How to Achieve Sharp Photos: Part 1

So I thought that I would add more to my collection of informative posts about photography techniques. One of the questions I get more often then just about any other is how I achieve such sharpness in my photos, like this photo here: 

So here is my rundown about how to achieve sharp photos on a regular, consistent basis.

First of there are many factors that affect the clarity and focus of an image. If you find that you’re having consistent problems with focus and/or blurriness, you need to troubleshoot and try to narrow down what the problem might be.

Problem #1:  Inadequate Metering for the Situation

For those who are just starting out, many times poor focus is the result of an inappropriate aperture/shutter speed for your situation. Generally, in order to get consistently sharp shots, you need to have a shutter speed of at least 1/100. And that’s for someone who has a steady hand shooting. If you’re a shaky shooter, then 1/200 should be your lowest shutter speed. Low shutter speeds result in camera shake and/or subject movement affecting your focus. The best camera and lens in the world can’t compensate for poor metering.

Also, be sure you completely understand aperture and depth of field. You can have a nice high shutter speed, but if you’re shooting a group of 8 people at f2.8, chances are your focus won’t be what you want it to be.  Even shooting with your camera on automatic won’t get these parameters right for each situation. Most cameras aren’t too smart when it comes to figuring out metering on their own. You need to be able to understand the situation you’re photographing and meter it appropriately.

So, for the photo above, I was obviously shooting in studio. So I set my shutter to 1/200 and aperture to f6.3 and then metered my lights to be the same reading. That gave me great depth of field and a shutter speed that was appropriately fast for a moving baby.

Additionally, practice holding your camera as steady as possible. The steadier you are, the less likely camera shake will affect the focus of your images. Use two hands when shooting, and oftentimes, I will stabilize the camera by resting an elbow on my knees (or anything else that's nearby).

Problem #2:  Problematic Lens and/or Camera

So, you’ve mastered problem #1. You’re shooting a somewhat adult person (who holds still) at f5.6 and 1/500 shutter and you still can’t seem to get a sharp shot. Well, before deciding that you stink as a photographer, you need to evaluate your equipment. There is a HUGE variance in the making of cameras and lenses. Not all are as sharp as they should be. Whenever I get a new lens or camera, I put it through the paces to make sure that it’s sharp. And I’ve had to send a good number of my new purchases back, trying to get a sharp copy. If you think the problem might be your camera, put it on a tripod and try a good number of lenses on it. If you can’t get a sharp shot out of any of them, chances are it’s the camera. If you think the problem might be a lens, see if you can rent the same lens and compare the rental against your own.

As you’re doing this, realize that the quality of the camera and lens will affect sharpness too. Even a cheap lens should be acceptably sharp in its mid-range, but most cheaper lenses aren’t sharp at the extremes of their range. So don’t expect a $70 50mm 1.8 lens to be consistently sharp at f1.8, though it should be consistently good at f4 or higher. However, the $1500 50 f1.2L lens should be sharp throughout its entire range, from f1.2 to f20 (or whatever it tops out at!).  Additionally, lower quality lenses are more prone to color noise, which also affects perceived sharpness. Also, they’ll have a lot of “play” in the focusing mechanism. This means that it’s a lot easier for the automatic focusing mechanism to get off by just a little, causing spotty focus in your images.

Your camera body can also be a factor. Usually, more expensive professional DSLR cameras have better communication with the lens and better sensors, resulting in sharper images.

With all of this info, realize that the clean, shiny lines and focus that you see in most professionals’ images come from good technique, obviously, but also excellent equipment. I remember struggling to get that clean, fresh look to my images and then purchased the Canon 5D and some L lenses and WOW! My images suddenly had that look too. You can get it out of less expensive equipment, but you need nearly perfect light.  I’m absolutely NOT saying that it’s all about the camera and lens. I know far too many people who own the same equipment I use and don’t get the same results, but when you have already good technique, nice equipment can make a huge difference.

Stay tuned for Part 2. . . . I’ll cover shooting techniques for achieving perfect focus, as well as some Photoshop tips for enhancing an already reasonably sharp image.

Comments

[Anonymous]

This is just the kind of information I am trying to find to help improve my photography! I have a crazy toddler I'm trying to capture and I think I need to bump up my shutter speed... ALOT!

One thing - reading white text on a black background is really hard to do. You might try a lighter background that isn't so hard on the eyes, or switch to plain old white on black.

[Barbara]

Just found your blog and wanted to say thank you - not only for the great tips but taking time to help others in their photography goals. Lots of great information here and I'll definitely be recommending you to my readers. Cheers.

[Jenny]

Thanks so much for sharing. I have purchased some of your actions and absolutely LOVE them, they are easy to use and I'm thrilled with the results.

[Jane]

Good post - and good tips to add to my growing pre-shoot checklist!

[Mindy]

You really are amazing. Thanks so much for your tips. I also am addicted to your typepad. I do come back quite often...like 2 time daily...is that bad? :) Thanks for your inspirations! Also for all the great actions.

[Jill]

Thanks so, so much!! I can't wait to see what you have next! I have really enjoyed all your tips and all the actions that I purchased. I am just playing with them and practicing everyday!! Thank you again!!

[Kelly]

Nicole - THANK YOU for sharing so much with us! You are so talented! So, it's so great to be able to learn from you. Thank you for your generosity! -Kelly

[NicholeVan]

Thanks for your comments! And Katy, I don't think that I ran any action on that photo. Just my basic color preset with minimal sharpening.

[Brooklyn]

Thank you so much for your tips! This is great information for me, I really appreciate you sharing it.

[Katy]

Thank you for posting information like this! I've become addicted to looking at photoblogs and I'm trying trying to learn more! Thank you so much for sharing your tips and knowledge....keep it up!

[Ashley]

Did you run any of your actions for the color on that image?

Thanks!