One of my biggest challenges when I first began photography was capturing razor-sharp images. At the time I did not think much about it but as my photography got better I noticed that a lot of the images weren’t nearly as sharp as they should have been.

Does this sound familiar to you? You’re not alone.

Don’t worry, though. Capturing sharper images isn’t that difficult. Follow the tips shared below and notice a difference starting already today. There’s no need for you to go through the same mistakes as I did.

#1 Use a tripod

When I first published this article four years ago I started this advice by saying the following:

My number one tip for taking sharper images is using a tripod. I can not stress it enough how important this is. I frequently get asked if I use a tripod for my images. My answer? Yes. I use a tripod for 99% of my shots, and so should you! It doesn’t matter if you are photographing in bright daylight or in the twilight, a tripod is essential.

If you ask me the same today, my answer is a little different: While a tripod is an essential tool for landscape photographers, it isn’t needed in every single scenario. The tripod will only have an impact on the image sharpness once the shutter speed lengthens.

A tripod was essential in capturing this image without introducing blur and/or noise

Since I first posted this article I’ve gone from using a tripod for 99% of my images to somewhere around half. Part of the reason behind that is also due to the fact that I’m not strictly shooting around the golden hour anymore.

However, having a tripod available is still one of my best tips for capturing sharper images. A tripod is essential when you’re photographing in dim light (around sunrise, sunset or at night) or if you’re working with Neutral Density filters to do long exposure photography.

The most common cause for blurry and soft images is due to the shutter speed being too slow and the photographer isn’t using a tripod. You simply aren’t able to hold the camera perfectly still when using slow shutter speeds.

Recommended Reading: Leaving the Tripod Behind? Read These Tips for Handheld Photography

There’s no magic rule for when you need to change from handheld to a tripod as it depends on the camera and lens but an old saying/guideline is that the slowest handheld shutter speed equals 1/focal length.

A sturdy tripod is preferred

Using a tripod isn’t a guarantee of capturing sharper images. It’s important to choose a tripod that is sturdy enough to carry your camera gear and that can withstand some wind and weather.

A sturdy tripod stands steady on the ground and has less vibration (that leads to camera shake) than a low-end model. Choosing the right tripod can be tricky as the price and quality range is huge but I recommend having a look at our advice for purchasing a new tripod if you’re in the market for an upgrade.

Using a tripod for sharper images

Position the tripod properly for sharper images

By planting the legs well into the ground you’re already closer to capturing a sharp image.

Notice where you put the tripod legs. Is the ground solid? Try to avoid setting the tripod on the edge of a slippery rock or on any surface that might move during the shot. If the ground is soft try to press the legs down in the ground until it stands still. 

I know it’s tempting to just quickly mount the tripod, especially when standing in a river or a place where you need to be alert of the surrounding elements, but it’s worth spending the extra 30 seconds to make sure it’s standing steady. If not only for the image sharpness itself, also for the safety of your camera gear.

#2 Use a remote shutter release

A remote shutter release is the second piece of equipment you want to add to your backpack.

Using one helps remove the vibration caused by pressing the shutter button on your camera. Combining this with a tripod will eliminate most camera shake and result in sharper images.

Unlike the tripods, this can be an affordable tool; a 10$ release from Amazon will do the job.

However, more expensive models have more advanced features such as continuous shooting (essential for time lapses) and the possibility to lock the release button. Locking the release button is a nice feature for those using Bulb Mode and shutter speeds of several minutes (rather than manually holding the button)

It doesn’t matter whether you choose a cable release or a wireless shutter, they both give similar results.

I used a sturdy tripod and remote shutter to minimize any extra camera shake for this shot

There is one other alternative if you’re not interested in spending the extra money on a remote shutter release: use the built-in shutter delay function.

In most scenarios, using the camera’s delayed shutter function will be a good alternative. However, there are some times where a remote shutter is better:

Let’s say that you are photographing at a beach and want to capture the motion of the waves. By using a remote control you can choose the exact moment you want to take the picture, which allows you to freeze the waves in the exact moment you desire. This is not the case when using a delayed shutter. You then have to plan 2 seconds (depending on your settings) before the camera takes the picture. By that time the wave you wanted to freeze is long gone.

#3 Focus manually rather than automatically

There’s a lot of discussions when it comes to the best practices for focusing but I believe you should focus manually as long as your camera is mounted on a tripod. I know this can sound a little scary if you’re just getting started but it gives you extra flexibility and fine-tuning possibilities.

Autofocus has improved a lot and it’s amazing to see how far autofocus technology has come. Especially when looking at wildlife or sports photography. How good autofocus works for you highly depends on your camera but it does give good enough results when walking around photographing handheld.

Autofocus often struggles with scenes that have low contrast; here it's easier to get sharper images using manual focus.
Autofocus often struggles with scenes that have low contrast; here it’s easier to get sharper images using manual focus.

However, manual focusing gives you the opportunity to fine-tune and focus on a very specific point. This comes in handy when you’re close to the foreground or shooting with an open aperture.

The best way to manually focus is to use your cameras “Live View” function. Zoom in on your focal point in live view and twist the lens’s focal ring until you find the sharpest point.

Not that hard is it?

#4 Bonus tips: Remove the camera strap

I’m in a generous mood today and you’re a bunch of fantastic people, so I’ll share one extra advice with you:

Remove the camera strap!

Removing the camera strap is especially important when shooting long exposure photography in windy conditions. The last thing you want is for your image to be less sharp because the strap was flickering in the wind.

What are your favorite methods to get sharper images? Have you tried any of the above?


16 COMMENTS

  1. As you said about sharp image techniques in this article, the image you post here and on instagram are nice crisp one. And i think you shoot in RAW mode. But when i open my clear images that has low iso upto 800 max. In photoshop it shows me great level of noise. But not on screen of dslr. So may be there is a fault in photoshop version or what is wrong about my photographing techniques you can think of?

    • Hi Saurabh,
      Thanks for commenting.
      If you’re taking images with ISO800 you will have a considerable amount of noise in the image. Just looking at the screen on your camera you might not see it but if you zoom in it becomes more visible.

  2. What should be the possible reasons for not getting sharper image and mainly getting considerable level of noise in image when shooting in raw either it’s a day or night? Both time same level of noise im getting. What do you think?

  3. Removing the strap – excellent advice Christian. Since the (great) old days of film, I have only used a strap when shooting handheld. As our gear (cameras and tripods) gets lighter there is even more reason to get that strap off and stop it whipping about in the wind.

    • Exactly, Terry! I only use the strap, like you, when shooting handheld. From time to time I even forget bringing the strap when shooting a concert or event..

  4. Most DSLR’s also have a mirror lockup function, which means that the mirror pops up two seconds befor the shutter. This is to prevent vibrations from the mirror, and works extremely well. Like a delayed shutter, but with a shorter interval. I use it on almost all my tripod shots.

    • The Mirror Lockup function is really nice. I normally only use it when using a telezoom and on a few other occasions. I think there is a “sweet spot” as to when you should use it. When the shutter speed is more than 5 seconds the mirror lockup won’t make a huge difference in my experience.

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