The Keys to Sharper Images
Derek Smith • 23 January 2021
Like every other photographer in this lockdown pandemic world that we currently inhabit, we long to be travelling, and taking photographs. Deeply saddened by the high Coronavirus mortality rate, and infections, it’s sometimes hard to be motivated to take photos, especially in this lockdown situation, where photo opportunities are limited.
Nonetheless, I believe that it’s important to be out as much as possible, with our cameras, making the most of whatever opportunities arise. The snowdrops are out now, and sunrise, sunset photos make great subjects, you only have to see the weather watchers photos on the television weather forecasts.
So, how do we improve the photos that we do take? Composition skills are certainly one avenue to explore, but today I want to discuss the topic of sharpness in our images. The key elements to sharp images are focus, depth of field, and shutter speed.
Focus
The first point to remember is that cameras are very clever, but not mind readers, the auto focus on the camera needs to be guided to the correct focus point. For portraits, and animal photography use the smallest focus point and focus on the eyes, S-AF will be the best camera setting for posed photos, you may need to switch the focus mode to C-AF, or AI Servo for moving subjects, and possibly with a slightly larger focus point, or even a small group of focus points. For landscape photography the focus point is determined by the hyper focal point. However, the easier method is to focus a third of the way into the scene, because camera focus is sharp at the focus point, a third of the way in front, and two thirds of the way behind the focus thus ensuring a sharp foreground, and background. For macro photography the rule here is not to get too close to the subject, as the depth of field reduces as you get closer to a subject, so stay back, and crop into the image during post processing. When using manual focus, use whatever aids your camera has; focus peaking, or magnification to ensure the subject is in focus.
Depth of Field
Controlling the depth of field in an image is relatively easy if using the aperture priority mode on the camera. Portraits with a shallow depth of field and blurred background can be obtained by opening the aperture to f/2 to f/4 in natural light. For wildlife f/5.6 to f/6.3, landscape photography will require stopping the aperture down to f/7.1 to f/14. These aperture settings are dependent upon the available light, the lens, and camera used. Be aware that a lens opened wide open may not be sharp in the corners of the frame, and exhibit darker corners, called vignetting. Conversely, a lens stopped down f/16 to f/22 might give softer images owing to an effect known as diffraction, where not all the light rays are directed onto the sensor. Lenses will often be sharpest at a particular aperture setting usually around the range f/4 to f/8 this is known as the “sweet” spot of the lens.
Shutter Speed
A rough guide to the best shutter speed for handheld photography is to match the shutter speed to the focal length of the lens, with a 50mm lens 1/50, 300mm lens a faster speed of 1/300. Now, starting off the camera settings in Aperture Priority mode and fixing one of the exposure triangle parameters leaves the photographer with only the ISO adjustment to obtain the correct shutter speed, and exposure. Most modern cameras will happily shoot up to ISO 1600 without any noise issues. The type of scene that will need care with shutter speed will be: wildlife, sports, and children, moving water, and windy conditions causing moving flowers, grasses, and leaves.
Looking at this tree reflection image, taken a few days ago, I have set the aperture to f/7.1 (ideal for micro four thirds camera landscape photography) ISO200, shutter speed 1/100, with these settings the hyper focal length is 2.71m ensuring sharpness from front to back. The lens used was my walk around favourite the Olympus M.Zuiko 17mm f/1.8 (35mm full frame equivalent), on the Olympus PEN E-PL7.
For the nuthatch image it was a very different scenario, using the Olympus OM-D E-M5 lll, and the M.Zuiko 40-150mm f/2.8, with the x2 convertor. Setting the aperture to f/6.3, and ISO1000, the resultant shutter speed of 1/250 was sufficient to capture the bird at a full frame equivalent focal length of 600mm. The 5 axis image stabilisation of the Olympus camera really does pay dividends for handheld wildlife photography.
Stay safe, and enjoy your hobby.
Nonetheless, I believe that it’s important to be out as much as possible, with our cameras, making the most of whatever opportunities arise. The snowdrops are out now, and sunrise, sunset photos make great subjects, you only have to see the weather watchers photos on the television weather forecasts.
So, how do we improve the photos that we do take? Composition skills are certainly one avenue to explore, but today I want to discuss the topic of sharpness in our images. The key elements to sharp images are focus, depth of field, and shutter speed.
