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How to Get Sharp Portraits

While reviewing your image files from a previous photo shoot, you notice that your model's eyes look a little blurry in most of the shots. A blurred portrait may be the result of several different factors: a slow shutter speed, camera shake, model movement or too wide an aperture (lens opening). Before scheduling a re-shoot, you should acquaint yourself with the settings and handling techniques that will provide sharp, professional quality results.

Things You'll Need

Digital SLR
Tripod (optional)

Instructions

- 1
  Shoot in Manual mode, or "M" on most camera command dials. Manual mode allows you to set your desired ISO, or sensor sensitivity, aperture and shutter speed for total control over the final image.
- 2
  Select an ISO of 100 if you are shooting in a bright indoor studio, or in sunny outdoor weather. If you are shooting under shade or in a dim room, increase your ISO to 200. The lower your ISO setting, the crisper your resulting portraits will be.
- 3
  Widen your aperture to f/2.8 or f/4. These apertures will throw the background into a smooth blur while sharply rendering all parts of your model's face. Avoid using very wide apertures such as f/1.4 and f/1.7, as the range of effective focus will only include a small part of your model's face.
- 4
  Use a shutter speed that is faster than 1/125th of a second. This rate of speed will eliminate most of your model's subtle movements and any accidental hand movements. Depending on the speed you use, you may need to widen your aperture or increase your ISO slightly to allow for proper exposure.
- 5
  Wrap your supporting hand around the lens and tuck your elbows into your body while you shoot to reduce movement in your arms. If desired, you may mount your camera on a tripod for more comfortable shooting.

Photography