5 Tips for Sharp Images
Derek Smith • 22 May 2020
5 Tips for Sharp Images
1. Shutter speed. Keep an eye on the shutter speed when taking your photo. Ideally the shutter speed should be at least the focal length of the lens, to avoid camera shake, so, a 50mm lens would require a minimum shutter speed of 1/50, and a 200mm lens 1/200. To maintain shutter speed, in Aperture priority keep the ISO as low as possible and adjust the aperture to balance. My Sony A7II has caught me out a couple of times, when using Auto ISO, as the shutter speed seems to remain at 1/60 no matter what lens was attached to the camera!!
2. Focusing, use a small focusing point, and position exactly onto the subject. Remember that there is roughly double the depth of field behind a focal point than there is in front. For portraits focus on the eyes, thus ensuring the nose is in focus, with the ears just beginning to soften focus. For landscape shots, focus a third of the way into the shot, rather than infinity (or horizon). For manual focusing use an in-camera aid such as magnification, or focus peaking to ensure pin sharp focusing.
3. Stop down the aperture. Most lenses have a “sweet spot” of sharpness, usually between f/4 – f/10. On a wide aperture lens of say f/1.8 stop down to f/2.8 for a sharper image, because the image corners may be soft, acceptable perhaps for a portrait, less so for landscapes which should use an aperture of between f/5.6 – f/14 for maximum sharpness corner to corner. Where possible avoid f/22 as most lenses are less sharp above f/16 because of diffraction of the light within the lens. Beware of using a lens at the extremities of performance, especially with zoom lenses, both with focal length, and aperture. As an example my Sony 18-135mm lens used at 18mm has severe vignetting, which is not seen with a JPEG straight from camera, as the in-camera correction worked well, however with processing RAW files, this would need to be corrected in the editing software on the computer.
4. Support. Hold the camera in both hands, with the eye pressed to the viewfinder, tuck both elbows in, and hold your breath as you press the shutter. Use a tripod, a bean bag on the ground, a lamppost, or a tree to steady the camera.
5. Camera settings. Turn off any noise reduction systems in the camera menus. Ensure that camera stabilisation is working. Some cameras have “In Body Image Stabilisation”, (IBIS), and other camera manufacturers stabilise the lenses, some manufacturers use a dual stabilised system, with stabilised lenses, and the body stabilisation working together. In practice IBIS tends to work well to a lens focal length of 100mm, and stabilised lenses are more effective at longer focal lengths. When hand holding the camera the difference when stabilisation is switched on is almost magical, gone are the jitters in the viewfinder, the steadiness is incredible, allowing slower shutter speeds in low light situations. When using the camera on a tripod, I would in general advise turning off the stabilisation.
The attached photo taken in an Australia winery was taken on a crop sensor camera, with a 35mm (equivalent) f/1.8 lens. I stopped down to f/2, 1/60, with ISO 1000 for a good shot in the low lighting conditions.
1. Shutter speed. Keep an eye on the shutter speed when taking your photo. Ideally the shutter speed should be at least the focal length of the lens, to avoid camera shake, so, a 50mm lens would require a minimum shutter speed of 1/50, and a 200mm lens 1/200. To maintain shutter speed, in Aperture priority keep the ISO as low as possible and adjust the aperture to balance. My Sony A7II has caught me out a couple of times, when using Auto ISO, as the shutter speed seems to remain at 1/60 no matter what lens was attached to the camera!!
2. Focusing, use a small focusing point, and position exactly onto the subject. Remember that there is roughly double the depth of field behind a focal point than there is in front. For portraits focus on the eyes, thus ensuring the nose is in focus, with the ears just beginning to soften focus. For landscape shots, focus a third of the way into the shot, rather than infinity (or horizon). For manual focusing use an in-camera aid such as magnification, or focus peaking to ensure pin sharp focusing.
3. Stop down the aperture. Most lenses have a “sweet spot” of sharpness, usually between f/4 – f/10. On a wide aperture lens of say f/1.8 stop down to f/2.8 for a sharper image, because the image corners may be soft, acceptable perhaps for a portrait, less so for landscapes which should use an aperture of between f/5.6 – f/14 for maximum sharpness corner to corner. Where possible avoid f/22 as most lenses are less sharp above f/16 because of diffraction of the light within the lens. Beware of using a lens at the extremities of performance, especially with zoom lenses, both with focal length, and aperture. As an example my Sony 18-135mm lens used at 18mm has severe vignetting, which is not seen with a JPEG straight from camera, as the in-camera correction worked well, however with processing RAW files, this would need to be corrected in the editing software on the computer.
4. Support. Hold the camera in both hands, with the eye pressed to the viewfinder, tuck both elbows in, and hold your breath as you press the shutter. Use a tripod, a bean bag on the ground, a lamppost, or a tree to steady the camera.
