How to Take Super Sharp Photos

[@themangolady]

Great video, Sean. All points are very useful. Here are the timestamps. 1:00 Always use AF. 3:12 Use single point AF. 4:24 Use back button AF. 5:44 Your shutter speed is too slow. Use at least 1/60. 7:28 Know the limits of your aperture. 8:27 Be deliberate with your focus. 9:28 Know the minimum focusing distance of your lens.

[@davidosullivan8106]

Great channel. Great to come across someone who gets straight to the point and isn’t spending half the video trying to be funny like most of the other KZbinrs. Great stuff Sean.

[@zachreedphotography]

i feel like i've been robbed not finding you until today. you are good. love it .

[@seandalt]

You’re the man Zach thank you for the love. Hope you enjoy the content!

[@cmt06b]

I've watched a ton of videos on this subject and this one does such a great job of highlighting the main points. Super practical. Super useful. Thanks, Sean!

[@seandalt]

Comment of the week! Thank you so much Cassandra, really appreciate that. Thanks for being here :)

[@azimchew8034]

agreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

[@momopascual]

okay thanks sir rerererr rrrrrr

[@lifeftojas]

OMG you are the guy who clicked the coffee pic 1:55 . Dude I kept it as my wallpaper for few weeks, used it in my edits and Unsplash surely does show your clicks a lot when I type relevant keywords man. Thanks for making an editor's life easier when it comes to backgrounds and stuff

[@tollarplennie]

I decided to really make sure I knew how to take really sharp pictures. I started to go through a couple of videos here at KZbin, and then I came to yours, now I am done. This is the information many others charge a lot of money to give away. Maybe they spend a little more time on each point, but I got what you said and now back to practicing. Thank you!

[@seandalt]

I love this comment, thank you Lennie!

[@nicoleweppler256]

So excited to learn from you. Committed to learning my camera, and you are the first person I've subscribed to do so!

[@seandalt]

That pumps me up! Welcome to the channel Nicole!

[@michelleespinoza816]

Same here 🙌

[@thecenzons]

ive watched a lot of videos and yours has the best explanation. on point and you give examples. for a newbie like me, this is a very big help. thank you sean!

[@chaih5745]

Well, I've been taking pictures for few years now and never really explored the auto focus function. I take all my pictures in manual focus. I'm glad I found this before I went on holiday, though I can't say that this will be very handy for my analogue cameras 😆

[@emperorusopp]

I think ive just found an underrated photographer for tips

[@don7117]

Great points. Back button focus is the only one I don't follow. It seems t be a very personal thing, and it's something that I just can't get used to. But all the rest are spot on.

[@seandalt]

It’s def a personal thing and I understand why others don’t use it. Ultimately it doesn’t matter all that much, I just got used to it find it to be efficient for my shooting style

[@argentik82]

Choose contrasty, direct light instead of soft light, try to apply it from the sides, and over the surface of your object. This boosts the sharpness too.

[@avhvsmatej]

contrasty, i like that.

[@mahasyedmahmoodtowfiq6073]

For me You are a life saver. I tried so many so many tutorials but it was like eee.....You explained everything in simple words. THANK YOU. 😁

[@stevenkennell2890]

Thanks Sean - This has helped resolve some frustrations with 'out of focus' images.

[@johnnyfal1]

thank you. I’m a beginner and I just needed these explanations.

[@seandalt]

No worries my man, thanks for watching!

[@elboogie2324]

Excellent tips. I've been struggling with getting blurry photos lately. I needed this.

[@kasemchorpitta6929]

Great Stuff. I`m a first year nature photographer and these tips helped me a lot. Thanx

[@germanevision]

Great points. 'Auto focus' as meant by camera manufacturers and camera users is different in connotation and that's what created the whole confusion for beginners. Manual focus is for filmmakers who have the luxury of retakes. For events, weddings and even real estate cameramen have to be on their toes and get the images right the first time. There is no second chance. Manual focus for camera users essentially means everything manual but for camera manufacturers auto focus means use camera technology for manual focus.

[@seandalt]

It really has! MF just isn't practical on modern day cameras except for in certain environments or if you're shooting video. Anyways thanks for the comment and appreciate you watching the video!

[@LCfit]

I purchased your presets today, the wanderlust travel pack, I have to say they are lovely, I love their colours especially Kobe. I have also been following your skill share classes which to really help :) thank you

[@seandalt]

Thank you for all your support Louise!

