Bad Photo Tip: The Secret to Getting Sharper Photos No One Told You

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Lots of tips on the web for sharper photos talk about post-production. We’ve also talked about this on our website. But we also discussed specular highlights and all that a flash can do. There’s a tip that no one ever told you about. In fact, I think some photographers are just trying to keep the secret to themselves. That’s how deep this one cuts. Many photographers might think you’re crazy, but we encourage you to give this a shot before you take your next photo.

Bad Photo Tips is a new satirical series that we’re starting that provides the best photography tips on the web. You won’t find these tips anywhere else on the internet, not even YouTube.

The Secret: Grind the Front Element of Your Lens into a Point Like a Spear

That’s right! You’re supposed to grind the front element of your lens. Just think about it, when you get a camera lens, it’s usually polished and very rounded. That’s pretty much how knives come, just for safety. Camera lenses are similar. The manufacturers assume that you’ve got a grinder at home. So you need to grind the front element of your lens into a spear. If you have survival skills, they’ll really come in handy here. Just remember that a little bit goes a long way. 

You want to sharpen the front element of your lens in a way that’s great to be used for self-defense. As you sharpen, gently touch the tip. If you’re almost bleeding, then it’s not good enough. After you’re done, polish it up to provide more clarity. Now you’re ready to shoot…your camera. 

For the best effects, shoot in a continuous mode, almost like a machine gun. Lots of YouTubers and new photographers use this method to get sharper photos. Combine this with a tripod. Lots of folks who shoot machine gun style use a tripod for stability. In fact, they’ve been doing it since way before World War 1. 

Something else photographers will tell you: don’t use a UV filter. You’re just putting a flat piece of glass right in front of your newly sharpened lens. It completely negates anything you might want to do. Of course, you might want that look. That’s why we use Pro-Mist filters and others. For even better effects, do this with large format film cameras. The optics are huge. And bigger means better.

Use a Sharp Camera

Here’s the last but obvious tip to getting sharper photos. The other tip that no one tells you about is using a Sharp camera. Sharp cameras have sharper image quality no matter what because of the sensor shape. First off, it’s Micro Four Thirds. So at a given aperture, you’re naturally going to have more of a scene in focus. What’s more, Sharp works to sharpen their sensors just the right amount. That’s why the brand is called Sharp. It shoots the sharpest 8k video and will deliver incredibly sharp image quality no matter what. 

Of course, something you need to keep in mind is maintenance. The reason why so many photographers tell you to be careful with your sensor and never touch it is because it just is that sharp. Like a soft metal, it can hold a sharp edge but gets deformed pretty easily. This is where the terms “Tack sharp” and “Razer sharp” come from.

Bad Photo Tips are satirical. Don’t take these seriously. They’re just for fun.