The Yoke of Christ

July 20, 2023 Thursday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time Readings for Today Saint Apollinaris, Bishop and Martyr—Optional Memorial

Video “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.” Matthew 11:29–30 For those first followers of Jesus, a “yoke” was a familiar term. Many would have worked with oxen and other animals on a regular basis to plow their fields. To do so, they would place a wooden yoke over the oxen, which was a form of harness that was also attached to the plow, making it easier for the oxen to till the soil. To be strapped with a yoke was an indication of servitude, since that was the role of the oxen. In commenting upon this passage, Saint Augustine (in Sermon 126) analogized the yoke of Christ with the wings of a bird. A bird's wings are large in comparison to its body. As a result, if someone were to conclude that removing the wings from a bird would make its life easier by ridding it of that excess weight, such an action would have the effect of keeping it bound to the earth. But give its wings back and that “yoke” will enable it to soar through the skies. So it is with the yoke of our Lord. If we accept the invitation to be a servant of God and we take upon ourselves the yoke of Christ for the fulfillment of our mission of service, we will discover that the act of serving lightens us, refreshes us, invigorates us and energizes us. Service of God is what we are made for, just as a bird is made to have wings. And like the bird, if we remove the yoke of service of God from our lives, then we are weighed down and cannot accomplish the good we are meant to do. We are also told in this passage that we are not to carry our yoke; rather, we are meant to carry Christ’s yoke. “Take my yoke upon you…,” Jesus said. Carrying Jesus’ yoke means we are called to live our lives with Him and in Him. He came to serve and to give His life for others. It is our duty to do the same by allowing Him to do so within us. It is Christ and His servitude that must be the motivation and foundation of our lives. Reflect, today, upon your call to be a servant in Christ. How is God calling you to serve? Whom is God calling you to serve? And as you answer that question, how do you see your act of service? Does service seem burdensome to you? Or do you understand that it is what you are made for? If you do see humble service as a burden, then perhaps that is because you have not actually tried to serve with and in Christ Himself. Try to ponder Jesus placing His yoke upon your shoulders. Say “Yes” to that act and to the mission of humble service you are called to fulfill. Doing so wholeheartedly will not only refresh you, it will also give meaning and purpose to your life. My gentle Lord, You came to us to serve and to give Your life out of love. Give me the grace I need to accept Your act of service to me and to also imitate and participate in the service to which I am called. May I take Your yoke upon me, dear Lord, so that I can fulfill the mission that You have entrusted to me. Jesus, I trust in You.

The largest bat in the world

If you go on vacation in the Philippines, you wake up and on the terrace, you can find this. It is about one meter long with a maximum wingspan of 1.80 meters.

This curious animal is the largest bat on the planet, commonly known as the Flying Fox.

Despite its fangs, large size, and scary appearance, as you can see, it primarily feeds on fruits. It is harmless (unless you bother it).

Even though it's harmless, I really don't think I would ever want to encounter this animal in person. Just looking at these pictures gives me nightmares.

Rejoicing at the Gift of Faith

July 19, 2023 Wednesday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time Readings for Today

Video At that time Jesus exclaimed: “I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike.”  Matthew 11:25 This passage is in stark contrast to the passage just before it in which Jesus chastised the towns of Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum for not repenting and believing in Him. And as soon as Jesus issued those rebukes, He turned His eyes to Heaven and offered praise to the Father for revealing the hidden mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven to those who were “childlike.” One of the greatest threats to a pure and childlike faith is intellectual pride. Those who consider themselves as “wise and learned” are often tempted to rely upon their own reasoning abilities to come to conclusions and beliefs in life. The problem is that even though the matters of our faith are fully reasonable, they go beyond the conclusions that human reason alone can achieve. We cannot figure out God by ourselves. We need the gift of faith for that, and the gift of faith begins with a spiritual communication from God through which He reveals to us Who He is and what is true. Only the childlike, meaning, those who are humble, are able to hear this form of communication from God and respond. This passage also reveals to us that Jesus passionately rejoices in this form of humble faith. He gives “praise” to the Father in Heaven for witnessing such faith, because Jesus knows that this form of faith originates from the Father.  In your life, it is important that you regularly ponder whether you are more like the wise and learned or like those who are childlike. Though God is an infinite and incomprehensible mystery, He must be known. And the only way we can come to know God is if He reveals Himself to us. And the only way God will reveal Himself to us is if we remain humble and childlike. As we come to childlike faith, we must also imitate the praise that Jesus offered the Father for the faith that He witnessed in the lives of His followers. We, too, must turn our eyes to those who clearly manifest this pure knowledge of God by the gift of faith. As we see this faith lived, we must rejoice and offer praise to the Father. And this act of praise must be given not only when we see faith alive in others, it must also be given when we see the gift of faith grow within our own soul. We must foster a holy awe of what God does within us, and we must rejoice in that experience. Reflect, today, upon Jesus giving praise to the Father as He witnesses the faith born in the hearts of His followers. When Jesus looks at you, what does He do? Does He issue chastisements? Or does His Sacred Heart rejoice and give praise for what He sees. Give joy to the Heart of Christ by humbling yourself to the point that you, too, are counted among the childlike who truly know and love God.  My rejoicing Lord, You are attentive to the workings of grace in every human heart. As You see the Voice of the Father speaking to Your children, You rejoice at such a sight. Dear Lord, I pray that my own heart will be the cause of Your joy and Your praise of the Father in Heaven. Please speak to me and help me to believe with all my heart. Jesus, I trust in You.

