Can someone please help me?

[reel girl]

Hello, I take photos to sell clothing online. I use models to show the clothing taking still shots in the auto setting of my canon sd780 is. The clothing and the background usually looks very clear but my models faces look a bit grainy, blurred, or distorted. Their faces look clear in the lcd display of the camera but after the photos are transferred to my computer I recognize the problem. My photos are shot in L fine mode. I am not sure if it is my camera or me. Can anyone guess why this is happening and how I can make my models faces come out as clear as the rest areas of the photos? Thank you

 

[TinyTouchPhotography]

my guess is maybe you have your focus on the clothes and not on the model's eye? what aperture are you shooting in? do you have a picture to sample?

 

[reznap]

Definitely set the camera to use center auto focus and focus on the face. That camera has face detection, not sure if you have it on or not, but that may help also.

Edit: I only mentally processed "grainy" and then wrote this:

Shooting on auto settings will do that. The camera is (most likely) raising your ISO to something like, 800, in order to get you a fast shutter speed. If you learn how to use the camera on manual mode you can avoid this a bit or, if you can, light up the area where you're photographing the models a bit more and it may work out better on auto.

That's a nice point and shoot, has a DIGIC 4 processor and a lot of other tech found in their really high end cameras.

 

[reel girl]

Hi, The aperture is f3.2.
I am not sure how to post a picture here.

 

[reel girl]

I am also wondering if I program the camera manually to portrait will the resolution on the face be better?
It was better outside than inside so I purchased some umbrella lighting and that makes it better but still shows graininess a tad in the face.
I will try to see if I make the focal point the face.

 

[WilliamH]

Hi, The aperture is f3.2.
I am not sure how to post a picture here.

http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/...forum-functions-pictoral-guide-using-tpf.html

 

[reel girl]

Ok, I read that. Thank you. I appreciate that information on how to post a pic.

Here are a few photos. The one with the little boy is with new umbrella lighting and a backdrop that the others do not have.

 

[eevoh]

looks like there isnt enough light and either the model is moving or youre moving

shooting handheld 1/20s isn't ideal

 

[AnneClaire]

Hello,
as your camera doesn't have manual control you should try a scene mode with small aperture (large f number) in order to achieve greater depth of field, so that both the model's face and the clothes would be in focus. Also use the lowest ISO to avoid grainy pictures. And as these settings will require long shutter speed, use a tripod to prevent camera shake.

 

[reel girl]

Ok. I am working on the lighting. One of the photos was outside. I used 2 umbrella lights for the one with the little boy. I could be moving or the model could be moving but I do not notice movement.
Should I take the umbrellas off my lights?
Should I invest in a tripod?
Or should I just keep practicing with just as it is with the umbrella lighting?

 

[reel girl]

Hello,
as your camera doesn't have manual control you should try a scene mode with small aperture (large f number) in order to achieve greater depth of field, so that both the model's face and the clothes would be in focus. Also use the lowest ISO to avoid grainy pictures. And as these settings will require long shutter speed, use a tripod to prevent camera shake.

Ahhh, ok. I tried the portrait setting on my family tonight while they were sleeping. The iso was very low and the images looked much better. Here are two. My poor boys.