Take Sharp Digital Photo Secrets
There are lots of ingredients to making a spectacular photograph, but the most important is for the picture to be in sharp focus. Just a small amount of blur can make a picture so-so, no matter how good the lighting, color and subject.
Photographers have somewhat varying opinions on what constitutes a tack sharp picture, but generally, a tack sharp photograph has good, clean lines. Instead of a soft blending of lines or even downright blurry, the picture has clear definition.
There are several things you can do to increase your chances of getting that coveted tack sharp picture.
Hand-Held Digital Photography Tips
If you’re hand-holding your camera, brace your arms against your sides to help steady the camera. This is the time to have your camera’s anti-shake technology such as Vibration Reduction (VR) or Image Stabilization (IS) lens turned on.
You can also lean against a wall or tree or whatever sturdy object that’s handy, and help keep yourself and your camera steady. Putting you camera against or on some readily available sturdy object will also help steady the camera.
Steadying your camera by hooking the strap under your elbow and wrapping the rest around your forearm will also help stabilize the camera and hold it steady in your hand.
Getting those tack sharp photos while hand-holding your camera can be difficult, so to increase your chances of getting that perfect shot, use the burst or continuous shooting mode on your camera to take several shots at once.At least one picture should be in sharp focus when you’ve taken a whole series of shots.
Tripods For Better Focus
There’s no getting around the fact that it’s easier to get a tack sharp photo using a tripod. A person just can’t keep a camera as still and steady as a tripod does.A tripod is like most things in life, and you get what you pay for. Cheap tripods will help steady the camera, but not as well as a more expensive tripod does.The best idea is to buy the best tripod you can afford.
The more expensive tripods don’t come with the head attached.This had to be bought separately, but that way you get to choose what you want. A quality ballhead on your tripod will keep you camera from sliding to one side and blurring the photo.
If you’re somewhere that carrying a tripod just won’t work, beanbags make a nice cushion for cameras in these settings. Sitting the camera on a beanbag will steady it and help you get a sharp picture. It also helps in positioning the camera to get the angle needed for your subject.
To improve your chances of a tack sharp photo even more, use a cable release instead of pressing the shutter. Pressing the shutter may not seem like much movement, but it’s often enough to prevent you getting a tack sharp photo.
If you don’t have a cable release, the self timer will also work. This means when you press the shutter, the camera has time to stabilize before it actually takes a picture.
More Advanced Digital Photography Secrets For Sharp Shots
If you have a digital SLR camera, there are even more ways to make sure your camera stays steady while taking pictures.
The first is to use mirror lock-up.When you take a picture the mirror doesn’t move until after the picture is taken because it is locked in the up position. This limits the movement inside the camera. This means to take a picture, you will have to press the shutter release button twice on your remote or cable release (you’re not going to all this trouble and pressing the shutter release on the camera are you?). The first press lifts the mirror and the second press actually takes the picture.
The second method is to turn off the Vibration Reduction or Image Stabilization.It may sound counter productive, but even after the camera is steady because of the tripod, the vibration control keeps looking for movement. Vibration reduction can actually cause some shaking looking for movement that isn’t there. A good rule of thumb is to use automated vibration controls when hand-holding a camera, but turn them off when using a tripod.
One last way to increase the sharpness of your pictures is to have good glass. The lens used will make a considerable difference. A quality lens with good glass is more expensive of course, but it’s another instance of getting what you pay for. Consider it an investment in great photography.
Use as many methods as you can to steady your camera, and you’ll have a much better chance of getting those lovely tack sharp photographs.