Becoming Lukewarm

July 18, 2023 Tuesday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time Readings for Today  Saint Camillus de Lellis, Priest—USA Optional Memorial (Celebrated July 14 outside the United States)

Video “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would long ago have repented in sackcloth and ashes. But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you.” Matthew 11:21–22 Chorazin and Bethsaida were Jewish towns that Jesus visited frequently to preach and to perform many “mighty deeds.” They were located just north of His city of residence, Capernaum. Tyre and Sidon were pagan coastal cities northeast of Chorazin and Bethsaida, in modern-day Lebanon, and were towns known for their immoral living. Though Jesus did not spend much time in those cities, He did visit them at times. During Jesus’ first recorded visit there, recall His encounter with the Syrophoenician woman who begged Him to heal her daughter (Matthew 15:21–28). The Gospel passage quoted above took place prior to Jesus making that journey. Why was Jesus so harsh toward the towns He spent so much of His time in. Why did He rebuke Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum? To answer this, it’s important to remember that Jesus spent most of His time preaching to the “lost sheep of the house of Israel.” In other words, His primary mission during His public ministry was to share the Gospel with those who were descendants of Abraham and had been entrusted with the Law of Moses, the teachings of the prophets and the liturgical rites. For that reason, Jesus not only preached with perfection to these people, He also did miracle after miracle. And though there were many who did believe in Him and became His disciples, there were many others who were indifferent or who flatly refused to believe in Him. Today, Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum could be seen as symbols of those Catholics who were born and raised in the faith and were given good formation by their parents and others. Many parents whose children have gone astray from the faith wonder what they did wrong. But the truth is that even Jesus Himself was rejected, despite His perfect preaching, perfect charity and undeniable miracles. And the same happens today. There are many who, despite being raised within the holy faith given to us by Christ Himself, reject that faith and turn a blind eye to the Gospel and the Church. Jesus’ rebuke of those towns should echo today in the minds of those who, despite being given so much in regard to a good upbringing, have rejected God. Of course, that rejection is not always absolute and total. More often, it is a rejection in degrees. First, the rejection comes in the form of missing Mass. Then moral compromises. Then a lack of faith. And eventually confusion, doubt and a complete loss of faith sets in. If you are one who has started down the road of becoming more and more lukewarm in your faith, then the rebuke of these towns by Jesus should be understood to also be directed at you in love. “Every one to whom much is given, of him will much be required…” (Luke 28:48). Therefore, to those who have been taught the faith well, much is expected. And when we fail to live up to that which is demanded of us by God out of love, a holy rebuke is exactly what we need. Reflect, today, upon whether the rebuke Jesus issues toward these towns is also issued toward you. Have you been blessed with a good formation in the faith? If so, have you done all you can to help nourish that faith and grow in your love of God? Or have you allowed your faith to dim, to become lukewarm and to begin to wither and die? If you have been given much, have been raised in the faith and have been privileged with good examples in your life, then know God expects much of you. Answer that high calling that is given to you and respond to God with all your heart. My passionate Jesus, You poured out Your heart and soul through Your preaching to the people of Israel. Although many accepted You, many others rejected You. I thank You for the privilege I have been given to hear Your holy Word preached to me. Help me to respond to You with all my heart so that I will be counted among those who listen and believe. Jesus, I trust in You.

