10 WAYS TO SHOOT SHARPER
Start shooting sharper shots in seconds with these top 10 killer tips
Words and images by Dan Mold
In the modern age of high-resolution digital cameras, detailed computer displays and smartphones where we can pinch-zoom in to peep at pictures on the pixel level, it’s easy to see why there’s a drive towards sharpness.
However, I do want to add a caveat that sharpness isn’t everything – there are certain times when a little subject blur can add some dramatic movement to the shot and some petroleum jelly around the edges of a filter can provide a beautiful soft-focused vignette. But while intentional blur and softness have their time and place, most professionals will require absolute precision regardless of their genre, as their clients usually demand top-notch, razorsharp images. Whether that’s product pictures taken in a studio, corporate headshots in an office environment or
the moment a player scores the winning goal of an important football match – if it’s not critically sharp, it won’t make the grade.
So while you shouldn’t obsess over sharpness, it is important and it’s a useful skill to understand the reasons why your photographs might turn out blurry. Here are ten of the most important settings and tips you should follow to achieve razor-sharp pictures when you are next out shooting.
1
Watch the shutter speed
Use your camera’s Auto ISO so that your shutter speed doesn’t drop too low
Whether it’s a person walking or rushing water in a river, if the shutter is left open for long enough moving elements of your scene will be rendered blurry, even if your camera is mounted on a tripod.