Simple and (mostly) cheap steps to improve the technical quality of your photos
© Rod Barbee
As a workshop instructor, I see a lot of practices in the field that can lead directly to poor image quality. Usually these come about because the photographer isn’t yet aware that certain problems exist.
There are a number of very simple, virtually free things you can do to ensure that every nature image you make is of the highest quality. Experienced outdoor photographers do these things as a matter of course and after awhile they simply become habit.
The real trick to combating image quality problems
is simply being aware that they exist in the first place. Once you know
these things can happen, you’re already armed and ready to stop them.
Eliminate Lens Flare
We’ll start with an easy one. Lens flare is one of the main causes of loss of contrast in a photo. Lens flare comes from a bright, direct light source hitting the front element of the lens or filter.
This source need not be a point source of light
like the sun; it can be a bright overcast sky. Lens flare from a bright
cloudy sky will look almost like a haze on the image.
The picture on the left shows a lack of contrast, especially visible in the upper part of the image. The picture on the right, with the lens shaded, corrects this problem.
The simplest thing to do is to always use a lens hood. These usually come with the lens but you may need to buy them separately. The cheapest solution is to use your hand or a hat (or even a friend) to shade the lens.
One way to tell if flare will affect your picture is to simply look through the viewfinder and shade the lens with a hand. Pull your hand back and see if there’s a difference. You may need to use your depth of field preview button to detect flare. Another way to tell is to shade your eyes as if putting on a ball cap. Does the scene look better with your eyes shaded? If so, it’ll probably look better with the lens shaded as well.
But be aware that even if you’re using a lens hood, there may be times when using wide angle lenses you’ll need supplementary shading, like your hand or hat.
Don’t stack filters
When you stack filters you increase the chances of degrading image quality, especially when it comes to lens flare. Also, if you stack filters you could vignette the image, meaning you’ll cut the corners. So unless you have a real reason for stacking filters, like you want to warm a picture as well as polarize it, avoid stacking. If you use UV or protective filters, take them off before adding any other filters. I know it's a pain. Just do it.
ISO
Highest image quality comes from the lowest ISO setting. However, too slow of a shutter speed makes for subject movement. So choose the best ISO for the situation. With landscapes and close ups and other non-moving things, I use the lowest ISO (200) setting on my D300. When I need to stop the action, I use whatever ISO will give me the shutter speed I need. But beware, it’s very easy to set a high ISO for fast action or low light and then forget you’ve done it. So make checking your ISO a regular part of your picture taking “workflow.”
Keep it clean
Usually I’m not a huge stickler for keeping my lenses sparkling clean. However ultra wide lenses like the 10-22mm or 12-24mm zooms can achieve a lot of depth of field using hyperfocal focusing techniques. This means that you can start seeing stuff on the front element of the lens or on any filters you use. So be aware of this and use your blower bulb on the front element of the lens and any filter you’re using.
Understand the concept of hyperfocal focusing for near-far wide angle landscapes
This is one technique that will improve the quality your landscape images the most, and it doesn’t cost a thing. Focusing a wide angle lens at its hyperfocal point will give you the greatest usable depth of field. The trick to using this technique is to actually use all that depth of field and compose pictures with foregrounds that are both close to the camera and interesting.
Be sure to read my article on Understanding Hyperfocal Focusing.
Understand your camera’s auto focus system
It’s really easy to miss some great action shots simply because you haven’t set the camera in the best AF mode for the situation. Different camera models have different option so be sure to familiarize yourself with what your camera can do.
For instance, sometimes the “closest subject priority” mode is the best to use. Or maybe it’s best to group your AF points in a certain way. Read your manual and experiment. This costs you nothing but time. (Warning: the reading of camera manuals can be soporific, do not read a camera manual while driving or operating heavy equipment)
Learn to see the light
I
have way too many pictures taken in less than great light. I don’t know
why I keep them since I never look at them. It’s probably because I have
more amusing things to do with my time than toss slides. Fortunately
(finally) I’ve learned over the years to skip shots where the light, to
put it indelicately, sucks.
Light can have a huge effect on the quality of your images. Dull, flat light makes for dull, flat images. Pretty, exciting light makes for pretty, exciting images. And the perceived quality of an image can be directly related to the quality of the light.
