Lots of things go into making a super picture, but the most important is for the photo to be in sharp focus. Even the slightest blur takes away from the picture, no matter how good the subject, lighting and color.
Photographers have somewhat varying opinions on what constitutes a tack sharp picture, but generally, a tack sharp photograph has good, clean lines.The picture will have clear definition, instead of being blurred.
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. Alternatively, lean or lay your camera or lens on some readily available sturdy object to 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. That increases your chances that at least one of the pictures will be in sharp focus.
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.With most photography equipment, you get what you pay for, and a tripod is no different.It's just a fact a more expensive tripod will generally hold the camera much steadier than a cheap one does.To get the best results, you need to buy the best tripod you can.
The more expensive tripods don’t come with the head attached.This must be bought separately, but then you can choose which you like best.To keep your camera from sliding, a good quality ballhead is a must for your tripod, and will help you get that sharp photo.
If you’re somewhere that carrying a tripod just won’t work, beanbags make a nice cushion for cameras in these settings.Beanbags cushion your camera, increasing your ability to move it to just the right position and keep it steady while you get a well-focused shot.
To improve your chances of a tack sharp photo even more, use a cable release instead of pressing the shutter.Though it might not seem like much movement, pressing the shutter can cause enough shaking to keep you from getting a tack sharp photo.
If you don’t have a cable release, the self timer will also work.It means that although you press the shutter manually, the camera has time to stabilize before actually taking hte 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.This locks your camera's mirror in the up position. Then when taking a picture, the mirror won't move until after the picture is taken, so there's less movement in the camera during the picture taking process.The shutter release button on the remote or cable release must be pressed twice to take a picture (surely you aren't pressing the shutter release on your camera after going to all this trouble 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.There can be some shaking caused by vibration reduction when looking for movement that isn't there.When shooting with a tripod, it's a good rule to keep automatic vibration controls turned off, but turn them on if you're hand-holding the camera.
One last way to increase the sharpness of your pictures is to have good glass.The lens used will make a considerable difference.You get what you pay for. A quality lens with good glass is expensive, but it's worth it.The great pictures you get will make it a great investment.
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.
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