A blurry landscape shot can distract from the details and the beauty of what you were trying to capture. But why are landscape photos not sharp? And how to take sharp landscape photos?
From shaky tripods to the wrong camera settings, there could be a variety of reasons why you end up with blurry images. In this guide, we share our top tips on how to capture sharp landscape photos that are simply breathtaking.
1. Find Stable Ground
In order to set up your tripod with plenty of stability, you need solid ground. When you have moving water, soft snow (see also “How To Photograph Snowflakes“), wet leaves or wet sand, then the tripod can easily move around which results in blurred photographs.
It is best to set up your tripod on solid ground, such as concrete, rock or other solid surfaces. This ensures that your tripod doesn’t wobble.
If you want to capture more dramatic shots that require the tripod to be on less than firm ground, then try to use stabilizers or spikes on your tripod, so your equipment moves as little as possible.
2. Use A Good Tripod
When it comes to taking sharp landscape photos, you will need an excellent tripod that ensures your camera is stable. A camera and tripod that don’t move around also produce much sharper pictures.
While a tripod can be an additional weight to carry around with you, it is your guarantee for sharp nature shots. In order to find a good tripod for your camera, you will need to consider the different height settings, weight and budget.
If you are regularly photographing in locations where you have unstable ground, then make sure to also get spikes or stabilizers for your tripod.
3. Consider The Weather
Even when you have a great tripod, windy weather can destabilize your camera making your images look shaky.
Although a tripod can handle a light breeze, too much wind can move it just slightly enough to create blur in your photos, especially when you use filters or a long lens.
These pieces of kit can act like a sail that catches in the wind. In order to avoid shaky photographs, try to push the tripod legs firmly into the ground and just avoid any days when it is too windy.
4. Avoid Auto Focus
Auto focus is a standard setting on your camera that allows the camera to automatically adjust the focus depending on how close or far your subject is. Auto focus settings aren’t always correct which may result in blurry pictures.
That is why it is a good idea to turn off auto focus and use manual focus instead. While you also need to be careful with manual focus to ensure that all parts of your photograph are in focus, you have much more control over the sharpness of your image.
Just make sure that you double-check the sharpness of your shot in the preview to make sure that it is what you expect.
5. Opt For The Right Aperture
Aperture is the best way to control the depth of field for your landscape shot. You will need a large depth of field to capture all the amazing details in focus in your photographs.
Don’t just go for the smallest aperture of your lens but instead experiment with aperture settings to find the one that is right for your specific shot. Choose the largest aperture that still offers the best depth of field.
This is typically between f/8 and f/11. However, the aperture can vary greatly depending on your chosen scene.
6. Use A Good Quality Lens
The right lens can make a big difference to the quality of your image, including the colors and sharpness.
While high-end camera gear can be expensive, it is well worth spending a little bit more on your lenses to ensure that you can achieve the perfect sharpness in your photos.
Generally, cheap budget lenses aren’t as sharp as high-end or professional lenses. That is why it is important to do some research on the right lens for your camera.
7. Pick The Correct Shutter Speed
Too slow shutter speed is a common cause of blurry photographs. If you are using a semi-automatic or automatic shooting mode or you opted for a too slow shutter speed manually, then this can make your images less crisp.
This is a common problem when you regularly use your camera in low light settings, such as early morning or late evening.
As a rule of thumb, try to adjust your shutter speed that is faster than your focal length. Typically, a shutter speed of 1/200 for a 200mm focal length works best.
8. Shoot In RAW Mode
The majority of modern cameras capture photos in two different file types: RAW and JPEG. While JPEG is a common file type, it lacks the image quality you need for sharp photos.
Instead, it is best to use your camera’s RAW mode to ensure that your images contain all the essential information to display sharp and crisp. Just keep in mind that RAW photos are larger in size, so they require more storage space on your SD card.
9. Work With A Remote Trigger
Even an excellent tripod doesn’t guarantee perfectly shake-free results. You will need to avoid the smallest movement, such as the pressing of the shutter.
The best way to avoid this is by not touching your camera at all when you capture a photo. You can do this by using a remote trigger.
These little devices are relatively inexpensive and they allow you to release the shutter and take your photo from a distance. You can even set a timer with a small time delay.
Final Thoughts
When you wonder why your landscape photos aren’t sharp, then this can have a variety of reasons, from too slow shutter speed to a shaky tripod. Keep in mind that a little bit of blur can add to the magic of a stunning nature shot.
Hey everyone, and welcome to LemonadeAndLenses.com. My name is Laura and I am the founder of this site!
For as long as I can remember, I have loved taking photographs. There is nothing I love more than looking back through old pictures, and having all of the memories come flooding back.
If you want to learn about how to take professional images, and to run your own photography business, then I can help you out, here at Lemonade And Lenses.
