Grainy? Underexposed? What happened here?

[malko16]

I am new the world of DSLR and am loving to learn all there is to know. I took this picture of my daughter and for some reason she looks really grainy and out of focus to me. The whole group of photos I took have the same problem. Any ideas why? Editing suggestions?

[malko16]

Not sure how to post the pic... hope this worked.

[VegasMike]

She does look out of focus. You may want to post your exif data so we can see what your settings were when you took this shot. You're likely to get more help.

Mike

[malko16]

Good call... forgot that!

Canon Rebel XSi
ISO 1600
41mm
f/5.0
1/20

[manwez]

1/20 is a very slow shutter speed for a portrait. Esp of a kid - they move so much! Love the huge eyes! Gorgeous. 1600 is also a high ISO and that would cause the grainy look. Was it on auto ISO or did you set it at 1600?

[malko16]

Originally Posted by manwez

1/20 is a very slow shutter speed for a portrait. Esp of a kid - they move so much! Love the huge eyes! Gorgeous. 1600 is also a high ISO and that would cause the grainy look. Was it on auto ISO or did you set it at 1600?

I noticed the problem with the pic after I but the exif data up! I usually have it set on 1600 b/c I've been taking a lot of pictures indoor w/ low lighting. However, in this picture I opened up the window and had the light on her. Just took another photo with higher shutter speed and it looks much clearer! Thanks for the critique!

[private]

Its grainy b/c the ISO is too high and blurry because the shutter speed is too low...

[malko16]

Originally Posted by private

Its grainy b/c the ISO is too high and blurry because the shutter speed is too low...

What shutter speed is best recommended for portraits?? Also, does anyone recommend a specific lens for children portraits?

[manwez]

I don't know if there is a best recommended SS for portraits, you just have to play around with it. When taking pics of my son, I don't typically use anything slow than 1/80. And that's if he's fairly still. It just depends on a lot of things - indoor/outdoor, moving/still, lots of light/little light, etc? I like my 50mm 1.8f lens for pretty much every pic these days!

[private]

I would get the book understanding exposure. There is no real right answer. If for some reason you HAVE To use a slow shutter speed, you might need to use the flash to stop the motion.

You can also google the exposure triangle. But a good rule of thumb is do not set the shutter speed lower than the focal length.