1. Wear warm, comfortable clothing

Taking photos early in the morning or during the cold winter months presents plenty of challenges. Make sure you're dressed warmly; the colder your body temperature, the more you'll shake, resulting in less sharp photos. Also read our blog about smartphone photography in the cold.

2. Use a tripod

Place your camera on a tripod to reduce shake in your photos. It's ideal for photographing landscapes, nature, or architecture, for example. Wondering which tripod is best for you? Read our 4 tips for choosing a tripod.

3. Use the different settings on your camera

Most cameras allow you to adjust various settings in their menus. Here's a brief explanation of each setting and how it affects photo sharpness:

  • ISO – Determines how sensitive your smartphone camera is to light. The higher the number, the more light, but also the more noise. For maximum sharpness, keep the ISO as low as possible.
  • Shutter speed – This is the amount of time a shutter remains open to capture light and take a photo. Shutters typically operate in values like 1/200th or 1/10th. The larger the number to the right of 1, the shorter the shutter stays open, and the less motion there is in your photo.
  • Aperture – The size of the opening between the lens and the camera. A high aperture value lets in less light, but the resulting image is often sharper.

When using with a tripod, we recommend the following settings as a starting point. Adjust them to your own situation:

  • ISO – 400
  • Shutter speed – 1/200th
  • Aperture – f/2.8 or higher

4. Edit your photo

Many post-processing programs for computers like Lightroom and smartphone apps like Snapseed have a sharpening or texture adjustment function. Find the slider in your program or app and drag the value up. Note: use this sharpening slider sparingly, as you don't want your photo to look unnatural!

Hopefully, the tips above will ensure your photos are never blurry again! Do you have any questions about sharpness and/or photography settings? Contact us, and we'll be happy to help.

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