- This topic has 6 replies, 4 voices, and was last updated 2 months, 1 week ago by
.
-
Posts
-
Hi again!
How does everyone get such sharp images (especially for close up shots of flowers)? Do you use a tripod? I went out this morning to try and photograph flowers (no tripod), and most of my images were soft/blurry. Does anyone use/know about the mirror lockup setting? Does it help with image sharpness? I tried it this morning for a couple of my images, but I am not sure how it works or if it helped.
Also, how do you know if any image is sharp? Or maybe sharp enough? In order to disturb my subjects (mainly birds) as little as possible, I switched to a bridge camera (Nikon p950). I think that it is a 16 megapixel camera. One of my concerns is that even when the images are as sharp as they can get, they still look a bit soft/noisy. I am curious to know if you would consider these images to be sharp enough to print and/or submit to the monthly photo assignments.
The images that I attached were shot in near perfect conditions, so this is probably the best it can get. So far, I have only shot in jpg, so these are not compressed or resized to be smaller. Are images clearer if they are shot in RAW instead of jpg?
One more thing: on the forum guidelines, it says that you are limited to only posting 2 photos per topic/reply. The website allows me to add more than 2 photos to a post, but is this not allowed?
To anyone who took the time to read my (many many) questions, thank you so so much. Some of these are questions that I have been wondering about for a while, but I never had the place to ask.
-Anastaia
Attachments:
Here are some more photos. They were shot in lower light conditions, so the noise is more apparent.
Attachments:
Hi @nguyenfamily! Those are some great shots! I had a similar issue when I began photography. I would suggest that you look at your ISO and shutter speed.
The higher the ISO, the grainier the photo will be. The lower it is, there is less grain. However, the ISO also affects the brightness of your photo- so it is a tricky balance.
Shutter speed is how long the shutter is open to allow light to come in to the sensor. The higher the shutter speed, the less time the shutter is open, which means less light hits the sensor (and the photo isn’t as bright). The lower the shutter speed is, the longer the shutter is open, which means more light hits the sensor (resulting in brighter photos). However, having your shutter open for a longer time can result in less quality photos, as camera shake can blur the photos (if you aren’t using a tripod).
If you want to learn more about this, I would suggest taking the Foundations of Photography course, where all of this is discussed in more detail in the 2nd section!
How does everyone get such sharp images…?
Remember, everyone gets lots and lots of blurry ones, too. You only ever see other people’s best ones! You have some great work there, keep it up.
Here’s a great blog post from lenspiration on the topic of tack sharpness.
Make sure your lenses are perfectly clean. Even an apparently small smudge, or a virtually invisible coat of dirt, can affect image quality.
No, shooting in Jpg vs RAW doesn’t directly affect image sharpness, thought it might affect smooth textures slightly (in extreme cases). RAW gives you more power over the colours in your pictures when editing them.
Your example pictures are resized to 2000 px long-edge. I wouldn’t dare give an opinion without seeing the original picture.
For your last question, use the Golden Rule. Don’t post 8 pictures when 2 would do. But if you need to post three or four, like you did this time, you’re fine just putting them in at the same time; it won’t break the website.
Yes, as @musicgal recommended, the Foundations of Photography course, though it might take some resources and effort, could be a lot of help in answering this kind of question.
I hope that helped.Thank you @musicgal and @cheesestick! Your explanations are very helpful and I will be sure to check out the Foundations of Photography course.
-Anastasia@nguyenfamily, wow you have so many great questions! @musicgal and @cheesestick gave some great answers to your questions already, but I thought I’d chime in on this thread as well!
How does everyone get such sharp images (especially for close up shots of flowers)? Do you use a tripod?
It took a while for my eye to develop in recognizing what exactly “tack sharp” looks like. Keep observing it and you’ll develop a recognition of sharpness, and what factors deter from it: motion blur, out of focus, noise, etc. A tripod (or similar stable surface) is really only necessary when your shutterspeed is slower than what you can hand hold for clear images. Personally, I rarely use a tripod, however others like @jamesstaddon use them all the time.
I am curious to know if you would consider these images to be sharp enough to print and/or submit to the monthly photo assignments.
Do submit your best work for assignments, but that’s just what it should be – your best work. That may look different from someone else who has been shooting longer and learned how to take professional level photos, or someone who has been shooting for a shorter period of time and is not at the level you’re at. That’s one place that the photo coaching webinars come in really handy. 🙂 I learned soo much through submitting photos that were my best work (which now I look back and see they’re not all as good as what I might take today), but just learning and growing each month along the way!
One more thing: on the forum guidelines, it says that you are limited to only posting 2 photos per topic/reply. The website allows me to add more than 2 photos to a post, but is this not allowed?
@cheesestick summed up an answer very well!@lenspirationlydia Thank you!
You must be logged in to reply to this topic.