Authentic Love

July 17, 2023 Monday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time Readings for Today

Video “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me.” Matthew 10:37–38 At first read, this appears to be a difficult teaching of our Lord. But when properly understood, it is clear that it helps us keep our relationships with God and with our family properly ordered in charity and truth. Following this command will never result in a lack of love for family; rather, it will help us to love solely with the heart of Christ. What does this teaching of Jesus require of us? Simply put, if a family member, or anyone else, imposes expectations on us that are contrary to the will of God, then we must choose the will of God over those other expectations. To understand this more clearly, think about how one might choose to love “father or mother” or “son or daughter” more than God. Say, for example, that a child chooses to go astray in their moral or faith life, and they want their parents to support them in their sin. But the parents remain firm in their moral convictions and, out of love, offer no support for the immoral lifestyle their child has chosen. This would become especially difficult for the parents if the child becomes angry and criticizes the parents, with the claim that the parents are being judgmental and are lacking in love. What the child is actually requesting is “Mom and dad, you must love me more than God and His laws.” And if the parents do not support their child’s misguided lifestyle, the relationship may be deeply wounded. Perhaps that is one of the reasons that Jesus followed this command by saying, “and whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me.” Love always involves the Cross. At times, it is a cross of personal self-sacrifice and self-giving. And at other times, it’s a cross by which our love is misunderstood, and we are deemed as “unloving” by those we actually love the most. When parents truly love their child, they will care first and foremost for their child’s eternal salvation and moral living, and they will not choose “friendship” with their child over truth. Of course, this same truth applies to every relationship we will have and even to our “relationship” to society as a whole. More and more, there are those who demand of us all that we support them in behaviors that are objectively disordered and contrary to the will of God. We are told that if we oppose these choices that some make, then we are judgmental and hateful. But this is exactly what Jesus is speaking about. If we choose to “love” others more than God and His holy will, meaning, if our first priority is to make people “feel” supported in the immoral and confused decisions they make, then we are not actually loving them at all. At least not with the love of God. Instead, we are prioritizing their sin over the truth they so deeply need to know so as to be set free and to enter into an authentic relationship of love with the God of Truth. Reflect, today, upon true love. Love is only true love when it is grounded and centered in God and every moral law He has set forth. Reflect upon your own relationships, especially with family and those closest to you. Do you love them with the pure love of God? Does your love remain firmly rooted in the will of God? Or do you, at times, choose to compromise the truths of faith and morality so as to appease the misguided expectations of others. Kindness, gentleness and compassion must always be present. But moral truth must also be just as present and must be the foundation of every virtue we exercise in our relationships with everyone. Do not be afraid to love others exclusively with the mind and heart of God. Doing so is the only way to have true love for everyone in your life so as to help save their souls. Lord of All, You call all people to love You with all of their mind, heart, soul and strength. You call us all to adhere to every truth that You have spoken. Give me the courage and love I need to not only love You above all but to also love others with Your love alone. Help me to embrace Your Cross when this is difficult so that I will be a better instrument of the love You have for all. Jesus, I trust in You.

In the last moments of life, the pet needs its master the most.

Even if it's hard, it's important 🙏❤️🙏

It turns out pets also have last wishes before they d.i.e, but that's only known to vets who euthanize old and sick animals Twitter user Jesse Dietrich asked a vet what the hardest thing about his job was.

The specialist replied without hesitation that the most difficult thing for him was to see old or sick animals searching for their owners before they fell asleep. In fact, 90% of owners don't want to be in a room with a dying pet. People walk to avoid seeing their animal walk. But they don't realize that in these last moments of life, their pet needs them the most.

Veterinarians ask owners to be close to the animals until the end. "It is inevitable that they will die before you. Don't forget that you were the center of her life. Maybe they were just a part of you. But they are also your family. Even if it's difficult, don't leave her.

Don't let them die in a room with a stranger in a place they don't like. It is very painful for veterinarians to see pets failing to find their owners in the last minutes of their lives. They don't understand why their master left them. After all, they needed the comfort of their Lord.

Veterinarians do everything so that the animals are not so afraid, but they are completely alien to them. Don't be a coward because it's too painful for you. Think of the animal. Bear this pain for her sake. Be with them to the end."

Author Unknown (DM)

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Senior Citizens: What goes through your mind when you realize you have 10% of your life left to live?

Sally Alter

I am 72 and have never been happier.

