Photo Art
McKaso
Photography By: Steve Sullivan
TM
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There is always room for artistic expression and soft focus techniques. Sometimes these really enhance a mood of an image and convey that feeling to the viewer. There are plenty of photographers who define their work by using this technique, but keep in mind that this is a technique and not just an out of focus image. Keeping your image sharp is important to allow the detail to shine through. Compare the photos below as an example. Nobody wants to spend a lot of time looking at the out of focus image, because it does not convey anything to the viewer. It’s just out of focus and clearly not a very good photo. The other image though, is sharper and shows the details of the flower bulbs ready to bloom and the gentle water drops. Remember the quote from Ansel Adams on the home page. “There are always two people in every photo: The viewer and the photographer.” You are trying to convey your message to all viewers through the use of good techniques. So, what can be done to capture the sharpest photos possible? Well I have compiled some suggestions below.
1) Whenever possible you must use a tripod. Yeah it will be heavy, awkward and cumbersome and a pain, but a good sturdy tripod will vastly improve the sharpness of you photos by giving your camera the stability it needs to prevent camera shake. I picked a good heavy duty tripod with plenty of height without extending the center column and and a good stable ball head. The Dynatran tripod with the F-4 Flashpoint ball head has proven to be very reliable for me. Of course, there are many other brands out there, so shop around for what works best for you. Why be concerned about extending the center column? Good question. The three legs of the tripod meet to form a very solid base for your camera. Why would you extend your center column upwards away from that solid table? This now just gives you a base made up of a single support....the column. It does not seem very stable to me. That is why it was important for me to find a tripod with the height I needed to extend the legs to my viewing area. I am not going to hunch down to 50 inches for every shot. Although, I will explore other perspectives while shooting a scene.
2) If a tripod is not an option for your shoot then consider using a monopod because some support is better than nothing. A good monopod will aid in stabilizing the camera and allow for greater mobility if you need it.
3) Make sure you keep your lens clean and well protected. Dust, debris, oil (etc…) will affect your lens. Also keep it covered with its cap when not in use even if you are just walking along to your next photo opportunity a few seconds away. As they say; an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Any scratch on the surface will affect you photo quality and you can pretty much kiss your lens goodbye.
4) Whenever possible use the mirror lock-up, the shutter release cable or the timer. This will reduce the vibration from the mirror.
5) If you must shoot hand-held use soft hands. Press the shutter halfway to lock focus and gently press the shutter to capture the image. It will also help to slow down and relax. Shoot between breaths. Also try to brace yourself. Lean against something stable, tuck in your arms and keep your feet shoulder width apart. It’s a good rule of thumb to set the shutter speed to a minimum of 1/focal length. For example at 100 mm the speed would be 1/100th.
6) It will also help to shoot multiple shots. The chances of your image becoming sharper increases with several consecutive shots.
7) If you live in a windy area you may have to wait for the wind to die down a little. It may take a little patience but it will be worth it.
8) The hyperfocal distance is also important. This is the area in focus and the area out of focus. The in focus area is referred to as the focal plane. 1/3 of the plane should be located in front of your focused area and 2/3 of the plane should be located behind your focused area. An excellent article with a much better in depth explanation on this subject can be found at Vivid Light.com. The article also includes hyperfocal distance charts.
9) If possible manually set the focus of your lens and use the lowest ISO speed possible. It will also help to minimize the compression when saving the image. Save at the highest quality possible.
10) Find the sweet spot of the lens. Usually the sharpest area is 2 to 3 stops down from wide open. A good starting point is f8. Also find its sharpest focal length. On an 80-300mm lens the sharpest focal length is usually the 150mm range. Also lenses with image stabilization (IS) will provide sharper images.
11) Some cameras have internal settings that prevent the camera from over-sharpening the image and will require some sharpening using your software. The Canon 10D is a good example. Photoshop’s unsharp mask is a popular choice, but two plug-ins that I have had great results with are Image Skills Magic Sharpener and Pixel Genius Photokit Sharpener. The image skill plug-in adjusts the entire image and sharpening is done without creating the dreaded purple fringe or halo. The Pixel Genius plug-in allows for a little more creative freedom such as using brushes. It also is free from the halo and purple fringe effects. If price is a consideration the difference between the two is $29 and $99. Just remember, if your photo is badly out of focus no amount of “ photoshop” will correct it.
© Steve Sullivan
© Steve Sullivan
