Mirror Up Mode/Mirror Lockup

There is a mirror near the sensor in your camera that flips up to expose the image that you are making. When you absolutely need to guarantee a tack sharp image, Mirror Up mode (on a Nikon; Mirror Lockup on a Canon) is key. When you set your camera to Mirror Up mode, the press of the shutter button will automatically open the mirror and lock it up in place. A second press will make the exposure. By giving yourself a second between those two clicks, you can minimize the amount of shake that the camera feels when the mirror comes snapping up. On a Nikon, just unlock the Release Mode dial on the top of the camera and turn it to MUP. On a Canon, go to the Camera tab menu on the LCD on the back of the camera, then go to Custom Functions>Autofocus/Drive>Mirror Lockup>Enable. On both cameras, you’ll have to press the shutter button a number of times to get your bracketed shots.