In our article on basic photography tips find out how to avoid camera shape, master apertures and use focus lock.
Master your apertures The lens aperture doesn't only control how much light is allowed to pass through the lens, it determines how much of the scene is in focus.
At wide apertures (small numbers) only a small area in front of and behind the subject focused upon will be sharply focused, while at narrow apertures (high numbers) that zone of focus will extend further both in front of and behind the subject.
Use focus lock Simple cameras, and even sophisticated ones on occasion, can often focus on the wrong part of the scene.
A common scenario is when photographing two people side by side and the central focus point is locking onto the bit of background between their heads.
Another situation is with off-centre subjects.
The simplest cure is to use the focus lock, which even very basic cameras have.
It's usually activated by half pressing the shutter button (though some DSLRs have it as a button on the back).
Simply move the focus point (usually in the centre of the frame) over the point you want to be focused on, then press and hold the focus lock.
Without releasing the button, recompose and take the picture.
Avoiding camera shake
Master your apertures The lens aperture doesn't only control how much light is allowed to pass through the lens, it determines how much of the scene is in focus.
At wide apertures (small numbers) only a small area in front of and behind the subject focused upon will be sharply focused, while at narrow apertures (high numbers) that zone of focus will extend further both in front of and behind the subject.
Use focus lock Simple cameras, and even sophisticated ones on occasion, can often focus on the wrong part of the scene.
A common scenario is when photographing two people side by side and the central focus point is locking onto the bit of background between their heads.
Another situation is with off-centre subjects.
The simplest cure is to use the focus lock, which even very basic cameras have.
It's usually activated by half pressing the shutter button (though some DSLRs have it as a button on the back).
Simply move the focus point (usually in the centre of the frame) over the point you want to be focused on, then press and hold the focus lock.
Without releasing the button, recompose and take the picture.
Avoiding camera shake
- Stand properly.
One of the biggest enemies of sharp pictures is camera shake, and there are several ways to reduce this.
One is to make sure you stand properly.
For the sharpest results keep your feet slightly apart, stand straight (not leaning off balance) and hold the camera with both hands.
If using a DSLR cradle the underside of your lens with your left hand. - Watch your shutter speeds.
If you're shooting handheld make sure the shutter speed does not drop too low.
A rule of thumb is to make sure the shutter speed does not fall below the reciprocal of the focal length you're shooting at.
So if your lens is zoomed to 200mm, keep your shutter speed above 1/200th second.
However, if your camera has image stabilization you can generally safely go a couple of stops below this. - Use the viewfinder.
If you have one, shooting using the viewfinder rather than the LCD screen will produce sharper images.
This is because holding the camera against your face provides a third contact point, which gives more stability, than holding the camera at arm's length. - Squeeze the shutter gently.
Many people stab at the shutter button when taking a picture.
Not only does this increase the risk of camera shake, it also jolts the camera and makes it more likely you'll inadvertently chop off someone's head.
Squeeze the shutter gently for best results.
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