Hey, how’s it going? I’m Andy Jones and this is episode 98 of the Photography Side Hustle podcast.
Now if you listened to last week’s episode you will know that I was going shopping for a new camera body. I did briefly think about changing everything and going over to the dark side, you might know it as Sony. But the cost was crazy to do that.
In the Facebook group, Armando Rivero tried to convince me to move to the dark side, but he was too late, I had already made a purchase.
So I got a Canon R6 mk2 with a mount adapter so I can use my EF lenses on the R body. My lenses are pre-image stabilization, but they work better than ever on the R6 body. The R6 has in-body image stabilization (IBIS) and it allows me to get sharp images hand-held at 1/4 of a second.
The auto-focus is nice and fast, plus the way it tracks and focuses on the subject's eyes is incredible, animals included.
Anyway, I’m like a kid on Christmas morning.
Right then, this week’s episode is …
1. Keep your camera steady
Holding your camera still when taking a photo is crucial to getting in-focus images. You might have heard of ‘Camera Shake’ and not keeping your camera steady is something that can cause it.
I have seen people using the rear LCD screen to compose a photo with the camera held out in front of them, and you can see the lens moving around.
If you want to get sharp images you need to hold the camera and lens still, very still. To do this you need to keep your elbows against the sides of your body and the viewfinder up to your eye. Or if you prefer, in front of your face so you can see the LCD screen. Just make sure your elbows are tucked in for stability.
You also need to think about your breathing. I always breathe in, hold it, and take the photo. When I started shooting macro last year I had to really control my breathing. The slightest movement can ruin a photo.
2. Use a tripod or monopod
If you are shooting landscapes a tripod is a must. You want everything in your photos to be tack-sharp. You might get a few decent shots hand holding, but to get everything in focus you do need a tripod.
A tripod is also an option for portrait, product, and headshot photographers. Guaranteeing all your photos are nice and sharp makes your life so much easier when editing and gives your customers get more quality photos to choose from.
If you’ve ever shot day-long sports events you will know how heavy your camera and lens can feel a few hours in. Now a tripod isn’t suitable for sports, but a monopod is. I find it helps me keep my camera rock-solid. You don’t need a ball head like you need with a tripod. The monopod screws directly to the camera or the lens if the lens has a mounting ring.
If you suffer from camera shake a monopod might be a good option.
3. Use a faster shutter speed
A fast shutter speed will freeze the action if you are shooting a fast-moving subject. So if you want to avoid un-focused photos try using a faster shutter speed. Instead of 1/125 of a second try 1/250, that faster shutter speed will give you sharper images.
4. Choose the correct Autofocus mode
There are two autofocus modes that you need to understand …
One-Shot or AF-S
This mode allows you to take one shot with each press of the shutter button. This is suited to subjects that are static, so think portraits and products.
AI Servo or AF-C
If you shoot sports, wildlife, or anything where the subject is moving around you need to use AI Servo or AF-C. The focus point will keep the subject in focus where ever it moves. If you hold the shutter button down and keep it down the camera will take multiple photos. The hard part is keeping the focus point on the subject as it moves.
If you try to shoot a kid's soccer game using One-Shot or AF-S you will be in for a very disappointing day. The only way you will get an in-focus image is if the subject is standing still.
5. Choose the right focus point
Now, I see a lot of photos posted online that have an un-focused subject and the background is in focus. This is because they have used the wrong focus point or they had it on the background and not the subject.
All DSLR and mirrorless cameras allow you to choose which focus point to use. Most of the time you will be using the center focus point, and that point needs to be aimed at your subject's eye. If the focus point is aimed at something in the background, your subject will be out of focus and the background in focus.
An entry-level DSLR might have 9 or 11 focus points, my old D1 mk4 has 45 focus points, and mirrorless cameras have anything from 250 to 6,000. The latest technology can turn every sensor pixel into a focus point.
So look up focus points in your camera manual, if you don’t have a manual you can download a FREE PDF manual through the Photographysidehustle.com website.
Choosing a focus point can help you compose more interesting photos. Your subject doesn’t need to be right in the center of the frame every time.
