HOW TO SHOOT SHARPER SHOTS

Sharpness gives your images their bite and impact.

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Andrew James outlines the essential techniques you'll need for razor-sharp photos

A sharp photograph captures the viewer's attention, reveals intricate details and conveys a sense of precision and clarity that can elevate an image from good to truly exceptional.

Quite simply, sharpness is what gives your images their bite and impact. Whether you're capturing a beautiful landscape, a candid moment on the street, or a fleeting moment from nature, an image that's sharp where it needs to be feels professional.

Achieving true clarity requires careful technique, the right equipment settings and a thorough understanding of how to control your camera. Key methods include using the correct shutter speed for the subject, nailing the focus and understanding the relationship between aperture and depth of field. Even the best lenses can't compensate for poor technique, and while post-processing can enhance contrast and detail, it can't create sharpness that wasn't there to begin with. If an image is soft due to motion blur or missed focus, no amount of post-processing wizardry will fix it. Over the following few pages, we'll break down some essential techniques you'll need to master to consistently take razor-sharp images.

1 GO FASTER THAN YOU THINK YOU'LL NEED

Get to grips with the basics of shutter speed and avoid introducing motion blur

The shutter speed has a vital role in determining whether your photo is sharp or not, regardless of any other technical choices. If you shoot with a shutter speed that's too slow for the conditions, the focal length lens you are using, or any movement in your subject, you risk introducing motion blur, which is the killer of sharp photos. This is caused either by the subject’s movement or your own, if you are handholding the camera. If you want to take an action image, such as a racing car, then you can't shoot with too fast a shutter speed.