Portrait Photography How To

Even top pro photographers can have trouble achieving ideal sharpness for portraits. Photographer and YouTuber Jessica Kobeissi has been there before, so she devised a 6-point system to help her get sharp portraits every time.

“I love shooting portraits and I think it’s important when you’re shooting a portrait, that it comes out nice and sharp and clear,” Kobeissi says. “The last thing you want is to take a really nice portrait, and it looks good, and then you take into Lightroom, and you zoom in, and it’s all out of focus. You want to make sure it’s sharp in camera so when you take it into Lightroom, you don’t get any surprises.”

Here’s a breakdown of the six sharpness tips that Kobeissi discusses in the below video, which is titled “How I Get My Photos to Be Super Sharp.”

#1 Choose the Best Focus Method

• Spot Autofocus

#2 Manage the Amount of Focus Points

• More points = More Options

#3 Note Distance Between You & Model

• Move back and forth to adjust

#4 Angle in Which You Hold Camera

• Same level as model

#5 Keep It Steady

• Get a tripod if you need it

#6 Focus on the Eyes

• All you need is one

You can check out more of Kobeissi’s excellent photography videos on her YouTube channel.