5 Tips for Taking Sharp Product Photographs
When you are shooting for a client the number one thing that they want is for their products to be sharp and in focus. A sharp image means that you have clean lines, crisp details, and no blurred features. To achieve this level of sharpness when you are photographing a product, there are a few things you should always ensure are set up so your shoot is successful. Generally speaking, a product risks not being in focus or sharp when there is camera shake, caused by your hand moving the camera when you press the shutter.
Here are 5 tips to capturing sharp product photographs, and tips on how you can reduce the chance of having blurry or out-of-focus shots.
1. Shoot with single-point autofocus
When a camera is focusing, most will try to keep the whole scene as sharp as possible. However, this isn’t always necessary for product photography. Make sure your camera is on single point focus mode, which informs your camera to focus on a single point. This point is typically on the center of the frame, but you can adjust in camera to other spots. Before you compose your shot, focus by aiming that spot at your product and half-pressing the shutter to select the focus point. Then, click!
2. Keep your ISO low
The higher your ISO is, the more digital noise your image will have. This can cause details that should be sharp to appear fuzzy and blurred, affecting the entire image. When possible, shoot at your cameras lowest ISO setting possible. The beauty of product photography is that if you are shooting in low-light, you can shoot with a tripod, slow shutter, and low ISO setting to get the exact type of image you desire.
3. Invest in a high-quality lens
High-quality lenses make a huge difference to the sharpness of your photographs, and generally speaking, more expensive lenses are sharper than cheaper ones. Consider investing in one step above a nifty fifty 50mm f/1.2, and get the 50mm f/1.4 for a huge step up in your photography. If you choose not to go with a prime lens and are looking at zoom’s, try a 24-70 to step up your photo game. More information on whether prime or zoom lenses are best for you can be found in this article.
4. Improve your sharpness with a tripod
The purpose of a tripod is to keep your camera steady, so invest in a sturdy one that minimizes any movement. Use a remote cable release alongside a tripod to ensure you aren’t causing any shake when you select the shutter. Alternatively, turn your camera on a 2-second timer if you don’t have access to a remote cable release.
5. Use the 1/focal length rule
The faster the shutter speed is, the less your image will be affected by movement so try to have it as fast as you can without sacrificing your other settings. A general rule is that your shutter speed needs to be at least 1/focal length. So for a 50mm lens, you want to use a speed of at least 1/50 of a second or faster.
We hope these tips help you achieve sharp product photographs. By combining these tricks, you will effectively minimize camera shake and reduce the opportunities for blurring to occur in your images. Have any other tips on taking sharp product photographs? Comment them below!
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