need advice style and on bw conversion?

[Life in Motion]

okay...you can't tell as well on this compressed version as the original but i shot wide open and the focus point is the very front of the momma's belly and dad's face all else fell outside the focus plane. do you think it is extreme on the 1.8 focus plane or does it work ok here? i have a couple where all the pic is in focus but i think i like the drama in this one better perhaps.

I am trying to work on my bw conversions too. so would love some advice if this conversion is muddy or not ? thanks in advance for your advice

exif info:

canon rebel xs 50mm 1.8 lens
f/1.8
iso-100
exp bias 0
no flash window light and small spot light on background
1/60 sec exp time

[autofocus]

looks a little soft to me...IMHO, his eye should have been sharp, and in this compressed version it looks not the case

[Life in Motion]

thanks...maybe i should just go with a different one . just experimenting shooting wide open..i find to get a lot smaller focus plane of what's in focus than that of say......susanh lol love you susan definitely hard to do

[SandeeWig]

I'm actually having a very hard time finding anything in focus, with the exception of a sliver of mama's belly on this side of the dad's face. I agree with auto-focus, that his eyes - at the very least - should be in sharp focus. IMO, I think 1.8 might be a little thin for this type of shot, maybe closer to f4 to get all of dad's face in focus to emphasize his emotional connection to the baby.

I'd be interested to see your shots where more is in focus. Or maybe post both side by side in a comparison critique thread.

[SandeeWig]

Originally Posted by Life in Motion

thanks...maybe i should just go with a different one . just experimenting shooting wide open..i find to get a lot smaller focus plane of what's in focus than that of say......susanh lol love you susan definitely hard to do

Is this picture cropped a lot or a little (or at all)? If this is pretty close to in-camera crop, your focal plan is almost razor thin. I am SOOO guilty of this, and it can be frustrating. I've had to force myself to back off the 1.8 and learn to consistently nail focus at a sweeter spot...f/2.8 - f/4.0.

[Life in Motion]

ya i cropped a little aimee. i think that i was shaking a little from laughing at the dad and he wasn't real still either for me to shoot it at 1/60, but i have decided i need to stick with f/4 and above too for actual shoots until i improve tremendously and just practice in my off time with shooting wide open...i'll leave that to susanh the expert lol

[SandeeWig]

Originally Posted by Life in Motion

...i'll leave that to susanh the expert lol

I know, rite?! she's so good at it, you'd THINK she'd give us some insight once in a while!

[Life in Motion]

Hey aimee kinda off the subject i'm just starting up and all the shoots i do are just for family and friends so far and I see you have a canon xsi...i have a canon xs i think they are similar? but i was wandering if you have a hard time controlling shooting wide open too do you think that upgrading a step up to say the T1 or T2 would help with nailing focus a little? i've thought about what I need to nail the focus more. Or if maybe a lens that has IS would help more than upgrading body, for times when i'm tickled or nervous and i use handheld most of the time. any advice in that area?

[SandeeWig]

Yes, the XSi is a slightly newer model to the XS I think...but to answer your question (and I could be wrong) I don't think upgrading is the issue (for me at least). As I ponder my sharp focus issues, the three culprits I think plague me most are a) too slow of shutter b) not enough light, and c) my own inability to be still.

The 50mm should produce very sharp results, but the widest aperture of any lens is not necessarily it's sweet spot for sharp focus. I've read often that one or two stops down from the widest ap - on any lens - is where you'll usually find the sharpest focus.

I'm also finding that there are very few situations when I really need, or want, an ap of 1.8; usually 2.8 or 3.2 work just fine.

I usually end up opening up the ap when I'm in low light, to avoid using a high ISO (because grain's a huge issue above 400 on my camera). What I end up with is out of focus images that may or may not be properly exposed.

All that (rambling) being said, if your XS did not come w/ an IS kit lens, that would definitely help, but, unfortunately, will have very little effect on a giggling photographer.

[SandeeWig]

Also, I think SusanH may shoot w/ an XSi, but she'll correct me if I'm wrong.