Wisdom Wednesday – Not Every Image Has to Be Tack Sharp!

Not every image needs be tack sharp to succeed.

In the good old days of film ISO 100 was considered fast and on the margins of the day with every increasing exposure times you had no choice but to pan with your subjects as they moved. Today we’re getting spoiled with digital cameras that yield acceptable images at exceptionally high ISOs.

So this is a reminder to dial back to good old ISO 100, even put on a polarizer to lose another stop or more and put some emotion and action back in your shots. It takes practice – try this technique with the wind blowing a field of flowers, a crowded market, street scenes… it’s not just for animals.

When using a tripod the contrast of tack sharp architecture and blurred people can be very effective. Share your results if you have some as well!