5. Camera settings. Turn off any noise reduction systems in the camera menus. Ensure that camera stabilisation is working. Some cameras have “In Body Image Stabilisation”, (IBIS), and other camera manufacturers stabilise the lenses, some manufacturers use a dual stabilised system, with stabilised lenses, and the body stabilisation working together. In practice IBIS tends to work well to a lens focal length of 100mm, and stabilised lenses are more effective at longer focal lengths. When hand holding the camera the difference when stabilisation is switched on is almost magical, gone are the jitters in the viewfinder, the steadiness is incredible, allowing slower shutter speeds in low light situations. When using the camera on a tripod, I would in general advise turning off the stabilisation.
The attached photo taken in an Australia winery was taken on a crop sensor camera, with a 35mm (equivalent) f/1.8 lens. I stopped down to f/2, 1/60, with ISO 1000 for a good shot in the low lighting conditions.
Louth Photographic Society
Last night, we held our monthly print competition with the categories of "Circles" and "Open". Our judge for the evening was John Whaler, who judged the prints in his usual detailed laid back considered style. The "Circles" category was an especially difficult subject to photograph, and it was amazing to see some of the interpretations of this subject. It was an interesting evening, and the Competition page of the website has been updated with the final results, and images from the top three placed images in each category. Congratulations to Robin Begley placed first in the Open category with his "Pointe La Achenal - Mont Blanc, and Dave Turner with his view of the London Eye, first place in the Circles category. Thanks to John Whaler for judging the prints, and Dave Mann for preparing the refreshments.
Good Morning All I took a photo of the Morris Minor steering wheel in The Great British Car Journey Museum in Derbyshire; it would have fitted this week's competition if I had thought to print it. Last week at the club Derek organised a studio evening for us all. It was a very good evening with two models for us to photograph. A lot of members don't do studio photography very often, so it was a chance to learn lighting techniques and poses. Thank you Derek for letting the members use your studio equipment and organising the evening for us. There is a blog on our website. Last Friday evening was our open night at Louth museum for the societies 70th Anniversary, we had a good turnout with quite a few members and guests including the mayor of Louth. Thank you again to all involved setting up the exhibition, particularly Harry Kerman and Chris Birchmore who did a lot of the setting up, as well as Simon Millson, Derek Smith and Richard Hildred who helped with the boards and mounting the prints. Harry and Karen Kerman provided an excellent buffet as well as wine etc. It was the first time I had seen the exhibition and I was very impressed; there is plenty of time still to visit the museum and see it for yourself. You will have to pay the museum admission charge. There is a report on our blog page. This week, Wednesday 22nd April, we will hold a print competition, with the categories of "Circles" and "Open", John Whaler of Lincoln will judge the competiton. The entries are in and score sheets have been sent out. The following week we are holding a charity night in aid of Cancer Research, The society recently lost two very valued members to cancer, many members have lost loved ones to the disease. We are having various activities to take part in and spend your money. Harry is running a raffle, any members who would like to donate a prize please bring it along this week or next and hand it to Harry. Paul Towmey is bringing his Quoits game in. Dave Turner is running a very simple Print competition, bring along your favourite print or one that has done well for you in the past either this week or on the night, there is a £1 entry fee, any subject, we will ask a guest to judge the competition. I will be running a quiz and there will be cakes available to have with your tea and coffee, at a cost of course, we want to raise some money, there will be no charge on the door though. If you can't make the evening, you could always give Harry some money for raffle tickets this week. If you intend to go to our annual dinner on 29th May (Friday) please let me know by next Wednesday as I have to give the Splash the final numbers, so far 19 are going but mid twenties would be better. Think that's it, Regards Graham
Yesterday evening the 17th April 2026 was the opening night for the Louth Photographic Society’s 70 Year Celebration Exhibition at the Louth Museum. The Mayor of Louth, Darren Hobson attended and was very impressed with the exhibition, who by the way is interested in photography. Some relatives of previous members, who are no longer with us, also came along. Julie Gough (Milli) and Bob Maddams represented the Museum. From the club we had 10 members, some with their partners. In all 20 people attended. A buffet and drinks were provided by the club which were prepared by Harry and his wife Karen for the night. Graham Harrison the President of the club gave the opening speech followed by Chris Birchmore, who was the member who first put the idea together. Members mingled, discussed the photographs and generally had a good time. Many thanks for all who attended and made it a night to remember.
Two female models were booked for our "Studio Night", which was held last night, and members were able to practice photographing the models in various poses, on the portrait set, or the fashion set. Our models Ginny, and Dina were very different in character, and appearance, but both were excellent models, and they posed easily in front of the cameras. The portrait set was lit with a flash speed light in a soft box, the fashion set was lit with constant LED lighting, the models changed outfits, and sets during the break. Both models are pictured here on the fashion set, Ginny in the red top, and large Doc Martin boots, and Dina in a softer fashion outfit. Members seemed to enjoy the evening, and for some glamour photography was outside their comfort zone, but it does give the opportunity to try something different.
