7 Steps to SHARPER Landscape Photographs

[@ChrisSalePhoto]

I have just published a blog article to accompany this video and will add some of the recommendations that you have all made to the end of it, will full credit of course. chrissale.co.uk/wp/take-sharper-landscape-photographs/ Also, apologies for the poor quality of the audio in this video, I hope that it doesn't spoil your enjoyment too much. I am currently working to resolve it and hope it will be vastly improved in the next video.

[@rubberdiscoduck]

Thanks again for another great video. Your advice will be very helpful to me

[@owenduncan4574]

Very helpful video. Thank you.

[@Curiousi_tea]

your videos are great! Thank you for sharing...

[@grigory2279]

Thank you very much for your videos Chris! Let me add step number 8. Remember to turn off stabilization on the lens and camera. I often forget about it))

[@MSACoachMike]

Grigory Beltsev That was going to be my comment as well.

[@grigory2279]

@@MSACoachMike Sorry, I did not see your comment when I wrote.

[@ChrisSalePhoto]

That is excellent advice Grigory. I have just published a blog post to accompany this video. I will add you tip to the end of it and credit you.

[@MSACoachMike]

Grigory Beltsev No worries - you beat me to it. 😉

[@CliveTalbuttPhotography]

Hi, Good advice in general but it is not necessary on my Sony A7R4 as the system detects it is on a tripod and doesn't 'hunt around'. Don't know if this applies to other makes though

[@hughwolfe1176]

Excellent advice as always Chris. I’m fascinated by that hyper focal focus item, I’ll have to investigate Photopills... Thank you again for sharing your knowledge.

[@trevorfentiman5283]

Nice to be reminded of what we know but so often forget, another great video.

[@haroldmassey5966]

Thanks for the tips Chris. Keep those video’s coming.

[@nickhawke]

Really useful video. Answered a lot of questions for me, including that 2 second prerelease timer that you mentioned on Twitter. Looking forward to trying out these tips to see if I can improve my images. Thanks

[@johnsparkes8963]

Excellent video Chris, great focus tips best i have watched. Thank you for sharing and take care.

[@JonMurray]

Great video mate! I’m just getting into photography and this was really helpful! New subscriber! Keep up the good work dude!

[@paulcookphotography]

Great tips throughout the video. I really should use Live View more than I do, usually just use the EVF. Also glad you mentioned the infrared trigger release. I find myself using that more and more especially down here at the beach in Florida. We have a lot of windy mornings and I try to get myself in position to block the wind with my body during long exposures, that way I can just use the shutter release to take the photo. Great video Chris! Take care and stay safe over there!

[@g7nhw]

Great tips.

[@Phil-earnshaw]

Very good and interesting video, I knew most of them but always good for a reminder, keep up the good work Phil😊

[@hoodoo_taco]

Thanks Chris! Great and useful advice!

[@grahamcharnock7464]

Great tips, thanks Chris👍🏻

[@RiccardoPareschi]

Great advices Chris. Thanks !

[@at25498]

Nice job. Thx.

[@brianbeattyphotography]

Great video Chris. Especially the part about making sure the lenses are clean. I'm so particular about wiping everything down anytime they get exposed to any inclement weather! Another one is to focus stack if the subjects are spaced out dramatically. It only takes an extra 15 seconds to grab 3 shots at f/8 (focused on foreground, middle, and background) rather than try to force f/22 to work.

[@ChrisSalePhoto]

Hi Brian - I have never been one for focus stacking. I just don't think it is necessary. I generally find that using the hyperfocal distance is enough for me to produce sharp shots. This is just a personal preference of course, after all there is no right or wrong way, particularly if you are satisfied with the results.

[@brianbeattyphotography]

@@ChrisSalePhoto For sure. The only times I've found myself using stacking is when using the 16-35 with the foreground subject just a few inches away. Even at a very small aperture it's hard/impossible to get the foreground and background sharp in that situation.

[@lisarobertson7011]

Thanks Chris - lots of good reminders here and especially the tip of using live view for manual focus, always forget to do that when I’m out shooting. Cheers

[@carlreid4161]

Sound advice Chris I shoot mirrorless but the standing still one is invaluable. Thanks Carl...heading over to website now for the tip download as I will forget otherwise LOL.

[@ChrisSalePhoto]

Thanks Carl - by the way I corrected the typos on my 'Britain's Favourite View?' image in my portfolio. Thanks for the heads up.

