Whenever we look at photographs, one of the things that is most admired is the sharpness of the images. The crisper an image the better impact the photograph makes. However, most people are under the impression that such images can only come from having a better lens, especially when it comes to DSLR cameras. If you have attended photography classes in Abu Dhabi, for example, you know that’s not the case. There are plenty of other factors that can influence how well your photograph turns out.
Lenses do play an undoubtedly important part in the process but the sad fact is that not everyone can afford the best lenses available on the market. Nevertheless, there are plenty of other things that you can do to ensure that your photographs are crisp and sharp. Here are some of them.
Use a Tripod
This is actually common sense. The simple fact here is that if your camera is steady, the photographs are much better that if your camera is shaky. A tripod can really give you that stability. For those of you who are wondering how portable it is – well, these days tripods are quite light and slim. In fact, such tripods are much more easily available than they were before. There are tripods that are smaller or can be easily dismantled and set up and that can be carried in your camera bags without any muss or fuss.
Hold Your Camera Steady
A tripod, unfortunately, isn’t always an option. If you are on the move while taking photographs, you may find that it is very inconvenient to have to set up the tripod and take it down every time. This is even truer when you’re taking candid shots or simply trying to capture a moment. You need to learn to hold your camera properly so that it doesn’t shake and end up giving you blurry shots. While there is no set procedure to follow, here’s what you should know. The camera should be as close as possible to your centre of gravity because when it moves away it becomes more and more shaky. Therefore, keep your camera and your arms close to your body. Also hold the camera firmly but comfortably using your shutter hand. The other hand should be beneath the lens and close to the body of the camera.
Select the Focus Manually
Most SLRs have the option to select at what point the camera should focus. For the uninitiated, these means the squares or dots that flash up when you look through the camera. These are the multiple places where the camera can focus. You must ensure that you select which of these places the camera should focus on. There is an option for the camera to decide where to focus but that generally results in it picking the wrong object since it generally picks the closest object to focus on. Determine what joystick or button allows you to change this setting so that you can be the one making the decision about the focus.
Speed Up the Shutter Speed
The more the shutter speed is the sharper your photographs are going to be. Motion isn’t a good thing when it comes to photography and sharp images as you’ll learn at photography classes Abu Dhabi. Use what is known as the Reciprocal Rule when taking handheld shots to improve the sharpness and general quality of your photographs. It is basically a calculation that measures the focal length in millimetres and then changes it into a fraction. Therefore, if, for instance, the focal length of your lens is 50mm the shutter speed should be 1/50th of a second or more. The same holds true if the focal length is 100mm, 250mm or 300mm or indeed any other length. If you don’t have the precise shutter speed simply round it up to the closes speed.
Use a Polarizing Filter
While polarisers can be used to darken the skies if the day is sunny and you don’t want a sunny image, that isn’t the only use they have. If conditions are foggy or misty or hazy, a polariser can be a very useful tool to cut through it. Since mist or haze tends to soften the image, a polarizer will do the opposite and increase the sharpness of the photograph.
Photography is as much a skill and science as it is an art. You can improve your skills and the quality of the moments you have captured if you follow the steps given here.
Tristan Taylor, a proficient fashion photographer, is associated with various photography workshops, seminars and symposiums. He keeps himself updated with nitty-gritties of fashion photography industry. Tristan found Gulf Photo Plus extremely helpful to extract information regarding Fine art printing, Giclee print and other aspects related to photography.