As for having only 10% of my life left this is influenced mainly by one thing:

When I was young I used to sweat over having ‘friends’. All I wanted was people to relate to, people to go out with, people to prove that I am worthy of being with. It was a strong theme in my life.

I spent most of my life in therapy, going over and over this same old theme.

Now, I couldn’t care less.

People are no longer beating on my door for help, calling me up with all their problems, writing me needy emails. I am free of all that, and am perfectly happy on my own.

When you are young it seems impossible that you don’t need people, but the older you get the more you see that they are more trouble than they are worth.

I have been used by so many people. I have been miserable.

I have a giving nature. I just can’t help giving. I used to spend a lot of my time taking people out for lunch, ferrying them here and there, making things for them, stopping what I was doing at the drop of a hat if I thought somebody needed me.

One day, I was driving an anxious woman, who couldn’t drive to the back of the supermarket to pick up ‘one day old bread,’ when she leaned over and said to me, ‘Why are you so servile?’

That did it.

Now all that is for the birds. I am perfectly happy that the phone no longer rings, my email inbox is not crammed full of requests, and I no longer have to keep spending money taking people out for meals.

Oh, and the cooking. I used to feel obliged to have people round for dinner. Seeing as I have been alone for many years this involved a lot of work. Was I invited back? No. Some people don’t think they should invite you back for dinner at their house. They just want to take all they can get.

I could relay so many stories to you about people who have used me, but realize, at last, that it was me that allowed that to happen.

I finally learned to say, ‘No’.

So, when I realize I have only 10% of my life left, I don’t care one fig. I am happy to spend it on doing what I want to do. I like my own company. Don’t disturb me. I enjoy being alone.

Sally Alter - Author

“A Practical Guide to Overcoming Loneliness.”

Growing Rich in Grace

July 16, 2023 Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A) Readings for Today

Video “To anyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; from anyone who has not, even what he has will be taken away. This is why I speak to them in parables, because they look but do not see and hear but do not listen or understand.” Matthew 13:12–13 How is it that someone can look without seeing or hear without listening or understanding? This is only possible when one's eyes and ears are working properly, but the mind is distracted, not attentive to what is seen or heard. For example, say you were listening to a book being read and suddenly you realized that even though you heard what was read, your mind was elsewhere and you had no idea what was spoken. This is a common experience for everyone from time to time. This portion of the Gospel quoted above comes immediately after Jesus spoke the Parable of the Sower to the crowds from a boat. In that parable, seed fell on the path, on rocky ground, among thorns and in rich soil. Only the seed on the rich soil grew and produced good fruit. Therefore, Jesus’ teaching quoted above, as well as His parable spoken before it, teach that there were many who heard the Word of God and witnessed Jesus’ miracles but failed to allow His teachings and miracles to produce faith in their hearts. This Gospel passage is especially important for those who have been Catholics for many years but have become stagnant in their faith. When someone goes to Mass every week, listens to the Gospel and shares in the Eucharist but fails to continually grow in holiness and understanding of the Mysteries of Heaven, then they will slowly lose even the little faith they have. They will become lukewarm Catholics who go through the motions but fail to produce the good fruit that comes from authentic faith. When you look back at your life as a practicing Catholic, what do you see from year to year? Was there a time when you were strong in faith but have slowly closed your ears to the Gospel and have drifted away from a deep and prayerful interior engagement with our Lord? Or when you look back do you see that the Lord has continuously given you more and more, leading you to a life of true spiritual riches? Has the Gospel entered not only your ears, but also your mind and your understanding? Do you both see and perceive the action of God in your life and in the world around you? Are you actively engaged with the life of grace and find that you grow closer to God every day? Or, sadly, have you lost interest and zeal and now find yourself slowly drifting away from the fruitful practice of your faith? Reflect, today, upon these important questions and strive to answer them honestly. If you do not see yourself growing in faith every year and becoming truly rich in the grace of God, then know that something needs to change. Stagnation and lukewarmness in the faith are not good. They lead to the slow loss of everything. As you reflect upon your own faith journey, recommit yourself to a zealous embrace of the Gospel so that your soul will be truly rich soil that continually produces an abundance of good fruit. Lord, You desire that all people hear Your Word and see Your action in their lives. Please continue to pour forth Your grace into my life so that I will continually grow rich in Your mercy. I pray that my eyes and ears will be open to You more fully every day. Jesus, I trust in You.

