Sharp picture meaning

fabphoto

fabphoto

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Fabien
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I was told that my picture wasn't very sharp, what does it exactly mean?

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IMG_2253 by fabphoto1, on Flickr
 
I'm trying to find a nice way of telling you but can seem to do so without being blunt.
 
f5.6 @ 1/10th second in very low light (ISO 3200) means it was always going to be tough to get a razor sharp image.
The depth of field has thrown the background out well but the settings and light just haven't allowed the subject to be resolved sharply :)
 
Sharpness is over-rated..

But there's a widespread consensus that the plane of focus should be clearly defined, with edges that look like a knife edge. If an image is said to lack sharpness it usually means that the definition of the in-focus areas is a bit fuzzy.

But sharpness is always secondary to content. And weak sharpness may be an intentional, deliberate choice.


Edit: and at least half the time "sharpness"is the wrong term when used critically.
 
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Thanks all for your help.

What is the best way to keep a photo sharp?
In the above situation, there was very low light
 
a faster shutter speed , which in that situation means using higher iso, a wider apperture or flash will combat camera wobble (if thats not practical use a camera and a cable release)
focusng in the right place combats lack of sharpness caused by a thin plane of focus
 
Sharp means that areas of your image which should transition from one colour to another (or one shade to another) quickly actually do so slowly. comes from lots of things. What should be a high-contrast, abrupt change is actually a lower-contrast, "smeared" one. When you look at the picture as a whole, it means that lines and edges which should be crisp aren't. The main cause is shutter speed, or vibration. The quality of the lens can also factor.
 
I find that my trusty gorillapod helps with sharpness (y)
 
to help keep it sharp, as well as using a tripod and the cable release you should have the mirror set to lift on the first press of the shutter button and then take the picture on the second press. This is quite easy to set up and on macro photography like this, it can make a real difference.
 
RichJones said:
to help keep it sharp, as well as using a tripod and the cable release you should have the mirror set to lift on the first press of the shutter button and then take the picture on the second press. This is quite easy to set up and on macro photography like this, it can make a real difference.
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You don't have to do this of course.
 
Dael_Pix said:
You don't have to do this of course.
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well no , following any advice is purely voluntary - but rich is right that mirror slap is another cause of wobble and thus unsharpness, its more of an issue with slow shutter speeds
 
big soft moose said:
well no , following any advice is purely voluntary - but rich is right that mirror slap is another cause of wobble and thus unsharpness, its more of an issue with slow shutter speeds
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Ideally the mirror should be locked up, which it is in live view, and manually focus in live view and zoom in to check focus and manually adjust until your focal point is as sharp as it can be. Then use cable release, self timer shutter...then you are sharp
 
you haven't experienced "mirror slap" on an image 'till you've shot with something like a Mamiya RB67... Though my old Bronica SQA would wake the dead as well, probably because the mirror damper could have done with replacing...

Mirror lockup prior to release was pretty much a given on either of those beasts though.
 
ST4 said:
Ideally the mirror should be locked up, which it is in live view, and manually focus in live view and zoom in to check focus and manually adjust until your focal point is as sharp as it can be. Then use cable release, self timer shutter...then you are sharp
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... or at least then you might be sharp so long as the tripod isnt moving in the wind , your lens is soft / fogged , and the focal point is actually in the right place ;)
 
TheBigYin said:
you haven't experienced "mirror slap" on an image 'till you've shot with something like a Mamiya RB67...
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"Mirror slap" doesn't quite do it justice.. ;)

Mind you, mirror lock-up is such old hat these days.. my current camera doesn't even offer the setting.
 
Welshnoob's pun deserves more attention ...

As for the OP : at 100% zoom it isn't sharp and it is noisy, and lacks contrast
but it may be plenty sharp enough for the purpose for which it was intended ... someone may have given the OP undeserved criticism.

Personally I'd run it through a really good noise filter then sharpen the heck out of the in-focus subject : not difficult, and the result should be excellent on this particular photo.
 
Alastair said:
"Mirror slap" doesn't quite do it justice.. ;)

Mind you, mirror lock-up is such old hat these days.. my current camera doesn't even offer the setting.
Click to expand...

neither does my latest, primarily due to the complete absence of a mirror :LOL:
 
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