How to fix blurry photos?

[Jezza819]

Actually, photography from the stands like that is quite simple.
Due to the distance, focusing on anything on the ice will get the job done.
For exposure, you just need to go into manual mode, set the options as needed (shutter speed a 1/500, ISO at sky high). Leave them there until something changes (like the spotlight thing).

Regular lighting doesn't seem to be a problem. At least looking at these latest pics. I just need to understand what to do when the light is low and when the spotlight thing happens. Of course at concerts spotlights are going to be a problem. But the last phone I had seemed to handle that a lot better.

 

[ManiacJoe]

The trick is to understand what the mini computer in the camera wants to do. The exposure system wants to make the scene look like a nice medium gray. Under normal lighting, this works well. When the small subject is a big difference in brightness compared to the large background, the system starts to fall apart.

When the small subject is bright and the large background is dark, the camera wants to make everything brighter due to the dark background taking up so much space. This results in the small bright subject getting blown out in brightness.

When the small subject is dark and the large background is bright, the camera wants to make everything darker due to the bright background taking up so much space. This results in the small dark subject getting even darker.

The cool thing about the phone's camera is that it will show you the results on the screen before you take the picture. In manual mode, set the shutter speed to 1/500, which will initially be a really dark photo. Then keep scrolling up the ISO until the brightness looks right. Tapping on the screen to set the focus point will also help with the exposure as you are now telling the camera what the important part of the image is.

When the spotlight comes on, drop the ISO down. The catch with the spotlight on the ice is that when you get the subject to look good, the ice may still be too bright; but that is OK.

 

[Jezza819]

The trick is to understand what the mini computer in the camera wants to do. The exposure system wants to make the scene look like a nice medium gray. Under normal lighting, this works well. When the small subject is a big difference in brightness compared to the large background, the system starts to fall apart.

When the small subject is bright and the large background is dark, the camera wants to make everything brighter due to the dark background taking up so much space. This results in the small bright subject getting blown out in brightness.

When the small subject is dark and the large background is bright, the camera wants to make everything darker due to the bright background taking up so much space. This results in the small dark subject getting even darker.

The cool thing about the phone's camera is that it will show you the results on the screen before you take the picture. In manual mode, set the shutter speed to 1/500, which will initially be a really dark photo. Then keep scrolling up the ISO until the brightness looks right. Tapping on the screen to set the focus point will also help with the exposure as you are now telling the camera what the important part of the image is.

When the spotlight comes on, drop the ISO down. The catch with the spotlight on the ice is that when you get the subject to look good, the ice may still be too bright; but that is OK.

Just playing around in settings I'm starting to get a little more comfortable with going in and adjusting things. I haven't taken any additional pics yet but I see the things you're saying to adjust.

At the concert Dolly Parton was dressed head to toe in rhinestones and when the spotlight was on her it was like nothing but a white glare due to the additional reflection. I was just glancing at the phones around me and everyone was having the same trouble.

 

[Mooncatt]

At the concert Dolly Parton was dressed head to toe in rhinestones and when the spotlight was on her it was like nothing but a white glare due to the additional reflection. I was just glancing at the phones around me and everyone was having the same trouble.

That probably had a lot to do with the optics, especially the protective glass over the lens. It can cause direct light/reflections to blow out like that. Even in the pro-photography scene, photographers will shell out big money on "Good glass." In many cases, upgrading their lenses before upgrading the body.