[@andrewmeer5071]

First vid of yours I’ve seen and dropping a like and sub! Loved this video! Excited to start using these tips!

[@PeterJMitchell]

Thank you. I just felt the need to let you know I really appreciate it these lessons. I'm super amateur but totally in love with the process. Thanks for listening LOL

[@chand21211]

I've been watching your videos and they are so easy follow. I love the way you explain things. It's very simple to understand. Keep doing these videos!

[@muneebahmad9107]

Thank u very much Brother as a beginner I enjoyed watching this video and it was very helpful 👍🏻 I use Canon 1500D with 18-55mm lens...

[@thesakriyagram7668]

I use a Lumix GX85 and the good thing about it is whenever you use the viewfinder, you can use the touchscreen with your thumb as a trackpad to trace or point the focus where you want. Its quite handy! Liked the video, a new subscriber 🤞

[@WVMUSIC_NL]

Manual focus is sometimes the only thing you can use when af lenses are too expensive. I use manual focus a lot and yes it takes a little bit more time to focus. But thank you for all the information, very useful!

[@seandalt]

This is true, mostly for cinema lenses or old school glass!

[@papsny]

Buys a body with top of the line AF... Uses manual focus... Smh

[@WVMUSIC_NL]

@@papsny I do have af focus lenses as well but cannot afford the more expensive lenses. The ttartisan lenses are really great manual lenses! 1.2 and 1.4 aperture. For a much lower price

[@45canberra]

clearly and easy to understand more about aperture and focus by camera 📸 good tips!

[@seandalt]

Thank you Huyen! Appreciate you watching!

[@Paul_Wetor]

I know about cameras (as an amateur) but I just learned a lesson. I had taken my camera out to test a new zoom lens which had disappointed me in sharpness. On my PC, I found a few pictures that were really sharp and wondered, "Whoa - what happened?!" Well, F13 is what happened. I had changed to Aperture mode to try that out. Usually I only worry about shutter speed. I'm thinking that since I started with big-zoom point-and-shoot cameras (Lumix FZ1000, Canon SX50) I paid attention to shutter speed to avoid blurry pictures, and let the aperture take care of itself. But with better cameras, that isn't necessarily so. And I also saw a video showing that a smaller aperture isn't necessarily sharper. I should do a lens test at various speeds and apertures to find the "sweet spot".

[@seandalt]

Hey Paul, glad to hear this video helped you reflect on your past photos and realize how aperture effected your images! I think you'll enjoy shooting in Aperture priority mode.

[@Giigigi1122]

The shutter speeeeed yes. I took down to 1/15 and looked amazingly sharp on that TINY screen. But, I came back home and realized. auuuuwwww

[@seandalt]

haha, it's deceiving!

[@Shiznaft1]

"Use auto focus" and "auto focus is annoying" got it. When you have locked focus switching to manual prevents focus seeking.

[@seandalt]

Yes. You can do this. But that involves changing settings mid-shoot or if you're lucky flipping a switch on your lens, which only pro lenses seem to have. Or you can just use back-button AF and disable focus with shutter like I recommend in this video. This prevents unwanted focusing and leads to a more streamlined shooting experience. You'll also have ready to capture motion because you can shoot in continuous AF without having to worry about the camera continuously focusing while you shoot unless you tell it to, something you can't control if you're focusing with your shutter button. Back-button AF solves countless issues.

[@Shiznaft1]

@@seandalt uh-huh

[@seandalt]

@@Shiznaft1 have a great day my man

[@pattabor5268]

TIL that changing settings ONLY changes the behavior of the autofocus while HOLDING the focus button. For some reason i thought continuous autofocus was a function that locks onto something and tries to keep focus on it... This from the nikon manual/site helped me alot: "In single-servo AF (AF-S), focus will lock if the shutter-release button is kept pressed halfway after the camera focuses... If you frame the shot so that the main subject is in the selected focus point, focus, and then change the composition while keeping the shutter-release button pressed halfway to lock focus, you can create compositions in which the main subject is not in a focus point but is nevertheless in focus." this means that with single servo: you can point at subject> hold down the focus button> frame the shot, changing the position of the focus point> take picture and the subject will be in focus! With continuous: HOLDING DOWN the af button will continuously focus on anything on the focus point.