Focus
The first point to remember is that cameras are very clever, but not mind readers, the auto focus on the camera needs to be guided to the correct focus point. For portraits, and animal photography use the smallest focus point and focus on the eyes, S-AF will be the best camera setting for posed photos, you may need to switch the focus mode to C-AF, or AI Servo for moving subjects, and possibly with a slightly larger focus point, or even a small group of focus points. For landscape photography the focus point is determined by the hyper focal point. However, the easier method is to focus a third of the way into the scene, because camera focus is sharp at the focus point, a third of the way in front, and two thirds of the way behind the focus thus ensuring a sharp foreground, and background. For macro photography the rule here is not to get too close to the subject, as the depth of field reduces as you get closer to a subject, so stay back, and crop into the image during post processing. When using manual focus, use whatever aids your camera has; focus peaking, or magnification to ensure the subject is in focus.
Depth of Field
Controlling the depth of field in an image is relatively easy if using the aperture priority mode on the camera. Portraits with a shallow depth of field and blurred background can be obtained by opening the aperture to f/2 to f/4 in natural light. For wildlife f/5.6 to f/6.3, landscape photography will require stopping the aperture down to f/7.1 to f/14. These aperture settings are dependent upon the available light, the lens, and camera used. Be aware that a lens opened wide open may not be sharp in the corners of the frame, and exhibit darker corners, called vignetting. Conversely, a lens stopped down f/16 to f/22 might give softer images owing to an effect known as diffraction, where not all the light rays are directed onto the sensor. Lenses will often be sharpest at a particular aperture setting usually around the range f/4 to f/8 this is known as the “sweet” spot of the lens.
Shutter Speed
A rough guide to the best shutter speed for handheld photography is to match the shutter speed to the focal length of the lens, with a 50mm lens 1/50, 300mm lens a faster speed of 1/300. Now, starting off the camera settings in Aperture Priority mode and fixing one of the exposure triangle parameters leaves the photographer with only the ISO adjustment to obtain the correct shutter speed, and exposure. Most modern cameras will happily shoot up to ISO 1600 without any noise issues. The type of scene that will need care with shutter speed will be: wildlife, sports, and children, moving water, and windy conditions causing moving flowers, grasses, and leaves.
Many dedicated sports photographers will choose to shoot in Shutter Priority mode, or even Manual exposure mode, but for the vast majority of photographers Aperture Priority mode makes camera settings easier to understand.
Looking at this tree reflection image, taken a few days ago, I have set the aperture to f/7.1 (ideal for micro four thirds camera landscape photography) ISO200, shutter speed 1/100, with these settings the hyper focal length is 2.71m ensuring sharpness from front to back. The lens used was my walk around favourite the Olympus M.Zuiko 17mm f/1.8 (35mm full frame equivalent), on the Olympus PEN E-PL7.
For the nuthatch image it was a very different scenario, using the Olympus OM-D E-M5 lll, and the M.Zuiko 40-150mm f/2.8, with the x2 convertor. Setting the aperture to f/6.3, and ISO1000, the resultant shutter speed of 1/250 was sufficient to capture the bird at a full frame equivalent focal length of 600mm. The 5 axis image stabilisation of the Olympus camera really does pay dividends for handheld wildlife photography.
Stay safe, and enjoy your hobby.
Reflections
Photo By: Derek Smith
Nuthatch
Photo By: Derek Smith
Louth Photographic Society
When we see a photograph what do we actually see? Does the image grab our attention? Does the image tell a story, or do we have to fill in the blanks with our own memories, and experiences? If we see a complete picture, or just a detail, which stirs our emotions most? At a recent competition a print was shown of fishing boats pulled up on the beach at North Landing, Flamborough, it was an excellent print, but the judge remarked “it’s just boats on a beach”. Do we feel the same emotion with a “normal” view, or do we want more, a storm raging, or fishermen launching the boats? Anyway, here are a few of my “abnormal” photos, first up a rusted bolt, you see I ask “who put that there?”, “what did it once hold?” Second, a vehicle excise disc, surely that stirs memories? Thirdly, a stone carved column, who carved the details? Was it shaped according to an architect’s brief, or a stone masons pattern? What emotions were felt by the stone mason? Lastly, a door handle. Where does this lead? How old is it, and how many hands have opened this door? Finally, I think that I’ve got my “mojo” back, I’ve been out more with my camera, and enjoying the experience, and surely that’s what photography is all about, the joy of capturing an image that pleases me.
The Exhibition will be in place from 10th - 29th September 2026
I was scrolling through the archives yesterday, and found these "Still Life" images. Still Life is an interesting photographic genre that requires good lighting, and compositional skills, but the results can be amazing. Here are four images of the genre, "Breakfast" showing cereal falling into a bowl, "Four Candles" (no not the ones from the Two Ronnies sketch), the moody "Decaying Tulip", and the simple but effective monochrome "Opener". Perhaps these images might give you some inspiration.