THE IMPOSSIBLE MONOLITHES

What you see in this photo is probably the largest artificial monolith on Earth. It is about 19.60 meters long and weighs 1,650 tonnes. It is located in Baalbek, Lebanon, and it has existed at least since the times of the Romans, if not much earlier (they also talk about 5,000 years ago, but there are no certain dates). The size and weight of this “monster” leave the engineers of our time speechless. And they wonder how their "colleagues" thousands of years ago managed to make and transport something similar.

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What\"s even more surprising is that that monolitis is not a unique case in that area. In the vicinity is the so-called “Temple of Jupiter”. The upper part of the temple is certainly Roman, there is no doubt about it. But the Roman temple rises on a “base” built with gigantic stones. These are 27 giant blocks of limestone at the base. Three of them, weighing 1,000 tons each, are known as “Thriliton”, and they are a kind of “belt” that holds all the blocks. This construction tells us that for builders, carving and moving blocks over 1,000 tons was not prohibited at all. Obviously they knew how to do it, without it causing big problems.

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The legends of Baalbek, allegorically, tell us that even the peoples of the distant past knew that “uncommon” things were happening in that area. Regarding Baalbek there are many legends: according to some very ancient Arabic manuscripts now belonging to Nimrod, legendary Babylonian king quoted in the Bible, who after the flood ordered it to be reconstructed and the reconstruction was entrusted to the Giants. Other ancient texts bring it back to Cain, who founded it 133 years after the creation of man, and even in this case the Giants are cited, which according to tradition popularized it. Cain built Baalbek to escape from Yahewh\"s wrath.

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It is likely that the ancient inhabitants of that area used allegorical figures such as Cain, the Giants, Yahweh, to describe things they could not understand. And today we also struggle to understand how it’s possible that ordinary humans used 1650 tonnes of “monsters” as “bricks” (and not obelisques, as the Romans did). Why did they need to do something like this? How do they move them with easy wax How did they carve them so precisely?

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Many believe by now that ancient civilizations existed in different areas of the Earth, including the Mediterranean basin, that were probably wiped out by climate change. The city of Nan Madol, the Great Pyramid, Gunung Padang, are probably among them. And they leave us breathless. Are Baalbek’s “colossal monoliths” also on this list?

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The topic continues on the book:

HOMO RELOADED - 75,000 YEARS OF HIDDEN HISTORY

You can find a copy of the book at this link

amazon.it

The Whispers of God

July 15, 2023 Saturday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time Readings for Today Saint Bonaventure, Bishop and Doctor—Memorial

Video “What I say to you in the darkness, speak in the light; what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops.” Matthew 10:27 What is it that our Lord speaks to you in the “darkness” and what is it that you “hear whispered” by Him? This is an important question to consider, since whatever it is that is spoken that way must be spoken “in the light” and proclaimed “on the housetops.” Recall that when people first came to Jesus, curious about Him, He would often speak in a veiled way, in figures of speech and in parables. This method of teaching is the first step in Jesus’ ongoing deepening revelation to us. His parables and various figures of speech are meant to draw the listener in so that they are attentive to the deeper message. Recall, also, that Jesus said to His disciples, “I have told you this in figures of speech. The hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures but I will tell you clearly about the Father” (John 16:25). In which way does our Lord speak to you? As we grow in faith, and become more and more familiar with our Lord, He will begin to “lift the veil,” so to speak, and will begin to whisper His deepest truths to us within the depths of our souls. He will communicate to us in ways that go far beyond the veiled message of His parables and figures of speech and will communicate His very self to us, in ways that are beyond words. The Gospel passage above, when taken by itself, seems to clearly indicate that there is much God wants to say to us in a clear way. But He wants to speak it to us in the “darkness” of our interior life and with gentle whispers that can only be heard when we give Him our full attention. Saint John of the Cross, for example, speaks much of the “darkness of faith” by which the deepest communications from our Lord are received. These communications are beyond words, concepts and images and can only be communicated in a direct and spiritual way through infused prayer. Infused prayer is not something you can accomplish on your own; it is a gift by which God continually draws you deeper, you respond and are called even deeper, and you continue to respond. The Gospel passage above also clearly indicates that God wants us to share this most pure faith with others. To share it in the light and to proclaim it on the housetops. This is first done by the witness of our lives, by allowing the transforming grace of God to shine forth through us in ways that He can only do. It is also done by being attentive to those moments when God wants to use you to share His deeper and often veiled truths with others. God must first speak them to you, and then at the promptings of His grace, He will, at times, use you to share Him with others. Reflect, today, upon this twofold action commanded by our Lord. First listen to Him. Listen to Him in the “darkness of faith.” Let Him draw you into the deepest and most certain convictions about His love and mercy and His very Self. Then, as you savor these hidden and holy communications from our Lord, look for ways by which He wants to speak to others through you. You do not have to initiate this proclamation, you only need to respond when He directs you. By building a deep level of prayer in this way, you will not only come to know our Lord in ways that are beyond words, you will also know how and when He wants to speak to others through you. My good Jesus, You desire to speak to me and all Your children in ways that are deep, profound and beyond words. Please do draw me deeper into these communications of Your love so that I may see beyond the veil and come to know You as You are. Please also use me, dear Lord, to speak to others as You choose. Jesus, I trust in You.