[@carlreid4161]

Chris Sale no worries mate I got your back 😉

[@timrosenburgh8597]

Another informative video Yeah stand still thanks for reminding me, something i always forget to do and the same with rule number 8, thanks Grigory the one i always forget. Thanks again Chris

[@djking9828]

Great video, very helpful! 🍻

[@dannynash5713]

Nice job Chris! Helpful video! Can’t hear these things too much!

[@gordonmelrose57]

Great series of tips Chris. I also use the 2 second timer when shooting hand held. That gives me time breathe out and relax after I press the shutter button - it seems to work for me!

[@ChrisSalePhoto]

Never thought of doing that Gordon - that is an excellent idea. I will add it to my blog post and credit you.

[@AndrewHamiltonPhotography]

Great to be reminded of all these tips Chris and the " stand still " one is the one i always forget ! In a similar vein (and especially when there's a fair breeze) I weigh my tripod down by hanging my camera bag from it :)

[@judilecompte9377]

Chris! What’s up with the audio in the vid?

[@Kevin_YouTube]

Again, great video and information Chris. (TBH, I thought the sound was ok👍). Taking a bit to get my head around the hyperfocal bit but now I know what I need to know! Cheers

[@ChrisSalePhoto]

The Photo Pills app really helps Kevin. Do you use it?

[@Kevin_YouTube]

@@ChrisSalePhoto Just found it Chris. Really big help. Thanks

[@Kevin_YouTube]

Hi Chris. FYI, went out yesterday and used the hyper focal distance technique and it’s brilliant. Now I just need to learn composition. Thanks again

[@ChrisSalePhoto]

That is so good to hear Kevin! Yeah, once you get the technical stuff sorted you can concentrate on what is important. Subject, composition and light.

[@tombalaam56]

Excellent video once again Chris - thanks for posting and sharing. What are your thoughts on focus stacking? Have you ever done this technique, and if so, how did you rate it? Cheers. Tom

[@SteveP_2426]

I use it a fair amount Tom and it works well. Some cameras like the Canon RP and Nikon Z7 have it built into the menus. I normally try a f/11 or f/13 shot and check the sharpness. I can then decide if I need to take extra to focus stack. Or I just take the focus stacked images anyway and review in post whether I need them or not. Just watch out on windy days if things are moving around as then you have to hand blend images instead of using the automatic function in most post processing software.

[@tombalaam56]

@@SteveP_2426 Thanks Steve, I've seen a few videos about it but never tried it myself. I'd really like to give it a go.

[@ChrisSalePhoto]

Hi Tom - personally I am not a big fan of focus stacking but please do not let that put you off having a go for yourself. I find that it is unnecessary for 99.99% of the shots that I take. This is probably at least in part due to my preference for using wide angle lenses when working with close foreground. I can see how it is extremely useful for macro photography but not for landscapes. That's just my personal opinion of course. My advice would be to give it a go and work out for yourself if you think it is worth the hassle.

[@allandavies1187]

Hello Chris, all good and sensible advice. Soon I shall be purchasing a new Mirrorless Camera. My question is: the camera has image stabilisation and so does my lenses What is best practice just use the body (IS) or the lens (IS) or can you use both together. I feel this issue has not been covered by the You Tubers ?

[@ChrisSalePhoto]

Hi Allan - I am sorry mate, I can't help you there. I have absolutely no idea which way to go with this. To be honest with you I don't use the IS in my lens (because I always use a tripod) and I don't have IBIS. My approach would be this. Figure out which one is the most effective, the one that gives you the most 'stops' and switch the other one off. I don't know for sure but I very much doubt that they produce a cumulative effect. So for example, if your lens gives you 4 stops and your body gives you 6 stops then my guess would be that the best you could hope for is 6 stops and not 10. Does that make sense? Like I say, it is just a guess.

[@ChrisPattonPhotography]

Some great tips in there Chris, definitely some things to think about when next out. Need to develope my work flow to ensure I'm ticking all the boxes before firing the shot 👍

[@ChrisSalePhoto]

Hi Chris - I did a video about my on location workflow earlier in the year. If you haven't already seen it I think it might be very useful. kzbin.info/www/bejne/l3_PiWCMr7uVj8k

[@jeffogden6060]

Nice one mate. Good tips for sure. My photography has been limited to birds in the back garden and focus is often an issue with a long lens and hand held. I mainly solved the problem by shooting in shutter priority on a fast speed, wide open aperture and auto ISO. The sharpness of the images has increased significantly using those settings. Pretty obvious for wildlife photographers I'm sure, but a revelation of sorts for a tripod landscape shooter! Cheers, Jeff

[@rosssayer6524]

Well done Chris, got them all listed in the brain box hopefully, do you ever use Focus stacking??