I joined the NELPS outing at Chambers Farm Woods on Wednesday. The NELPS visit to Chamber Farm wood and butterfly garden was well attended, with several members from NELPS, Grimsby, Dunholme and Louth, kind thanks to all that came, although it was very hot the butterfly garden, being rather full and slightly unkept did not let us down with butterflies, two less common were seen, a Comma butterfly and a humming bird moth, with loads of very lively common blue butterflies. Most of the insects in the butterfly garden were highly active, and by the time an insect was spotted, it was off!! I managed to just about get an image of the Comma butterfly, and nobody stood a chance with the humming bird moth, it was too fast. The dragonfly was more accommodating remaining fairly still posing for us. The next NELPS outing will be to the Peoples Park in Grimsby on Wednesday 19th, I'm busy on that day, but I will be attending the meeting at the Sandtoft Trolleybus Museum on Wednesday 26th. Many thanks to NELPS for organising these outings, it was a thoroughly pleasurable morning.
A visit to Whitby for a sunset picture didn't quite go to plan. Unknown to me today is the last day of the Whitby Regatta. Whitby in the summer is usually busy, but today it rivaled Time Square in New York. My planned shoot of the East Pier was a non-starter because for tonight only there's a fun fair along West Pier where I planned to shoot from. I had to re-think and resort to plan b, which was also a non-starter because the East Pier was closed as it was packed with fireworks. Plan c was OK though and I got an image I'm pleased with.
I've been up to RSPB Bempton Cliffs this week, and have taken some excellent photographs, the weather was fine, and the lighting was less harsh than usual. This pair were on the cliff top, obviously well established, and saw off this interloper trying to muscle in on their space, those beaks look very vicious. I hope that everyone else is having a productive summer break.
For club interaction, we are invited to these NELPS photo shoots. So lets start this club interaction, NELPS are now on there summer break, but it does not stop there. The NELPS club president has put together some outdoor photo shoots:- Lincoln 5th Aug meet at the Cathedral 11am Not forgetting the photo exhibition by Lincoln Camera Club in the Usher Gallery! Chambers Farm Wood & Butterfly Farm 12th Aug meet at 10am. Peoples Park Grimsby 19th Aug meet at 10am. Trolley Bus Museum Sandtoft 26th Aug meet at 10am Cadwell Park 10th Aug motorbikes, 24th Aug cars and both are track days so free to get in.
Sutton & Trusthorpe Camera Club have their annual Exhibition at the Meridale Hall, Sutton on Sea, on 29th / 30th August. Drink and a Home-made cake only £3!
I’ve lost my photographic “mojo”, that desire to go out and take impactful photographs. That creative spark has gone, vanished, will it ever return? Writers talk of a “writers block”, when they just sit in front of a blank page, and can’t think of anything else to write, I’m the same, still out with my camera, but just not creating anything meaningful. Some of this I suppose is due to the fact that I’ve almost stopped my genre of model photography, we had the Studio evening, and other than that I’ve only had 2 model shoots this year. So what is my photography genre now? I know that I’m not a bird photographer, I haven’t got the patience to sit in a bird hide for hours with a long lens, waiting for the right bird shot to appear. Landscape, possibly, but I look at the work of some of our members, and YouTube videos, and don’t know whether I can achieve as good a standard in my work? I do enjoy macro photography, but again do my photos reach a good standard? One way forward is to look at our Societies annual project, this year it’s “water” one photo a month depicting water. Then of course there are the planned photo competitions for the rest of the year, those subjects could inspire me to go out and take some images. Anyway, that’s me, enjoy the rest of the summer, and if any of our members could share a photo, with a line or two of text I will be very happy to post on this blog.
Good Morning All Last week we had a very good evening at Kirkby Gravel Pits, it was a warm sunny evening and there was wildlife about to photograph. There were Dragonflies about, but all flying, but we did manage to photograph some Damselflies and grasshoppers etc. We then called at the local pub in Kirkby on Bain for refreshments. There were only 7 of us, if you have other ideas for outings please let me know and I will look into them for next year. Derek has also done a blog on the evening. Louth did make it through to the LPA Battle finals coming fifth overall, the final is on the 18 th October at Nettleham village hall. That was the last event before the summer break, so we now have a break before returning in September. I won't be doing any newsletters unless there is something to report. If you do anything interesting over the break you can always send Derek a blog for our website. There are things you can do over the break, the monthly project of water, preparing for the PDI competition in September, with the categories of "Objects in the Air" and "Open". In September our first meeting back will have members speaking on the topic "15 minutes on what you have done over the summer", you may want to prepare something for this. Have a good summer, Graham