The only difference between these two images is the time of day. The light was much better at 4 p.m. than it was at noon.
Eliminate vibration
Vibrations, whether caused by you or the conditions or the camera, can happen in a number of ways and are probably the number one source of image quality degradation. Fortunately, they are easy to prevent. Here’s a list of what you can do to reduce vibration.
Use your mirror lock up or shutter delay
The
vibrations caused by mirror slap at certain shutter speeds (around 1/15
to 1 second) can ruin a picture, especially when using telephoto or
macro lenses. If you have a mirror lock up feature on your camera, be
sure to use it. Some cameras have a shutter delay feature which, when
activated, delays the shutter for a fraction of a second after the
mirror flips up.
Don’t confuse this feature with sensor cleaning mirror lock-up.
If you don’t have one of these features, then try avoiding those susceptible shutter speeds when using your telephoto or macro lenses.
This is a cropped portion of a landscape image shot with a 300mm lens. The shutter speed was around 1/15 second. The movement from mirror slap is pretty obvious.
Use a cable release or self timer
Camera movement accounts for a high percentage of quality problems. If you’re on a tripod and using slower shutter speeds, but you’re tripping the shutter by pressing the shutter release button, you run a great risk of introducing vibrations. Use a cable release or your camera’s self timer feature. And when you are using the shutter release button, squeeze it, don't punch it.
Check your VR or IS settings
Most lenses with Vibration Reduction (VR) or Image Stabilization (IS) should have these features turned off if you’re shooting from the tripod. If you have it turned on, you can actually induce vibration and movement into your pictures.
Add weight to your tripod for stability
Recognize
conditions that are less than ideal, especially windy conditions or when
photographing on less than stable ground. Adding weight to your tripod
will help prevent or dampen any vibrations. Some tripods have hooks on
the bottom side of head where you can add some weight like your camera
bag. Make sure the wind isn’t blowing your bag around as this can just
magnify the problem.
I usually just add my own weight to the tripod by holding on to the top of the tripod and leaning in to it. I’d only recommend doing this when shooting in windy conditions, on unstable ground (like marshy areas), or when using long telephoto lenses.
Another way of mitigating wind induced vibrations is to use faster shutter speeds. If possible, try to get the speed up to 1/125 or faster. Increase your ISO if needed.
This cropped portion of an image taken along the Oregon Coast in windy conditions illustrates what wind can do to your images.
Avoid extending your center post
Extending
your tripod’s center post is a major source of quality problems. This is
especially true in breezy conditions. Since the camera is now
essentially mounted on a monopod, any vibrations will be magnified.
Extend your tripod legs all the way before even thinking of raising the center post. If you find yourself extending the center post a lot of the time, then it’s time for a new tripod.
In fact, to eliminate the center post temptation all together, go ahead and cut it off just below the tripod base.
At workshops, this is what I see happening the most. I know, I know, it's easier to raise the center post than to reach down and extend all three of those legs. But really, is it that hard?
Use a solid tripod and mounting system
This
means a good tripod head and quick release system. If you have a lens
with a tripod collar, be sure to attach the lens to a
quick release plate and mount the lens to the tripod head. This will
help balance the load. Get a quick release plate for every camera and
lens with a tripod collar that you own.
Ok, so this might not initially be a cheap fix, but in the long run, you’ll spend less money by buying good gear to begin with. Think of it as an investment in quality.
A good, solid tripod and head will be the best money you ever spend on your photographic self.
Go ahead and jump over to the Kirk Enterprises or Really Right Stuff or Wimberley sites and see what real quality gear looks like. You know you want to.
Make sure everything is tight
Sometimes the tripod head will start to come loose
from the mounting platform on the tripod. This can cause movements and
vibration. Also be sure your quick release clamp is tight. Not only will
this help in stability, it’ll keep your camera from taking a dive. Get
into the habit of checking all the knobs on your tripod head too. Check
the pan knob and the main knob. If you're using a 3-way Pan-Tilt head
then check all those levers. Any looseness can lead to vibrations and
image degradation.
So there you have it; a few things that will help ensure that your images are of the highest technical quality. As I mentioned before, these are things that experienced photographers look for without really thinking about it. The real trick is to simply be aware of the problems that can crop up. The solutions are usually pretty obvious from there.