[@seandalt]

Yes, that's correct! A little life hack to use back button AF and only engage the AF when you need it. Allows you to shoot non-moving scenes and also be able to adjust and capture movement without changing focus settings. Great insight Pat, thanks for commenting here.

[@RomanFilus]

Awesome tips Sean! Thank you. As a beginner in photography I'm really enjoying your videos, keep it up :)

[@seandalt]

Hey Roman thank you brother, I appreciate the love! Happy to have you here on the channel.

[@AlexanderDaAce]

Excellent video. One of the best I've seen regarding focus. Easy to understand, explains the basics, and keeps it simple. I feel like I understand my camera better now thanks to you video. Saved in my photography playlist for future reference as well. A+++

[@seandalt]

Glad it was helpful! Thank you Donald!

[@princeyadav9013]

Very helpful for beginners like me. Thanks a lot for your time and sharing knowledge 😊

[@MMShaggy]

Great tips, back button AF was a game changer for me. Haven't been able to shoot any other way for years now.

[@francescamarren8234]

This guy is an absolute legend!

[@erraticspace]

The bit on pin-point was a really good tip.

[@craigaddison1595]

Once of the best videos I have found. Subscribed!

[@seandalt]

Thank you Craig!

[@doreenvalenza1204]

great teacher thanks so very much Sean

[@seandalt]

No problem Doreen thank you for watching!

[@therebeldoeslife]

I've seen many tutorials but this is by far the best and most informative thank you kind sir keep up the good work #subscribed

[@punksnotdead8255]

Thanks Sean. As a beginner I found your videos are so helpful and easy to follow.

[@Mrgreen_88]

Amazing information, definitely going to use these tips on my next photo shoot and mention you 😃

[@seandalt]

Thank you Jon!

[@stevieelder2422]

Great video and great tips Sean. So shutter speed was my problem. Iv a lot to learn still so thanks for the tips.

[@seandalt]

Hey Stevie thank you! Appreciate you watching and glad this helped you out with your issue.

[@joinakshar2186]

Just subscribed to your channel, love the way you explain everything in detail. Wayyyyy better than others. Keep up the work king👌👌

[@imjens.k]

The back button af is a really great tip!

[@ronakpatel6210]

This guy does an amazing job with tutorials. Take a bow! :)

[@GDesigners-pg7yz]

Thank you Sean for so many helpful videos, this is exactly what I needed to know, also, like your content on Skillshare. Thank you for your time.

[@seandalt]

You're the man Gurpreet, thank you for being here bro!

[@hippolyte5248]

I knew all this but I'm taken aback at the quality of this video !

[@robbymacdonald8212]

5:13 , I used to have AF-ON on back button focus, but now i've gone back to shutter focus and assigned AF-ON to "focus hold" so now I only press that button to stop the camera refocusing.

[@seandalt]

Awesome tip! Thanks for sharing man!

[@MichaalHell]

point 6 is absolutely the most important factor for photography.. and even more id say that having a clear scope of how you want to frame the photo is what makes you a good photographer.. a good photographer can use a crap camera and still get great results.

[@Elizabeth-rq1vi]

When I received my first digital camera I immediately used auto-focus because of my eyesight. I couldn’t tell if the subject was in focus because it was not the split screen focus like my Canon TLb (film camera) has. On occasion I’ll try manual focus when I get frustrated but your tips may’ve explained what I wasn’t doing right! Thanks.

[@LLMedia_NY]

When you say use autofocus, it also depends on what lens you have, some lens doesn’t include autofocus and some lens have the worst autofocus

[@seandalt]

Of course if your lens cannot autofocus then that's a given. With lenses that do have AF, the camera body seems to play a bigger role in the focusing capabilities these days. For most people using newish cameras, AF is pretty powerful and MF should only be used in select situations. Unless it's something you prefer to use, which is fine as well.

[@LLMedia_NY]

@@seandalt agreed 100%

[@flodschi2285]

I came up here with the Lightroom Tutorial, thanks I subscribed! Really like your videos, keep up going!😊👍🏻

[@alvinsanity4407]

Thanks for the tips and for the free presets sir!

[@manasavula9595]

1 year later, I found this video and it's very simple and easy to understand. Thanks man!

[@milliconsolutions5377]

I absolutely agree with tossing out manual focus for most shooting situations. I only use manual focus when I'm doing videography; I've yet to find an autofocus that is anywhere near good focus-pulling skills. Great video. Keep up the great work; subscribed.

