This is a great theme this week for me because it's something I am working at constantly: tack-sharp focus. There is nothing worse than uploading pictures and realizing when you view them large on the monitor that they aren't as sharp or in focus as you'd thought. This is a particular challenge for me when I'm using my 50mm wide open. I want to get as much light in as possible, but I sacrifice depth of field and it often puts important parts out of focus.
I took a series last night of the boys, and sure enough, the second photo above was one of the few that I felt had the crisp focus I was looking for. I struggle particularly with shots composed with more than one person. You can see in the shot of both boys, the top boy is more in focus than the bottom. Somehow, I can't quite seem to get everyone in focus equally. It seems that if I narrow my aperture, I have to have a longer shutter speed and then things are out of focus because they move -- what's a girl to do?
13 comments:
I hope you get some answers to your questions because they are the SAME EXACT issues I have. I so want to be a great photographer, but the more I know, the more I struggle to learn and the harder it gets for me!!!
I meant to include that I LOVE your pictures...my heart fluttered when I saw them. GREAT job.
Sweet, SWEET pictures! Thanks so much for sharing.
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http://www.ourwindowswideopen.wordpress.com
Love those pictures! I know how frustating it can be, since sometimes I will think I got good focus and then get them on my computer and it was not so good.
Okay, so when you have a very narrow DOF at 1.8 you will have a hard time getting more than one person in focus. Usually you need around 4 at least if they aren't on the same plane. Think having them put their noses against a window, they would be on the same plane at that point and both would be in focus at 1.8.
Taking pictures indoors in low light with a wide open aperture is hard to get more than one person in focus. Move your ISO up as high as you can get it, close down the aperture a bit and see how low you can get your shutterspeed. By trial and error you will see what works best for each situation. Hope that helps!
The first one is my favorite. Such a neat shot.
Those are amazing shots! And I agree with Natalie - I'm excited to see the answers you get, because I have the same issues too!
I hear ya. Camera shake is my biggest challenge. Those photos (and boys I might add) are so adorable!
oh. my. those are stunning. the boys are gorgeous, but those shots are just...stunning!
where did you stage them - do you have a studio? the light is beautiful and great, great FOCUS!
darn those moving kids...just kidding. i think they're beautiful!!! the light is awesome.
Well I just had to say I LOVE your photo's if you had not have said anything I would not even noticed the 2nd head...They both took my breath away when I saw them!
I love the photos and the boys, how handsome they are. Nice lighting - I didn't even notice the focus.
I have same issues. I think perhaps sometimes I'm using wrong aperture, like Stacy suggests. But, I think your photos are great. Love that second one, it does have great focus on it.
I love the pictures. I find it is so hard to tell how well focused I have the camera. Very frustrating when you think you have an awesome shot, only to upload it and have it blurry. But, then there's the awesome ones that happen purely by accident!
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