The most important ingredient for a spectacular photograph is to be sharply in focus.Without sharp focus, a good subject, color and lighting will still not make a good picture.
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.If your camera has anti-shake technology like Vibration Reduction (VR) or Image Stabilization (IS) lens, this is the time to have it 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.Another idea is to lean or lay your camera on some handy 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.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.Like lens and other things in life, with a tripod you likely get what you pay for.Cheap tripods will help steady the camera, but not as well as a more expensive tripod does.Buying the best tripod you can reasonably afford gets the best results.
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.Buying a good quality ballhead for your tripod will help you get sharp photos by keeping your camera from sliding.
If you’re somewhere that carrying a tripod just won’t work, beanbags make a nice cushion for cameras in these settings.By cushioning your camera, the beanbag will help steady it and keep the picture sharp. It also helps you situate the camera to get just the photo you want.
To improve your chances of a tack sharp photo even more, use a cable release instead of pressing the shutter.There's enough movement when pressing the shutter, though it may not seem like much, to keep you from getting a well-focused picture.
If you don’t have a cable release, the self timer will also work.This allows you to press the shutter, but gives the camera time to stabilize before taking the 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.To take a picture, the shutter release button must be pressed twice on the remote or cable release (you aren't 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 by looking for movement that isn't there.Just remember, when hand-holding your camera, automatic vibration control is a good idea, but when using a tripod, it's best to turn them off.
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.It's an investment in fantastic 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.
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