Author: Harry Guinness / Source: How-To Geek
A sharp photo is one where the subject is in focus with clear lines, crisp details, and no (unintended) blurring. It’s generally a sign of a high-quality, technically excellent image. Here’s how to make sure you always take sharp photos.
RELATED: What Does It Mean for a Photo to be “Sharp? ”
I’ve explained in detail before what makes a photo sharp, but now we’re going to look at the practical side of things. To recap, sharpness is a combination of:
- An in-focus subject
- A static camera
- The properties of the lens you’re using
The photo above is an example of a sharp photo I took. Notice how you can see every one of Kat’s eyelashes. Now, let’s look at it in the real world.
Understand Your Gear
One of the major factors affecting sharpness is the properties of the lenses you’re using. One of the reasons professional lenses cost so much more (and are so heavy) is that they’re designed to be as sharp as possible—and that takes a lot of work. If you’re trying to take a super-sharp shot with an old, cheap lens, you’re going to struggle; the lens isn’t capable of resolving the details clearly.
Similarly, your camera has a limit on how much it can resolve. If the details you’re trying to capture are projected smaller than the pixels on the sensor, then they won’t show. Here’s another portrait with a close up on the model’s eyes.
Notice that her eyelashes aren’t as defined as they are with Kat’s above? That’s because I was standing further back so my Canon 5DIII could not resolve any greater details. With a higher resolution sensor, I could—at least theoretically—have captured them.
While your gear won’t normally stop you from taking great shots, it’s important to understand that it will affect the maximum possible sharpness you can achieve.
Pick the Right Aperture
The gear you’re using isn’t always in your control. Almost nobody can afford all the top end lenses and, even if you can, they’re a nightmare to lug around. This means that taking sharp photos is often about getting the most out of what you have.
The depth of field is one area that will make or break your images. If you use a wide aperture, your depth of field will be shallow, and parts of your image will be blurry. This is fine if you’re shooting a portrait and want the background out of focus, but if you don’t, then you’ve messed up. Here’s a shot of mine where the depth of field is too shallow.
While the man’s hands are…
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