[@ChrisSalePhoto]

I am not a fan of focus stacking Ross. I have never found it necessary for landscape photography. I am perfectly happy with the sharpness of my images if I stick to using the hyperfocal distance.

[@keithpinn152]

Hi Chris: This was a very informative video. It is always good to be reminded of these techniques. Your explanation of hyper-focal distance was very helpful. My son is starting his journey in photography so I have shared this video with him. One other tip when using a tripod on spongy ground is to use metal spikes on the feet of the tripod and press down on the tripod to make sure it is solid. Just remember not to stab yourself when folding up your tripod! L.O.L. Keep safe. . . Cheers, Keith Pinn (Canada)

[@ChrisSalePhoto]

Thank is an excellent tip Keith - I have just published a blog post to accompany this video so I shall add your tip to it and credit you.

[@mujahidurrehman]

Hi Chris, great tips. One more suggestion from my side would be to turn off your lens's Vibration Reduction if you are on a tripod. I don't know about the latest lenses and camera bodies, but if the VR is on (Nikon calls it VR, not sure what Canon's term is), the lens tries to stabilise the image even if you are on tripod and there are no vibrations, this adjustment of the lens causes soft images itself. I always shoot with my VR off when using a tripod.

[@ChrisSalePhoto]

Hey Muji! Great tip mate. Canon's equivalent of VR is IS, not that I ever use it because I always shoot on a tripod. :)

[@maartenroes-francken7996]

Hi. Thanks. A perfect, much need refresher & aide memoire. I do take many of the steps you discuss but always forget a few. Also, you mentioned that you use PhotoPills mobile/tablet app for calculating hyperfocal distance? Now, the PhotoPills app is reckoned to be one of the best but sadly it only works with much over-hyped and deeply overpriced Apple IoS mobiles and tablets. So, do you, or anybody else who follows you, know of a mobile/tablet app for Android that is as good as PhotoPills?

[@ChrisSalePhoto]

Hi Maarten, I have PhotoPills on my Android phone. Have a look in the Play Store. I think it used to be iPhone only but seems to be an Android version now.

[@maartenroes-francken7996]

@@ChrisSalePhoto Thanks Chris. Yep, you're right. Found it and have installed it.

[@huwalban]

Great tips Chris, especially the one about standing still. I'll bet that one is new to a lot of people including seasoned shooters. One other thing worth mentioning is focus peaking where the area of the image in focus is shown in a different colour. Very handy for people like me that wear glasses only when reading something close up :) All the best fella.

[@ChrisSalePhoto]

Focus peaking... Good tip Huw. I always forget that because my 6D is as old as the hills! :)

[@neliogoncalvessilva]

Chris when I say all over the place I mean editing wise, and on this particular video, not photo wise, this isn't your best edited video by far as you probably can tell, I really love your work and I am a subscriber of your channel and I do appreciate your work, it was very courageous of you to take the decision that you did to take photography as your full time source of income, so keep it up, big hug, all the way from Portugal, Madeira Island!!!

[@ChrisSalePhoto]

Thanks Nélio - I am trying some different approaches to my videos to see if they are quicker to produce and also a little less formal. Perhaps I need to rethink?

[@gmansshadow]

Hi Chris, One thing I am curious about which you didn't touch on is Back Button Focus. Have anything to pass on? Cheers!

[@ChrisSalePhoto]

Hi Garry - I guess because I never use autofocus I never have need for back button focus. Manual focus works for me every time so I tend to stick to that. I know that those who use back button focusing swear by it.

[@gmansshadow]

@@ChrisSalePhoto Food for thought!

[@keithratcliffe5576]

I hadn't considered the standing still tip and I do often stand the tripod on soft ground - good one! A minor point, the sound was rather echoey and I noticed you were in a different room - wondered if that might be the reason.

[@ChrisSalePhoto]

Hi Keith - I have to admit I wasn't happy with the sound in this video. I have made some changes to the way that I approach my videos and I need to sort my audio out. Hopefully it will be vastly improved in the next video.

