Blurred photo question

[David H]

I have recently noticed when taking photos of lettering, a few blurred ones showed the usual double vision on the lettering, but have compared a couple to the focussed version and found the lettering appears to be the same width but with the light bit on one side where it was shaken and the dark on the other. How is this possible?

[shiznit]

It depends on how the lens is seeing the image and how the light is reflecting off of the image to the lens. Different angles and colours will produce different results. The best way to photograph type, especially at close range is with the camera in a fixed position i.e. on a tripod

[Answerprancer]

I find this hard to interpret and there is not enough information re the circumstances.
ie. Where is the lettering - on a hoarding somewhere/in a book/on the screen of your computer ?
What camera are you using and from what sort of distance/light level ?
"The usual double vision" !?

[Answerprancer]

If you are getting 'double vision' when photographing lettering, that sounds like motion blur. You need: better lighting, a tri-pod, faster shutter speed, or a higher ISO setting (whatever's easiest out of those options).

[David H]

These are old road signs, and try as I might however many goes I have the odd ones are all blurred from camera shake when I get home, and if miles away rarely want to go back there. Luckily the edit programs meant the prints were usable, but I'd have expected (and thank goodness were not) the two images of each letter to be wider than the original, ie unusable, but checked a few against good ones and seems the grey bit (you get a dark letter with a grey shadow next to it) is inside the letter boundaries so when I tone it down they almost disappear to black as the real thing was.

It's a rare thing when the technology creates a better result than expected but wondering the cause that makes a shadow which would normally be moved to the side as a ghost image be incorporated within it.