Is Sharpness Overrated?
The first week of January, I got my first package of prints for the year - shots from our Christmas celebration. The images mainly were the Christmas tree, ornaments, holiday lights, and gifts.
When I opened the envelope to peruse my work, I noticed that none of the images were as sharp or in focus.
When I edited this photo, I really thought the ribbon was crisp and clear. I shoot an aperture priority 98% of the time, so I expected the standard vignetting that comes with shooting an aperture priority. That beautiful blur that softens the image except for the chosen focal point. But instead, I got this, making it look like the gift is going very fast!
This wasn't a one-off experience. Many of the other holiday images I took had a similar look.
While it isn't as prevalent in these three images, the effect is still there. The image to the far right I think might be the best of all of these because the vignetting appears to be in the proper place. There is some focusing on the singular light that's dangling from the tree. But the images to the left have weird blurring all over.
Upon reflection, I realized this was because I was shooting handheld in a low-lit area. I thought I had compensated for that, but I was wrong. This is an area in which I greatly need some improvement.
I'm bringing this up because I came across a recent post about photography on one of my favorite YouTube channels called Walk with Alice. The title of the video is “Sharpness is Overrated.” I love the thumbnail image, which reminds me of my out-of-focus, blurry holiday pictures.
What I got from the video is that the clarity and crispness of images and the necessity of technical clarity of an image are entirely dependent on the artist and the project. Sometimes, a project will call for absolute technical clarity, but other times, clarity might rob you of a piece of the story you're trying to tell in that image.
After I watched this video, I took another look at my holiday photos. I now see more of the story of taking pictures than before.
It was late at night. Everyone in my house was asleep except me. I was trying to be quiet, which is why I didn't go to my car, pull out my tripod, and come back upstairs to take pictures of my tree. I shot handheld and silently, crouching on my hands and knees and even laying on my belly for a few minutes. I stood on the coffee table at one point as well. It's no wonder the images were blurry.
If you have some images you may have dismissed because they aren't crisp and clear, I highly encourage you to watch this YouTube video and give your work another look.
The lack of technical clarity and crispness might be what sets the image apart from other pictures of its kind, giving it a deeper meaning and greater value.
It is certainly something to consider.
View the 2024 Holiday album on Unsplash - https://unsplash.com/collections/dp6t_vo-qJo/happy-holiday-2024