[@royhumphrey49]

Great tips here Chris. Having recently bought a Nikon D5600, specifically for LiveView, I have spent the last day or two taking shots of stonework outside my Victorian Church. You may well laugh, but half my shots are out of focus even focussing manually (with a tripod) - hadn't realised I could zoom in, Duh! From your previous vlogs, your mantra about 'light' only went so far, until I started shooting! I am beginning to realise that I need to learn how to wake up at silly o'clock in the morning!!!

[@ChrisSalePhoto]

Hi Roy - in truth you can get good light at any time of day, for example there are images in my portfolio that were taken at noon (all be it in December). It is just that the chances are massively increased around sunrise and sunset. There are other advantages to shooting in the morning as well, including it being calmer (better for reflections), quieter and you stand a greater chance of getting mist.

[@derekwillson2538]

Hi Chris, very helpful video, I have problems with focus quite often, some of this is down to cheap lenses, which is slowly being overcome, but l also have less than perfect eyesight and i can find it very difficult to be sure that my shot is focussed even when i zoom in, I might try contact lenses, obviously poor weather and glasses is a nightmare! cheers dude, Derek

[@ChrisSalePhoto]

I hear you Derek. I am at that age where my close sight is starting to fail. I already wear glasses for driving, watching the telly, etc. Do you use focus peaking? That can help to show what is focus. Unfortunately my 6D does not have it.

[@derekwillson2538]

Chris Sale Hi Chris, focus peaking would be great, however it does not feature on either my Canon 760D or mk1 Olympus OM 5!☹️, perhaps a future upgrade will include it or perhaps I will just have to be more careful, more precise and ensure I wear my best glasses! 🤣

[@ChrisSalePhoto]

@@derekwillson2538 - I say go with the glasses Derek. Not only will they help you with focusing but they also make you look far more intelligent. That's why I wear mine. :)

[@derekwillson2538]

Chris Sale Anything that helps on the looking intelligent scale is a bonus! Cheers mate 👍

[@jackarigho617]

Thanks for these great tips, I must admit while the last 2 should be obvious, I often forget them as well. Another point, I have never used manual focus as I'm short-sighted and I simply don't trust my eyesight, in fact it's worse now as I'm at an age where I have vari-focal glasses.

[@ChrisSalePhoto]

I fear I am heading in the same direction Jack. I am at that age now where my close sight is starting to fail me. Soon I shall have to hang some reading glasses around my neck on a piece of string. :)

[@susanfirth2279]

Good tips Chris. Question on the live view for focusing...this is probably a silly question but I'm going to ask anyway....when you zoom in 10x to where you want to focus, once you manually focus do you zoom back out or can you take the shot at that point?

[@ChrisSalePhoto]

Hi Susan - yes, you can take the shot whilst still at 10x magnification. Well, you can with my 6D at least. I generally don't because I usually set my shutter speed after I have focused and need the histogram to do that which isn't displayed when at 10x magnification. Hope that helps.

[@susanfirth2279]

@@ChrisSalePhoto Thanks Chris. That helps.

[@robertspeicher5047]

When a tripod is designed and decided for production. Any idea how the company up with model number/name? I think "mouthfull" would be a good name to use

[@ChrisSalePhoto]

I think that Three Legged Thing have the right approach Robert. Have you seen the names of their tripods?

[@neliogoncalvessilva]

Chris you were all over the place mate, all over the place but very informative nevertheless , congrats!!!!

[@ChrisSalePhoto]

Hi Nélio - thanks so much for the comment. I am constantly trying to improve my videos so it would be really helpful to me if you wouldn't mind explaining what you mean by all 'over the place'. I want to improve and am prepared to listen if people have suggestions.

[@adam.bilton]

Very helpful Chris as per usual! Just a suggestion but I think you need to come with a catch phrase.

[@ChrisSalePhoto]

Good idea Adam - any thoughts on what it should be?

[@adam.bilton]

Chris Sale you probably already have one. Just not realised it yet.

[@SteveP_2426]

Chris, Good tips...my No. 8 is "Turn your lens Image Stabilisation off unless it's really windy". The IS creates slight vibrations which affect sharpness so best to turn it off unless it's blustery in which case it can help...or use your body as a windshield if you are upwind from your camera. Plus No. 9 "On soft ground attach spikes to your tripod feet so the weight of the set up and any movements you make are less likely to affect the camera.

