Based on Tip #1, if you started taking some photographs without using your flash, you might be finding that a lot of your photographs are blurry.
With that here is Tip #2: Stop Taking Blurry Photos.
The reason your are getting blurry photos is that the shutter on your camera is staying open while something in your frame is moving, or you are moving. There are a couple ways to fix this, but first let’s talk about shutter speed.
On your point and shoot camera you may have a setting labeled S (Shutter). If you set it to S, then you should have the option to manually change your shutter speed. Shutter speed means how fast the lens opens and closes to capture a photograph. The general rule with shutter speed is as follows:
More Light = Faster Shutter
Less Light = Slower Shutter
Most point and shoots have a big screen on the back with a Live View. This means you don’t look through the little eye piece, you look at the screen on the back of the camera and take the photo. The problem with this is that most people hold their arms straight out while doing this.
Try This Experiment: Grab your point and shoot camera, leave it off, just hold it in your hands arms stretched out. Now just try to be really still for even a half a second. You may find it is a little difficult.
Solution: Most people don’t carry a tripod around with them, so you need to create a tripod with what you have. First if your camera has the little eye piece you can look through, use that instead of looking at your display screen. This will force you to place the camera against your face immediately improving your steadiness under slow shutter speeds.
Next, Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your elbows locked at your side. This will give you a much steadier shot.
The building photograph is with my wife’s Olympus point and shoot while on a trip in Boston. The camera was on Night Setting (which is a slow shutter speed setting) with my elbows tucked into my body and the camera pressed to my face. This allowed for the best tripod I had available.
Another option is to use a flat surface and rest a body part or the camera on it, or lean against something. Always thinking of how to keep the camera still will improve the sharpness of your photographs. I am sure you can come up with additional ways to keep your camera still while keeping your shutter speed slow.