It was a disappointing afternoon for Louth during Sunday's Fosters Challenge. One by one our submitted prints were dismissed, Graham Harrison's "Hairy Shield Bug", was too dark, "Trusthorpe Outfall" by Tony Gaskins had wind turbines on the horizon, and Tony's other print "Dawn Light Outfall Hornsea" was dismissed as the outfall was too close to the bottom of the frame. "Rudbeckia" by Harry Kerman fell as the judge felt that the third flower in the background was unnecessary. "Morning Sun Whitby" by Dave Turner was dismissed as the rising sun "caught his eye". Oh well, there's always next year. The winning print was a stunning portrait, "Maria" from Scunthorpe, which I felt had vibes of the Vogue magazine.
Good Morning All We had a really good week away last week in the Peak District, the good weather helped and we visited many places including Salford Quays and climbed to the top of Kinder Scout and Mam Tor. Last week at the club it looks like you were treated to some excellent coastal photography from member Tony Gaskins, Tony does a lot of long exposure photography producing stunning photographs. There is a report on our blog page with photographs from the evening. This week, Wednesday 15th April, is Derek's studio evening where we are invited to come along with our cameras, there is a £5 charge on the night to help pay towards the two models. The following week is a print competition, with the categories of "Circles" and "Open", you can send Dave Turner a list of your entries and bring your prints in next week. Today is the Foster Challenge at Nettleham village Hall, 1.30pm for 2pm, Louth has entered the competition as usual so it would be good to see a few members attending. Regards Graham
Our speaker last night was our very own member Tony Gaskins, who gave an excellent presentation "Coast 3" with some stunning visual images. Tony specialises in capturing long exposure coastal scenes, he related how beginning several years ago with a long exposure view of Whitby Pier he got the "bug" for long exposure photography. Much of his photography takes place along the Lincolnshire, and Yorkshire east coast, often arising in the early hours to catch a sunrise. Weather conditions dictate a lot of how the final image looks, and the long exposure style often creates a sense of calmness, and serenity, with pastel coloured skies, and milky seas. When the weather turns wild, the long exposure image presents a very dramatic scene with foreboding clouds. He recently travelled to Lewis & Harris island in the Outer Hebrides and took many images there, sometimes at sunny white sand beaches, and at other times moody bleak images as the weather closed in. Tony's technique requires a lot of patience, often spending hours at a location, with the camera mounted on a study tripod, and the ND filters on the camera permitting an exposure time of several minutes. Many thanks Tony for a very informative talk, well presented, and with some beautiful imagery.
Good Morning All Last week at the club we held a Local Nature and Open PDI competition, members Dave Turner and Steve Chapman kindly offered to judge the competition, thank you to you both, it was a good night and the entries were of a high standard giving you both quite a task. The results are on our website, but the two winners on the night were, Local Nature Tony Gaskins and Open Harry Kerman. This week, Wednesday 8th April, Tony Gaskins, one of our members is showing us Coast 3, a PDI presentation. Tony is an excellent photographer and spends many hours photographing our coastline. Aprils Print competition, Circles and Open is fast approaching, you can send your titles to Dave Turner when your ready and bring your prints in the week before the competition. Regards Graham
It was no April fools, when we held our PDI (Projected Digital Image) competition last night. The images submitted into this competition were off the highest quality. Dave Turner judged the Open category, which I think is always one of the hardest categories to judge, pitting landscapes, against nature, and still life, but Dave did a magnificent job, offering well founded critique of the images submitted. After the break, Steve Chapman judged the Local Nature category, (nature images taken within a 25 mile radius of St. James' church, Louth) Steve "held back" 10 out of the 18 submitted images, and gave those 10 images very careful consideration until he finally arrived at the 3 highest placed images. Steve commented that the submitted images were indeed of high quality, and he took his time to evaluate the submitted images and offered useful critique on each one. The competition made for a very interesting evening, and all members deserve praise for the quality of the submitted images. The website Competition page has been updated with the full results, and the top three images from each category. On this post is 1st placed Sedge Warbler, Cleethorpes by Tony Gaskins, in the Local Nature category, and 1st placed Hudson Bay Wolf, (Lincoln Zoo) by Harry Kerman, in the Open category.
Good Morning, All, Last week at the club member Chris Birchmore gave a presentation on MPP cameras which included some of Chris's collection of cameras and prints taken. There is a report on the evening on our blog page. Thank you Chris for an interesting evening. This week, Wednesday 1st April, we are holding a local and open PDI competition the local subject being nature, please if you haven't already, send your entries to Harry before midnight tonight. Members Steve Chapman and Dave Turner have volunteered to judge. Also on the Wednesday 1st April our Louth Photographic Society 70th anniversary exhibition will be open to view at the Louth Museum. Regards Graham
