Bryan Peterson's book "Understanding Exposure" if you wan to advance your photography to the next level:
http://www.amazon.com/...817439390/
Oh, and if you are using live view to take photos - turn it off as that is a big contributor to blur - both in it's 1.4sec shutter delay when using live view and your inability to hold the camera steady enough for high speed photos. Live view should only be used for video or if you are using a tripod in non-action photography.
Many people like the D5xxx DSLRs for the articulated swing screen but do not realize it results in poor photos in most instances as it enforces bad handling technique.