Photos Not Sharp? Here Are 6 Possible Reasons

Photography Tips

Imagine putting in your best effort to get the perfect composition but ending up with an image that’s not sharp. That doesn’t do justice to your effort, right? Getting an image that’s sharp is yet another crucial factor that determines the success of any image. But alas! this is where a lot of photographers, especially beginners, struggle a lot. In today’s video, we have professional portrait photographer Julia Trotti who talks about the 6 major reasons why photos don’t come out sharp, and how you can fix it:

“I clean my lenses before every photoshoot that I do to ensure that I’m able to capture good quality photos.”

The reasons why your images are not coming out sharp enough can be broadly categorized into two groups: external and internal.

External Reasons for Soft Looking Images

When we say external, it has to do with factors like dirt on the lens, using poor quality filters or using sub-par quality lenses.

It is always a good idea to carry with you a high-quality microfibre cloth that you can use to wipe the dust or grease off the lens. You’ll be surprised with the level of a difference it can make to have a lens with a clean front and back element.

It is also important to note that manufacturers design lenses to ensure maximum image quality. So, placing any additional piece of glass in front of the lens is sure to degrade the image quality even by a minuscule amount. Therefore, you should only use those filters with excellent optical properties. And as Trotti shows in the video, the filter can trap some dust and degrade the image quality.  So, be wary of that too.

And if you’re a fan of using vintage lenses, you might’ve noticed that your images regularly come out soft. That’s because those old lenses weren’t designed for the high mega-pixel cameras that we have today. Their resolving power isn’t sufficient for modern cameras. So, you’ll definitely be better off getting a newer lens if you’re aiming for sharper images.

Internal Reasons for Soft Looking Images

The internal reasons deal mostly with the camera settings that affect the sharpness of your images which are mostly aperture, shutter speed, and focus settings.

When using wide aperture settings, the depth of field becomes extremely shallow. Even a slight movement of the camera or the subject will be enough to throw the subject out of focus. Hence, be very careful when using wide aperture settings like f/1.2, f/1.4, or even f/1.8. If you’re struggling to get tack-sharp images in this aperture range, try working at around f/2.8 and notice the difference for yourself.

Choosing a shutter speed that is slower than required is another common reason for ending up with blurry images. Two major considerations you want to take when choosing your shutter speed include:

• use faster shutter speeds if the subject or the camera has to move around a lot
• set the shutter speed that is at least double the focal length, e.g. 1/50s when using a lens at 24mm (reciprocal rule)

“The longer the lens, the more chance there is for motion blur.”

Another reason why your photos are not coming out sharp enough might have to do with the focus settings that you use. Based on whether you want the camera to lock the focus just once, or you want the camera to track the moving subject continuously, you can set the focus modes accordingly. Trotti has some great examples in the video that showcase the benefits of each of those focusing methods. Be sure to go through your camera’s manual as well.

Like many beginner photographers, if you too are not happy with the sharpness of your images, we highly recommend that you watch the complete video. Trotti’s tips will surely help you out to a great extent.