[@seandalt]

Auto-focus is pretty crazy these days, and it's only getting better. The newest cameras are truly insane in their AF capabilities!

[@linibellini]

I actually struggle more with getting the auto focus to do what I want it to do. My first camera didn't even have auto focus and now still I often shoot with lenses that don't have it.

[@milliconsolutions5377]

@@seandalt Lol, I suppose it's time for me to upgrade, then!

[@Pixelpulsegaming5]

Thank you so much for this video. Kindly make video for consistency of editing a pictures in Lightroom and also how to find best editing style.

[@mister-sclark1675]

Man, I love the auto setting THANKS A BUNCH!

[@seandalt]

haha no problem! Thanks for watching!

[@PaoloMarasigan]

This is very helpful. I am starting to do tech photography and your points are whats really important. Thanks for this video!

[@seandalt]

No worries Paolo, thanks for watching! Appreciate you being here

[@mooahmed9222]

The shutter speed got me once too thanks man

[@Rgmekanic]

Really good video. I try to do all that you mentioned with shutter speeds, aperture, and single point, but I think that back button AF is gonna be a serious game changer for me. Can't wait to go play. Awesome presets as well. Sub'd

[@CescoEva]

Thank you so much for these helpful tips!!

[@raginic5180]

Thanks once again, and assuring that using AF is very fine.

[@seandalt]

Hey Ragini, absolutely! Thanks for being here :)

[@JavierCamiloHurtado]

Excelente video! Easily to understand and to take to practice

[@seandalt]

Thanks for the love bro!

[@thiagoraniery4330]

Awesome content, Sean! Been taking your classes on Skillshare and you're an amazing teacher, really inspiring, I can't wait to go outside and take some photos. Meanwhile I've been editing some raw stuff and it feels so good to be back on photography, something that I always loved but lost on the past. Thanks for the amazing classes and tips, all the best to you!

[@seandalt]

Hey Thiago, thank you so much! I appreciate you watching my courses and being here as well. Looking forward to sharing some more content with you!

[@AdamDopierala]

Great video! I do find though that manual focus can be useful for landscape photos using a tripod, but AF for the majority of the time!

[@seandalt]

MF definitely has its place with landscape photography! Thanks for watching Adam!

[@ashleytspans]

Great video man, or though I knew a couple of things you recommended I also didn’t know some of the others. Will defiantly go and try them out and have a look 😊 nice, straight-to-it video 👍🏻

[@seandalt]

Thank you Ashley! Appreciate you taking the time to watch the vid and glad to hear it was helpful :)

[@MakingTracks]

Great video man! Thanks for the info!! 🤔

[@Satyanarayana-bk6zn]

Fantastic tutorial ❤

[@kawi254]

This video is very valuable; thank you!

[@ryuman757]

I've taken my best pictures with manual focus 🤙🤙 Just something about the extra feel to it. Plus I just got a BMPCC4K, and that 12-35 is keeping me spinning that ring, lol. I feel like I still need to master autofocus with my A7II.

[@SurferKroky]

Manual focus can get you better results no doubt. Especially with static subjects. Some portrait photographers also use manual focus. It has its place for sure and some swear by it

[@MstrRo1]

For macro, try a wider open aperture but use focus bracketing.

[@filmwithjudy]

I am learning alot with your channel. Hoping for more uploads soon.

[@seandalt]

Thanks for being here :) Just released a video and more coming soon!

[@petermerilyngrattan7711]

I’ve just discovered your channel and I have learnt more about photography and Lightroom in a short time than I had in the last few years. Easy to follow and you explain it in simple words. No tech jargon.

[@seandalt]

Hey Peter & Merilyn, thank you so much! I love to hear that. Thanks for watching my videos and sharing some love here in the comments, glad to have you here.

[@user-gu3ie]

1 thing tho.. many beginners start off with a camera that don't have a trustworthy auto focus...therefore manual focusing,with focus peaking is a better option

[@Snakeplisskin440]

I use a 150-600MM Sigma OS DG for wildlife photography. When the OS seems to have a handle on what I'm shooting it'll almost hardly move and I can get away with like, 1/200. Sometimes I'll need 1/500 or even 1/640 if my subject is moving around a lot to get a clear shot. It can be a bit frustrating at times cause you sorta have to pay attention to the amount of motion going on and where your shutter needs to be for that amount of movement. It's fun though and good practice. I shot some seagulls flying over and diving into the lake for fish yesterday. It was super bright out so I just said screw it and went for 1/4000. Was able to keep the ISO just above 1000 and get some nice shots. The thing also has a minimum focus of 9ft so you could image the frustration when an animal gets super close and you're just standing there like, "HI, I can't take your picture sorry, you're too close." haha. Good video though. I don't use back button AF and need to set that up. That would be handy for when shooting around lots of branches and having to focus on something. Then having it have to re-focus every time.

