I suck at pictures. Thoughts?

[strube]

Hey guys. Does anyone know why there are spots on only some of my photos? The lens is clean. I thought it was dust on the CCD or something when I was using my wife's old camera and I had this issue but I just took the below pic with the brand new camera I got for Christmas and it is spotty too. The pics I took right before and after don't have the spots.

Any suggestions? Thanks!

 

[mike c]

that's probably flying dust particles illuminated by direct frontal flash

(it's why divers use a light coming from a different angle when taking underwater photos)

solutions:
1) tripod? (so it can take longer exposures without flash)
2) SLR with external flash unit
3) air filter and a vacuum
4) turn off AC/fans some time before taking the shot (try not to disturb the carpet when walking in)

 

[strube]

Ahhh yes. That makes complete sense. Thanks a lot, Mike!

I will definitely throw it up on the tripod next time and axe the flash. The heater was probably on at the time I took the photo as well.

 

[emorphien]

Obviously your basement is haunted!

Interesting tidbit: those orbs you hear people getting excited about as though they're ghostly spirits or something... those are dust particles!

 

[Stereodude]

That's dust on the lens being lit up from light reflected from the blinds. Light that ultimately came from the flash.

I don't see how that could be dust in the air. It if was it would have to be almost on the lens.

 

[emorphien]

That's dust on the lens being lit up from light reflected from the blinds. Light that ultimately came from the flash.

I don't see how that could be dust in the air. It if was it would have to be almost on the lens.

Having dust in the air reflect light from the flash back at the lens and being caught in the frame like this is very common actually. Can happen even when there's nothing like the blinds to reflect the light. It also can't be too close to the lens otherwise the light from the flash won't really hit it, but to be blurry like this it also can't be too far away.

Physically/optically I don't think the blinds would be reflecting enough light to make the dust visible like that anyway.

 

[j_garcia]

That looks a lot like dust on the lens. I've taken very similar pics then looked at my lens and that was it.

 

[emorphien]

It's true that can happen (has happened to me) but requires strong light hitting the lens such as the sun being off to the side. My lenses aren't always terribly clean or free of dust but thanks to lens hoods and avoiding having unwanted light sources outside the frame hitting the lens, I can avoid these kinds of spots. Don't really think it's what happened here, still