- Probably the most important premise for taking really sharp photos is shooting on a tripod. Keeping the camera still and steady is a tripod's only job, but when it comes to tripods, some do a lot better job than others. That's why you don't want to skimp on quality. If you’re on a budget, however, it’s better to have some tripod, than not have at all. So here is a selection of low-budget, 50$ to 200$ and high-quality tripods.
If you decide on a pro-quality tripod, you get just the tripod. It doesn't come with a ballhead affixed like the cheap ones do, so you'll have to buy one separately. Ballheads are wonderful because with just one knob they let you quickly and easily aim and position your digicam
accurately at any angle. Best of all, good ballheads keep your digicam locked down tight to keep your camera from slowly sliding one way or the other after you've set up your shot.
- Cable release - this is simply a cable that attaches to your digital camera and it has a button on the end of it. That way, when you press this button on the end of the cable, it takes the photo, but without you actually touching the shutter button on the digicam itself. So, why is this important? It's because when you press the shutter button on the camera, it makes the camera move just enough to spoil the shot, sometimes. Using it is easier than you might think, and these days most digicams support wireless remotes too. Now your photos are just that much sharper.
- If you don't want to spend money on a cable release (or wireless remote), or if you're out shooting and forgot them, then the next best thing is to use your digicam's built-in self timer. It takes the shot without you touching the camera.So, it pretty much does the same job of keeping your camera from moving.
- Lens’ sharpest aperture - Another trick the pros use is, when possible, shoot at your lens' sharpest aperture. For most lenses, that is about two full stops smaller than wide open (so the f-stop number you use will go higher by two stops). For example, if you had an f/2.8 lens, the sharpest apertures for that lens would be f/5.6 and f/8 (two full stops down from 2.8). Of course, you can't always choose these apertures, but if you're in a situation where you can, then shooting two stops down from wide open will usually give you the sharpest image your lens can deliver. Now, that being said, this isn't true for all lenses, and if that's not the case with your lens, you'll find your lens' sweet spot (its sharpest aperture) in short order if you keep an eye out for which aperture your sharpest images seem to come from. You can do that by looking at your photos' EXIF data (the background information on your shots embedded by your digital camera into the photos themselves). If you find most of your sharpest shots are taken with a particular aperture, then you've found your sweet spot.
- Avoid increasing ISO - When you're shooting on a tripod in dim or low light, don't increase your ISO (your digital equivalent of film speed). Keep your ISO at the lowest ISO setting your camera allows (ISO 200, 100, or 50) for the sharpest, cleanest photos. Raising the ISO adds noise to your photos, and you don't want that.
- Open your photo in Photoshop, then go under Photoshop's Filter menu, under Sharpen, and choose Unsharp Mask. When the dialog appears, there are three sliders for applying different sharpening parameters. Here are the best settings:
For people: Amount 150%, Radius 1, Threshold 10.
For cityscapes, urban photography, or travel: Amount 65%, Radius 3, Threshold 2.
For general everyday use: Amount 85%, Radius 1, Threshold 4
Photoshop does wonders for digital image editing. This and many more editing techniques you’ll find here.
- Continuous shooting - Well, the next time you're hand-holding in less than optimal light, and you're concerned that you might not get a sharp image, try a trick the pros use - continuous shooting (burst) mode. Hold down the shutter release to take a burst of photos instead of just one or two. Chances are at least one of those dozen or so photos is going to be sharp, and if it's an important shot, it can often save the day.
- Another trick the pros use (when they're in situations where they can't use a tripod) is to either: (a) lean themselves against a wall to help keep themselves steady.If they're steady then the digicam's more steady, or (b) lean or lay their lens on a railing, a fence, or any other already stationary object as kind of a make-shift tripod. So keep an eye out for these tripod substitutes.
So these are the basic sharp picture tips for beginner photographers. Liked that lesson? Learn many more digital photography secrets here.
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