Tips for Adjusting Image Sharpness in Digital Photographs

Getting a nice clean, sharp image that has perfect focus is the result of good camera work. If you have an image that is sharp and in focus but you want to make it "pop" even more computer software can help. But if focus is a problem and your image is soft or fuzzy, computer software can only enhance the image itself. It cannot do miracles. Maybe someday, but we aren't there yet. So its always best to start with an images that is decently focused and work at improving it from there. Since sharpness starts in the camera lets look at some things you can do there first.

IN CAMERA TRICKS:

1. Make sure you are shooting with the correct settings. Keep your ISO as low as possible. The higher the ISO the more grain will be in your photos making them appear less sharp even if they are perfectly in focus. Don't forget to check your ISO setting before shooting. Some cameras do a better job than others in low light but generally speaking the lower your light the less likely you will get a nice, clean, sharp image.

2. Secondly, make sure you have your aperture set to the appropriate setting for your subject. If you are doing a landscape keep your F-stop between 6-13. If you are doing a portrait of a group set it between 4-6. And if you are shooting a portrait of one person close up 1.4-2.8 is best. What does this have to do with the sharpness of your focus? Aperture controls the depth of field. The higher the number, the wider the depth of field, which allows for more of the photo to remain in focus. The smaller the number, the shallower the depth of field. Shallow depth of field gives you that fuzzy look for everything around the subject of your image, for example the eyes in a portrait will remain sharp if you focus on them at 1.4 but the nose and hair will be slightly out of focus and the background will be completely blurred out. Cool look for a portrait, but not for a landscape. So take note.