Junsphoto

It’s always best to get your photographs pin sharp at the picture-taking stage.  Although we can always sharpen photos using photoshop (to some extent), nothing beats the real thing.  I started out using film so I had to make sure I always had sharp pictures.  I somehow carried that discipline when I migrated to digital photography (less reliance on photoshop for sharpening).

I’ll be sharing tips on how one can take sharp photos…

1.  Use a Tripod.  Get a sturdy tripod not those flimsy ones that shakes every time a small gust of wind blows.  You’ll also need to invest in a remote switch (Image 1) to trigger the shutter.  If you dont have the budget yet, use the self timer.

 Image 1 – Remote Switch

 

There are do’s & dont’s in using a tripod as illustrated below:

 No part of your body should touch the tripod.  That’s why you need to invest in a remote switch.

 It’s a wrong notion wherein holding the tripod will add stability.  TOTALLY WRONG!  Compose your picture, make the necessary setting adjustments and then keep your hands off before taking the picture.  If you want stability, hang your camera bag at the center column.

 No remote switch???  Dont use your finger to press the shutter button!  Use the self-timer to maintain that hands-off policy 

 

2.  Use Mirror Lock-Up (If its available with your unit).  When you take a photo, the movement of the mirror in you camera also causes vibration.  Using this feature will eliminate the problem.  This works by delaying the opening of the shutter curtain (taking the photo) by at least 2 sec after lifting the mirror.

 

3.  Lens Quality.  Buy the best glass within your budget.  Dont scrimp on this!  A hi-end lens gives more details, cleaner image and better contrast compared to the entry level lenses.  Lets face it, you cant expect a US$100 18-55mm kit lens to give same results as a US$1,200 16-35mm pro-spec lens.  If you dont have the budget, buy the next best thing…

Since I shoot for fun, I just bought an entry level body and a large chunk of my budget went to buying pro-spec lenses.

 

4.  Shutter Speed.  Using the correct shutter speed in shooting is key.  Your shutter speed should be greater than the Focal Length (FL) you’re using.  Example:

• FL 28mm = speed 1/30 sec
• FL 100mm = speed 1/125 sec
• FL 200mm = speed 1/250 sec
• FL 300mm = speed 1/350 sec or 1/500 sec (ideal)

For digital SLRs, the 1.5x or 1.6x factor must be considered.  Example (using the 1.5x factor):

• FL in the lens marker 18mm = effective FL 27mm = speed 1/30 sec
• FL in the lens marker 135mm = effective FL 202mm = speed 1/250 sec
• FL in the lens marker 200mm = effective FL 300mm = speed 1/500 sec

 

5.  Aperture.  Use the optimum aperture of the lens or what they call the “sweet spot”.  In general, this covers the aperture f/8 to f/11.  They say everything in moderation is good, so avoid using the extremes f/2.8 or f/22.

Problem using the “sweet spot” is that you will have a greater depth of field (elements in the photograph will appear sharp from front to back).  This is ok if you’re shooting landscape but not if you’re trying to isolate the subject from the background.  Use this tip according to your needs.

 

6.  Focusing.  When using Auto Focus (AF), make sure that the camera focused on your intended element in the composition.  Keep an eye where the focusing point illuminates because that is where the camera is focused.

For more control, select the center focusing point (CFP) to be active.  You can then point the CFP to the element in the composition you want sharp, focus on it, recompose & fire away.

If you’re shooting landscape, focus a third of the way (see image below) into the frame for sharper pictures.  This is a crude method of using the hyperfocal distance.  Most modern lenses dont have hyperfocal distance index in them but this could be found in older ones.

 

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