Photography 101: Three Tips For Sharper Images

I received a question via a comment asking about how to get sharper images. I want to address that question now with a few tips that you can easily do without breaking the bank. Let us get on with the show!

1. Get stabilized
One easy way to get sharper images is to remove the human element from the camera. What I mean is you need to stop holding the camera. Camera shake can quickly kill sharpness, even with the best lens stabilization/vibration reduction systems. This is where so many photographers swear by good tripods. However, what do you do if you do not like having to lug a tripod everywhere you go?

I am one of those in hand, natural light shooters. I do not mind using a tripod; it is just not my preferred method of capturing images. I use my environment as my tripod. Find a flat rock, use a board, or even rest your camera on a rail. What you want to do is get as stable as you possibly can, while keeping yourself and gear safe. I will not recommend resting your camera on a rail, setting the self-timer, and running off. That is just asking for broken gear. What I will do is rest the camera body on a rail, while I hold it to take the photo. This removes my body sway, breathing, and some of my arm shake from the equation.

Another way to remove yourself is to use a remote. If your camera does not have a remote, use the self-timer. This setup is only enhanced when using a good tripod. You can get your camera into position, dial in your settings, and then trigger the shutter without ever having to hold the camera.

2. Dial in the ISO
Unless you are going for grungy and dirty shots, ISO is going to play all kinds of havoc on your sharpness. To reduce noise, you need to use the lowest ISO setting you can, while keep your image in mind. Do keep in mind that using a low ISO during low light situations will mean you have to account for longer shutter times. Consider using a tripod, or setting the camera on something stable to keep any vibrations to a minimum.

Many cameras come with some great noise reduction systems. Yet, even if you can get an image at an ISO of something like 1600, why risk any noise at all. Use the lowest ISO you can manage and just remove one factor from the sharpness equation.

3. Keep your gear clean
Hard to believe that cleanliness will influence sharpness huh? Smudges on lenses, lens filters with grime, and dust in the camera all affect your shots. Nothing can be more detrimental to sharpness than a smudge down the front of your lens. Keeping your gear clean also extends its life by not having the camera work so hard to fight through all the dust and debris that is clogging it up. Depending on your shooting conditions, you may wan to consider taking your camera and lens for a professional cleaning every year.

These are just a few basic tips to get you rolling. Keep your gear clean, remove movement from your camera, and set the ISO before you start shooting. The most important part of all this is to practice and play with settings. Know how you like to shoot, and plan your sharpness accordingly.

–

Company: Rav3n Studios
Phone: 678-761-3649
Email: chris@rav3nstudios.com
Website: http://www.rav3nstudios.com
Twitter: @rav3n_studios
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Rav3nStudios

Here’s how you can share your tips, techniques and tutorials on CurrentPhotographer.com

–

*The Current Photographer website contains links to our affiliate partners. Purchasing products and services through these links helps support our efforts to bring you the quality information you love and there’s no additional cost to you.

Chris Nitz

This is where you would expect me to tell you about my life, how awesome I am, or why I am so superior to other people in this line of business. I would enjoy telling you how I have wrestled grizzly bears 10 feet tall. Maybe you would like hearing how I have taken on Velociraptors in my days as a young man. Even better is the story how I have traveled to the furthest reaches of space to stop catastrophic alien invasions. The problem will be that you might not believe my awesome stories.

I will keep these awesome stories for the campfire though. I’m just a man, taking pictures, trying to make a living. I ditched my education in computers in favor of pursuing my passion for photography. I enjoy a good cold beer on a warm day. I have a fondness of the outdoors.. I have enjoyed years capturing life’s unscripted moments. Hopefully, I can enjoy many more years of slacking off without fear of those grizzlies taking me out before my time.

My Philosophy is to capture those non-scripted moments. To capture the little details that this world really has to offer. From weddings to insects, I enjoy capturing the life, the details, and the moments that come and go in a flash.

www.chrisnitz.com