[@ChrisSalePhoto]

Thanks Steve - those are excellent points. Especially the one about leaving IS on in windy conditions even when on a tripod. That is a top tip!

[@SteveP_2426]

@@ChrisSalePhoto Thanks Chris but to be honest it's one I picked up from Mads Peter Iverson. As soon as he said it I thought ...duh- of course! Hoping my trip to the Lakes in 2nd half of October goes ahead as after a taster last autumn really looking forward to 2 weeks with a full frame camera this time. Keep up the good work.

[@stevemozzie6497]

Nice one Chris.Can images be TOO sharp?

[@ChrisSalePhoto]

I think that they can Steve, but generally not out of camera. At least that is my experience. Images that are too sharp have generally been over sharpened during post processing.

[@v3rshrik]

Chris I think u forgot to add hyperfocal distance otherwise needing to focus throughout frame as an additional step ? All the best and great video

[@ChrisSalePhoto]

Hi William - Thanks for your comment. I am sorry, I might be being a bit slow but I don't understand. I did mention the hyperfocal distance. What do you mean by "focus throughout [the] frame"? Sorry if I am being a bit dim.

[@v3rshrik]

Chris Sale apologies Chris if u mentioned it yes just in terms of maximising or optimising depth of field

[@v3rshrik]

Chris Sale anyway this video has meant o have now created a billet point reminder list based on points u raised so many thanks

[@TheRileyShot]

Nice one Chris, hope you are well. I'm just starting to shoot more landscapes again so nice little refresher! P.s you should have ended by pretending to drop the mic 😂😂

[@Bazzo61]

Good clear advice as always. Some obvious, some not so obvious. Only small point is the lighting in this video could be improved. Your face is quite dark ( or is that just your sun tan :-)). Really enjoying reading the blogs by the way. Would recommend any followers who haven't signed up to them to do so.

[@ChrisSalePhoto]

Thanks Barry - these videos are a work in progress. My new light arrived today so you should be able to see me far better in the next one! 🙂

[@RaahulSawant]

Good video, the only thing I disliked about this video was audio quality and the audio noise.

[@helstor]

Step 7 (and we are probably talking marginal return on investment here (if any at all)) but if you have a neck strap on your camera, take it off or secure it to your tripod. You don't want it flapping about in the wind slapping your tripod :-)

[@ChrisSalePhoto]

That is an excellent point Helge - I have just published a blog article to accompany this video so will add your suggestion to the end, and credit you of course.

[@nelsonclub7722]

Seems everyone wants to go sharper for no reason whatsoever - not even artistic. I I go softer with a Lee Soft 1 or 2 adds some artistic drama to pretty much everything I shoot - and yes you can still use ND's, grads and Polas - sometimes all together!!!!!! Heads up I purchased the complete Lee soft filter pack in unused condition for 10 pounds in UK from Ebay - and use in on an H6D 100 - which is pretty sharp!!!!!!

[@derbagger22]

I can tell you're a hard core outdoor photographer. Your indoor audio is terrible. LOL. But I do enjoy your videos!

[@ChrisSalePhoto]

I know - awful wasn't it. I've recently made some changes to the way that I make videos and still need to sort a few things out. Hopefully the audio will be much better in next week's video.

[@jamesoliver6625]

A lot of "simply accepted" assumptions made. Does the IBIS really give the claims made. Does the IS of the lens really give the claims made. Do the IBIS and the IS of the lens work well together. Kasey Sterns has proven that to not always be the case.

[@Woodpecker1404]

I’m not convinced that the ‘reciprocal rule’ really applies anymore. It was proposed in the days of film. Firstly: Surely pixel density in high end cameras is much greater than grain size in film (I was told many years ago that a low iso film was about equivalent to 12megapixel?) so surely we need even more camera stability to make the most of that smaller ‘grain size’. Secondly: Surely my 1.6 crop sensor enlarges the effect of instability by 1.6 times. Thirdly: Once you start to crop an image the effects of movement become more noticeable Lastly: New lenses are sharper so need more stability. This is all mitigated by Image stabilisation but I think the situation is now much more complex than simply 1/focal length. My only solution is just to decide how much you wish to raise the ISO and then go for the fastest possible shutter speed. I’ll duck back behind the parapet now. Love the videos Chris. 👍

[@wudl83]

Where is Teddy Sheringham when you need him? Getting wasted with Paul Ince maybe?