Get Sharper Photos FAST With These Easy to Implement Tips for Sharper Photos!

If there is ONE thing a photo needs to be, it’s sharp. Unless you’re purposefully aiming for an out of focus, creative look, getting sharper photos is something I think all of us are working towards. And guessing by the number of times we see this question come up, I’d say it’s one of the most common issues out there. How can I get sharper photos? Why aren’t my photos as sharp as I want? Today we have 6 quick and easy to implement tips for sharper photos!

Choose Your Focus Point

The very first step to getting the sharp photos you’re after is to make sure that you (not your camera) are selecting the point of focus in your photos. Most cameras have an auto focus setting that will allow the camera to select the focus point for you. We recommend that you choose the focus point on your own, and don’t let the camera choose the focal point for you. When your camera selects the focus point for you, it often picks either the area of highest contrast in the frame, or the object in the frame closest to the camera. Selecting your own focus point gives you ultimate control over where the camera focuses.

Each camera is different, so check your camera’s user manual for how to select your focus points with your model. Usually, the focus points can be selected by pressing an AF (auto-focus) point selection button and using a dial on your camera to navigate to the focus point you want.

It’s also worth noting that your camera has two different types of focus points: single focus points and cross-type focus points. Cross-type focus points tend to focus faster and more reliably, so when it’s possible, use your camera’s cross type focus points. You can check your camera’s manual to see which of your focus points are single and which are cross-type.

Steady Yourself

The better you are braced, the more steady you can be when taking a photo. Most of the time, this can be achieved with having a steady stance when shooting.  However, you might also try bracing your elbows against your body, or leaning on a wall or structure when you can, to keep yourself steady while shooting and avoiding camera shake.

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Press the Shutter Gently

It never occurred to me that I could be getting camera shake from pressing the shutter until someone pointed it out to me one day! When you press shutter, pay close attention that you aren’t moving your entire camera as you push down on the button. Keep in mind to press gently, and even try not to breathe, as this can cause camera shake.

Check Your Shutter Speed

Keeping your shutter speed fast enough is one of the key elements to a sharp photo. A good general rule of thumb for non-moving subjects is to keep your shutter speed at least 1.5x your focal length. For example, if you’re shooting with a 100mm lens, it’s best to keep the shutter speed at a minimum of 1/150. However, you’ll also want to consider your need to freeze motion. If you are taking photos of moving subjects like kids or sports, you’ll want your shutter speed even faster. When I am photographing young, quick moving children, I almost always keep my shutter speed at 1/400 or faster. I also love to use Back Button Focus with a continuous focus mode for my moving subjects.

f2.8, ISO 160, 1/500

Understand Your Aperture

Understanding aperture and focal planes is an important component in taking sharp photos. You’ll want to make sure your aperture isn’t too narrow to get everything you want in focus. Still confused about how aperture and depth of field impact your photos? It also helps to really get to know your lenses and which aperture they are sharpest at. Each lens has a “sweet spot” aperture that is sharpest, usually 2-3 stops above wide open.

Your Lens Matters

Your kit lens just won’t get you as sharp of a photo as a higher quality lens. However, don’t fall into the thinking that a super expensive lens will solve all of your issues for you. If you don’t understand how to use your camera, or how to do the things mentioned above, you still won’t get sharp photos. Regardless, there is something to be said about the higher quality of photo that you can obtain with quality equipment.

There is a lot that goes into taking sharp photos! If your images aren’t as sharp as you want, these tips for sharper photos should help you narrow down the issue. Fortunately, these are all simple tips to implement!