What’s Your Preference?

adover · #1 (**permalink**) 01-19-2012, 10:29 PM

I'm new to this forum so forgive me if I don't do this completely correctly. Below is a completely candid image I took at a family gathering. I know it is horribly out of focus but there is something that I like about it (besides the fact that she's adorable

). Does anyone else see it or should I scrap it? Any ideas on how I could make it better in Photoshop?

AG2011.jpg

Shot with a FinePixS2Pro
Nikon 55-200 lens
f/5.6
1/125
Focal length 200
No flash fired

graciousness · #2 (**permalink**) 01-19-2012, 10:35 PM

Wow, that is horribly out of focus. It hurt my eyes looking at it.

As a parent, it's hard to let go of photos that we take of our children because we're so attached to their image. Do remember, though, and make it a point, that we will be taking many, many more photos of them and that we don't have to hold on to every photo we take of them. Hard at first, but then you get used to it after a while.

Unfortunately, you can't fix that amount of blur in photoshop.

She is very adorable and you know what I would do? Take her photos again today. Or tomorrow. To replace this one. Practice nailing your focus on her eyes (the most important part in portraiture).

Looking forward to a less 'fuzzy' shot of hers soon

Cheers,

Grace

nickbedford · #3 (**permalink**) 01-19-2012, 11:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by graciousness

Wow, that is horribly out of focus. It hurt my eyes looking at it.

Christ, it's not that bad!

Everything else about this shot is okay, except for the shutter speed which couldn't freeze her motion making it blurry. The focus isn't on her eyes, but it's close. I suspect this is probably because she was moving perpendicular to the camera axis making it hard to keep the focal plane on her. Take a look at Nikon's continuous focus mode.

I would keep the photo for the sake of memory, but we can agree it's not a good photo from a technical standpoint.

What ISO were you on? Bumping up the ISO will allow you to halve or quarter your shutter speed. Also, your lens is fairly restricting, being f/5.6 at 200mm. That's a stop less light when at 55m, meaning your shutter speed (or ISO has to suffer).

I guess the main thing is, make sure you shutter speed is at *least* 1/250th, and even then, it might be too slow for this apparent movement.

graciousness · #4 (**permalink**) 01-19-2012, 11:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nickbedford

Christ, it's not that bad!

It is for me....I got bad eyes

I get car sick even.

kiwiinoz · #5 (**permalink**) 01-20-2012, 03:22 AM

I like it , yes slightly blurry but i like how the sun picks up the hair colour in her pony tail. If there is something in this shot you like keep it as candid shots go with children you caught her expresion and candid shots are dificult.

graciousness · #6 (**permalink**) 01-20-2012, 03:40 AM

Fill flash, plus faster shutter speed.

I would have thought that at 1/125, this would have been fast enough to capture her movement. Unless she was running or moving really fast. I shoot fast moving children all the time (that's all I seem to do) and 1/125 is a good, general fast shutter speed for moving children.

The key here is fill flash, though. Her face is in the shadow and fill flash would have helped bring out more light on it, and those beautiful eyes would have been captured better.

I do have a feeling that there is a camera movement at play here, hence the out of focus. It's important that you keep steady when you shoot. Tuck in your arms in your body, take a deep breath and then push that shutter whilst breathing out.

For me, family portraits do not have to be 100% technically perfect for keeping, especially if they are shot in candid moments at a special events or moments that can't be repeated. I don't delete photos of my family because I like having them. However, if the photos are really blurry, I have to swallow it and delete and try to take new photos again.

Maybe it's really my eyes that are the problem here, but I do see this photo as really blurry.

If you can, try again, go out with the kid, out during the golden hours at a park and shoot again, this time with faster shutter speed and flash (if possible). You'll find that you will get better photos if you keep in mind when her face is in shadow area and use fill flash to light it. If not, bring up your ISO to brighten it. If you nail it, you will get beautiful golden tones to the image that is nice with this photo. Make sure your focus is around her eyes.

I hope this helps.

Mark Engelhart · #7 (**permalink**) 01-20-2012, 03:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nickbedford

I guess the main thing is, make sure you shutter speed is at *least* 1/250th, and even then, it might be too slow for this apparent movement.

The rule of thumb for shutter speed to focal distance hand held is shoot at at least the reciprical speed of the focal length you are at to eleminate camera shake. In your case with lens at 200MM you would need to have the shutter speed at something faster than 1/200th of a second. If you would have shot it at 50MM you could have used a shutter speed >1/50th of a second.