6. Use back button focus
The beauty of this is you can just use the center focus point. Plus it can be used in any autofocus mode, One-Shot / AF-S, or AI Servo / AF-C.
Back button focus allows you to focus on the subject using the AF-ON button on the rear of the camera. The shutter button is only used to take the photo. You use your thumb to depress the AF-ON button and depress the shutter like normal. This makes taking a photo smoother and gives you sharper photos.
Now when you depress the AF-ON button the camera focuses on the subject. If the subject is static you can take your thumb off the AF-ON button and the camera stays focused on the subject. You can then recompose the image, so that the subject is off to the side of the frame, and start shooting. If you move and change the distance to the subject the photos will be out of focus. So you will need to press the AF-ON button again to re-focus on the subject.
7. One Shot - Shutter button focus
Now if you shoot weddings or portraits you can use the regular shutter button to focus and re-frame the subject. But it can only be done in One-Shot autofocus mode on Canon cameras or AF-S on Nikon and Sony bodies.
So with the camera set to One-Shot or AF-S, you depress the shutter button halfway and the camera focuses on the subject. Now you keep the button depressed halfway and re-frame the subject to the side or where ever you want them by changing where you aim your camera. Then you depress the shutter all the way to take the photo.
Just like back-button focus the distance between you and the subject can’t change, or the subject will be out of focus.
Using this technique and understanding it will improve the sharpness of your photos. No more out-of-focus subjects and in-focus backgrounds.
8. Check your depth of field
If you use a depth of field that is too shallow, parts of your image will be out of focus. So understanding how much depth of field you need is super important.
Now I should have shares in this company, I’ve mentioned them in so many episodes. So I want you to download the PhotoPills app onto your phone. If you put in the length of your lens, camera body, and how far you are standing from your subject, it will tell you how big the depth of field will be.
Give it a try, it’s a great learning tool.
9. Focus stacking
Ok, so you know how to figure out what the depth of field will be. You are out shooting a waterfall and you can’t get everything in focus. There are some cool rocks in the foreground, a tree halfway into the scene, and a waterfall in the background.
You can get the tree and waterfall, or the rocks and the tree in focus but not all three at once.
With the camera on a tripod, you can take a shot with the focus point on the rocks and another shot focused on the tree that also has the waterfall in focus.
In editing, you stack or merge the two images so that the photo is in focus from the rocks to the waterfall.
10. Use a remote or self-timer
With your camera on a tripod, you can use a remote shutter release. There are lots of inexpensive options available. This takes you out of the equation. The act of pushing the shutter button can cause the camera to move, even on the sturdiest tripod.
If you don’t want to go with a shutter release you can use a 2 or 10-second delay. This will delay the photo being taken after you have pressed the shutter. It gives the camera time to settle and capture a sharp in-focus image.
11. Avoid shooting at maximum aperture
Shooting at your lens's maximum aperture isn’t always the best option. In most cases, the lens’s best aperture to shoot at is one stop back from wide open. So if your lens has a maximum aperture of f2.8, it might produce sharper images at f4. This is true for lots of lenses but you need to find out yourself. Do some test shots and find out where your lens is the sharpest.
12. Be mindful of your shutter release technique
This can cause a lot of un-focused photos. The way you depress the shutter button can cause camera shake. The trick is to only move the end of your finger, and keep the hand totally still.
Practice and experiment
This is ongoing, practice and experiment until it all becomes second nature. I still fire off 20 or 30 images before I start a session. It brings my muscle memory back and warms me up.
Experiment and find out what works best for you. We’re all different and what works for me might not work for you.
Take time to work on your technique and the results will be sharp and in-focus photos.
Ok, let's do a quick recap …
One Last Thing - Clean your lens
This is so common and is by far the easiest problem to fix. All you need to do is buy a cleaning kit and clean your lens, front and back, before every shoot.
Right, that’s it for this episode. If you need help with anything you can find me in the Facebook group, or through Facebook Messenger. In fact, why not join us in the group and post some of your photos?
Ok, I’m going to play with my new camera, talk to you soon, bye.