33 Techniques for Creating Sharp Images
© Ariel Bravy
Sharpness is often considered the "holy grail" of photography. There are many ways to judge an image and sharpness is almost always considered one of the important. Obtaining critical sharpness requires using proper technique. Many of the strategies are listed below.
How do you obtain critical sharpness? Sometimes you need to keep the camera as steady as possible. Sometimes the camera needs to be mobile. Sometimes it needs to be moving during the exposure. Depending on what you're shooting, some techniques may be more helpful than others, but there are a number of key points to keep in mind when you're looking to get the most from your photographic equipment.
1.Tripod
First and foremost, a tripod is the number one way to increase the sharpness of your images. By stabilizing your camera and avoiding handshake, your images will be sharper. In fact, you'll often get better results using a stable tripod and a lower end lens versus a high quality lens handheld.
If possible, you can add mass to your tripod by hanging a weight such as your camera bag via the tripod hook. Also, avoid extending your tripod's center column or even remove it altogether.
2.Using mirror lockup and a remote release cable
Using a tripod properly requires certain techniques. If your camera has mirror lockup capabilities (MLU), engage them. This way you can let the mirror slap vibrations dissipate before taking your photos. A remote release cable is very helpful here for tripping the shutter without touching the camera once the mirror is flipped up.
If you don't have a remote release cable, you can fake it by activating both your camera's MLU function and the 2 second timer. Certain cameras will flip up the mirror when you press the shutter button, pause for two seconds, then fire off the exposure.
If you have just a remote release cable but the situation makes MLU inappropriate, avoid shutter speeds between 1/8th and 1/25th.
Instead of spending big bucks on the name brand versions, you can save yourself some cash by getting the inexpensive Chinese versions on eBay. They're basically a switch and a plug so unless you plan on getting one with a built-in intervalometer like the Canon TC80N3, go hunt for a deal on eBay.
3.Monopod
If you can't use a tripod, a monopod is the next best thing. Even a monopod requires using proper technique. Some photographers even use a beanpole to keep steady and rock forwards and backwards to get their subject in focus. The Manfrotto 680 and Manfrotto 681 are popular solutions.
4.Brace yourself
If you don't have any support system, see if you can lean against a wall. If a wall isn't available, tuck in your elbows, steady yourself, and fire.
5.Shoot between breaths
When it comes time to shoot, slow yourself down, breath out, and fire once you're completely relaxed. Snipers have long used this technique. In fact, they take it one step further and shoot between heartbeats!
6.Trip the shutter button gently
Think to yourself, "soft hands, soft hands." Gently press the shutter button and fire off your exposure instead of forcefully mashing down.
7. 2 sec timer
Along the lines of the previous two techniques, using your camera's 2 second timer can help. Press your shutter button, wait two seconds, and the camera will fire without you having to physically move your body. Of course, this technique is only feasible in certain situations. You'll still get mirror slap vibrations, but you'll get rid of the movement created when you press the shutter button and your hands shift.
8.Sharp lenses
It goes without saying that some lenses are sharper than others. Generally higher end lenses such as Canon's L lenses will be sharper than the consumer grade counterparts, especially at wider apertures. Additionally, primes are generally sharper than zooms and macro lenses are deadly sharp. Certain lenses in particular are known for being incredibly sharp such as the Canon 135 f2L, Canon 200 1.8L, and the Canon 300 f2.8L IS.
9.Third party lenses
Sometimes mounting a third party manufacturer's lenses will give you better results than the native lenses. The best example is Canon's lack of outstanding wide angle lenses. Many full frame users are looking to Leica and Zeiss to obtain critical sharpness throughout the frame, particularly in the corners. The Zeiss 21mm f/2.8 Distagon is the king of wide angle sharpness and the benchmark other lenses are compared against.
10.Turn Image-stabilization on
Optical image stabilization techniques either in the lens or in the camera body itself will help steady the image when shooting handheld at slower shutter speeds, effectively giving you between 2-4 stops of extra handholdability.
In certain lenses, the added glass in the IS version makes the lens softer than the non-IS version. Case in point: Canon 70-200 f2.8L. The non-IS is actually a bit sharper, but the benefits of IS often negate this fact. On the other hand, IS versions of certain other lenses are actually sharper than their non-IS counterparts like with the Canon 70-200 f4L and the Canon 300 f2.8L series lenses.
11.Turn Image-stabilization off
This suggestion may seem like it contradicts the last one. However, when shooting off a tripod, older generation IS systems get confused by the lack of movement and create a feedback loop which actually generates more movement than if IS was off! Newer IS lenses don't have this problem, but if you aren't sure, just turn it off. As an added bonus, you'll save on battery life too!
12.Lens filters
UV filters are great for protecting the front element of your lens, but they will reduce the overall sharpness of your lens (not to mention decrease contrast and increase the likelihood of flare). If they're not necessary, UV filters can often be removed.
13.Panning
If you're shooting a subject running past your camera, your image quality may benefit by following the subject with your lens during the exposure (panning) and letting the background slightly blur. Ultimately, you must select the look you're going for but even at faster shutter speeds between 1/500th - 1/800th, you will see subjects blur if they're running past you close to the camera.
14.Selecting appropriate shutter speeds
The rule of thumb is that when handholding, you'll want a minimum shutter speed of 1/focal length. For example, with a 100mm lens on a full frame body, you'll want a shutter speed of at least 1/100th.
If your technique is especially good, you may be able to dip down below this number.
For cropped bodies, multiply the number by your crop factor. For example, on a 1.6x crop body, you'll want at least 1/160th.
In general, most sports need a shutter speed of 1/500th to freeze the action. For young kids, you can sometimes get by with slower speeds closer to 1/320th. Faster sports like gymnastics might need 1/800th-1/1000th. Freezing a baseball bat in motion will require faster shutter speeds closer to 1/8000th of a second.
15.Macro shutter speeds
In macro photography, things are a little bit different. The closer subjects are to your lens, the more of an impact any move will have on blur. When shooting at 1:1 or beyond, handholding at a shutter speed of 1/focal length will be way too slow. Either crank up your shutter speed, shoot off a tripod, or use a flash.
16.Flash
If getting a fast enough shutter speed in an issue, using your flash as the main source of light is often a solution. The duration of the flash is extremely quick, typically 1/2000th or faster depending on the power of the pop of light. Using your flash as the main source of light, you can even stop bullets!
Indoor low-light situations and macro photography in particular benefit from using a flash to stop movement.
17.Wait for a lull in the wind
If you're macros or landscapes with flowers and leaves and you would like them nice and sharp, wait for a lull in the wind and fire when your subjects are most still.
18.Tilt-shift lenses
Tilt-shift lenses will let you effectively extend your depth of field for shooting landscapes. If you plan on shooting in a windy environment, a TS-E lens like the Canon TS-E 24mm f3.5L will let you freeze the scene and shoot at larger apertures rather than have to stop way down and extend your shutter speed.
19.Use a plamp
Wimberly makes an accessory called a plamp which will hold a small object in place. Imagine you want to shoot a flower blowing in the wind. You could clamp the plamp on the stem below the frame and keep the flower still.
20.Shoot multiple shots
Sometimes you're going to be stuck shooting in a situation with less than ideal lighting. If your subject isn't moving, you can shoot several shots and select the sharpest image from the series.