[@cesarrosales3409]

Great video! I appreciate all the info! These tips will come in handy when shooting later!

[@hurleygreen927]

Great job of explaining how to take shaper pictures...thanks for this!

[@seandalt]

No worries Hurley thank you for watching!

[@MiaHessMusic]

Really helpful. I'll have to practice this stuff with my Canon SL2 as that camera takes the world's crappiest photos. Great for video, crappy for photos. I keep thinking it's me and it might just be that I need to figure out how to use the settings for better shots. Like my Nikons for good focus; I've won awards with my Nikons. Thank you Sean!

[@techprojm]

Do you recommend using eye auto focus over single point when shooting portrait?

[@joelrenaud575]

I've been shooting slr and dlsr for over 20 years and never knew about the back button AF button! How cool. Thanks so much!

[@seandalt]

Thanks Joel! It's actually a game changer!

[@sannimarialindberg]

Thank you for the great learning 🙏🏼😁 I wanted to get the presets, but it newer came.. :-(

[@The_Logo_Chief_Priest]

Thank you very much for the free preset. I Really appreciate it. ❤

[@seandalt]

No worries at all! Thanks for watching! :)

[@1zzKolby]

Getting my first camera soon... any tips for something thats moving? Wanting to get into racing photography

[@wardonwords]

Very well done. I know how much work this is, but it would be great to see examples of literally everything you mention-even the bad choices, like focusing on the nose.

[@Alexander0189]

Thank you man, really helpful 😁 😁 subbed

[@joshmcdzz6925]

I guess this title should be reworded - How to take super sharp photos on sony cameras.. Manual focus is my favorite focusing method no matter how reliable the camera i use is.. I am prolly used to it.. Btw I just stumbled on your channel and it's some quality content for photography..

[@Animaduniversum]

Reciprocal rule was good in the film days. Nowadays with the high megapixel sensors you need faster speeds. Unless you have good IBIS.

[@DjCaprice66]

Great tips, very well explained!

[@Supremelifenetwork]

I love this tutorial am very enlightened

[@aspen1713]

Really helpful tips, thank you!

[@HarshvardhanSaboo]

Hey, I am a first-timer here. Really fun to watch your video. I just want to confirm one thing, if I were to get myself a secondary camera monitor which are camera mount 5inch. Would that help me to understand if my subject is in focus? If you have any experience in that area let me know.

[@Stellarspace95]

this is some OG info, thanks a ton

[@seandalt]

Appreciate you bein here! 🤙🏼

[@Paulus449]

Excellent video, new subscriber here. I'm the proud owner of a new Sony A7iii camera and this is so helpful, thanks!

[@seandalt]

Hey Paul congrats on the new A7III man! Welcome to the channel!

[@jennifermatthys2722]

Hi Sean. I just loved the video. Awesome. I do learn alot from you...👍👍

[@seandalt]

Hey Jennifer, thank you so much. Really appreciate you being here!

[@churchinthewild5910]

great stuff! thanks for this!

[@Animaduniversum]

You'll get the sharpest photos on a tripod, seftimer, manual focus while using hyperfocal distance and focus stacking, setting the aperture to the sweet spot, expose to the right in RAW and use the base ISO. If it's moving use flash.

[@pierrevilley6675]

>1/500th of a second F/8 ISO 64, subject at 10meters with a 105mm macro lens, manual focus in liveview (+magnifying), mirror up + timer + Electronic first shutter. If it ain't sharp, try cleaning the lens. But i don't know if it works for anything else than charts...

[@kevmalton9471]

I have been considering getting rid of my Canon 750D, but after watching this might try using it again.

[@anthonyd3887]

Really great explanation for sharp photos, Thank U

[@Psych2go]

Slammed that Like Button And Subscribed to Your Awesome Channel.

[@vale-1041]

"99% of the time you aren't going to be using manual focus." Vintage camera photographers: