 |
| [Click image to view large.] |
Ok, here are some tips to getting really clear sharp pictures whether you're taking a portrait or scenic picture.
Now let me preface this by saying that getting clear sharp pictures is not the end all and be all of everything. It isn't always the way to get the best pictures. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm a little crazy as far as wanting sharp pictures, but sometimes the essence of a picture isn't sharpness. Sometimes its about the colour, or the atmosphere or the action of a scene, in which case, image sharpness is what is sacrificed to capture the more important essence of the scene. But knowing how to get sharp clear pictures is always good to know so that when you want it, you can do it.
With that said, here are the tips for sharper pictures.
Use a lower ISO setting to Reduce Noise
To Do: Manually select a lower ISO setting on your camera such as ISO 200 or 400. (Not ISO 1600 or 3200)
Why: Turning up the ISO on your camera (to ISO 800 or higher) is like turning up the volume on a stereo. It increases the signal, but also increases the noise. So, although it allows you to take pictures in low light (as described
here), it introduces a lot of noise into the picture, which degrades image quality. Now, don't get me wrong, I love shooting at high ISO a lot, because I often want to preserve the existing light (and not replace it with flash), but if you want to go for really ultra sharp pictures, it's good to start with a low ISO so you'll end up with less digital noise in the final capture.
Side effects: Ok. The problem with turning down the ISO on your camera is that now the camera needs a lot more light. If it doesn't get lots of light, then its going to use a slower shutter speed in order to get a "proper exposure", which will often introduce motion blur. The ways around this is to get more light on your subject or to use flash, as described below.
Use a smaller Aperture setting for sharper focus
To Do: Choose a smaller aperture setting, such as f8 or f11.
Why: Choosing a smaller aperture setting, such as f8 or f11 versus a larger aperture such as f4 or f2.8 increases the depth-of-field that is captured in relatively sharp focus. This increases the chance that what you want to be in focus will be captured in focus. So, in the case of the picture of my daughter up top, even though she is moving around, there is a better chance that I'll get her face in focus.
Side effects: Ok. The problem with using a smaller aperture on your camera is that now the camera needs a lot more light. (Sound like deja vue, eh!) If it doesn't get lots of light, then its going to use a slower shutter speed in order to get a "proper exposure", which (again) will often introduce motion blur. The ways around this is to get more light on your subject or to use flash, as described below.
Get more light on your subject
To Do: Whatever way you can get more light on your subject, then do it. Whether it is opening up a window, turning on a light or moving your subject closer to the existing light. Or perhaps its deciding to take pictures outdoors on bright days. And if all else fails, or you really want to crank up the sharpness, consider using flash (especially an external flash unit, which I'll eventually write a post and link it here.)
Why: Basically, the more light available to the camera, the better and more sharp it is able to make the picture. This is because it allows you (and your camera) to use a lower ISO setting and/or a smaller aperture setting as mentioned above. A combination of both a lower ISO setting and a smaller aperture really do help to get sharper images.
Use Flash to reduce motion blur
To Do: Use flash.
Why: In addition to providing more light to help you use a lower ISO setting or smaller aperture, using flash can also help to freeze motion, and thus reduce motion blur. This can help get you sharper pictures. In a nutshell, when using flash, sometimes all (or most) of what gets recorded is the image that is lit by the light of the flash alone. Most of the ambient light (such as from the sun or lamps) does not contribute to the final image. (This is why the background ends up dark when using flash sometimes, like mentioned
here.) And since the flash is delivered really quickly (measured in thousandths of seconds), it often freezes motion better than a really quick shutter speed.
If you're going to use flash, consider an external flash off-camera
To Do: If you're going to use flash, try using an external flash off-camera.
Why: Well, if you are going to use flash, I highly suggest looking at using it off camera. My biggest beef with using the flash unit built into most digital cameras is that it always remains in the same position. It's like that old saying, no matter where you go, there you are. With the built-in flash on your camera, since it's providing light from the same position all the time, all your flash pictures end up looking the same. And the light from built-in flash isn't always too flattering on your subject. (I'll probably write a post on why to use external flash and link it here.)
Use a Tripod
To Do: Use a tripod where you can.
Why: Using a tripod helps to reduce motion blur by being able to hold the camera still while it takes the picture. Something that is really hard to do if you are hand-holding the camera. So, if you use a tripod, you can use a lower ISO setting, as mentioned above, and get a less noisy capture, while the tripod reduces motion blur even at slower shutter speeds. This is especially helpful when you can't increase the light and your flash isn't powerful enough to light everything up.
Focus on the Eyes
To Do: If you are taking a picture of someone, try to make sure that at least their eyes are in focus.
Why: I've read this suggestion many, many times. And everyone suggest that when we see a picture of someone, especially of their face, that the first thing we look at is their eyes. If the eyes are out of focus, we tend to think the picture is out of focus. It's OK if their ears are out of focus, but less OK for their eyes to be out of focus.
Cheat with Post Processing (PP)
To Do: Use a graphics program, such as Google's Picasa or Adobe's Photoshop in order to sharpen your pictures. For Picasa, once you have the image loaded, you can go to "effects" and then select "sharpen". For Photoshop, you'd want to use the "unsharp mask" filter.
Why: Of course, its better to start with a really sharp picture up front (by using the tips and tricks listed above) than to try to take an out of focus picture and try to fix it up, but there will be times when you take that picture of someone and they have just that perfect pose and smile and you just want to clean it up as much as possible.
Take care and happy shooting!
Glen - DigicamJunkie.com
(C) 2011 - Glen Fujino
