Closed down my aperture

Evertking · Sep 7, 2017

My job has me working 16 hour shifts back to back but i finally got a day off and a willing subject!! I took the advice from some very helpful members here in the fourm and closed my aperture down and the results, although not gonna win any merit's, are better than what I was getting at F2.

tirediron · Sep 7, 2017

The lighting isn't bad at all; unfortunately, her face seems soft in the bottom two.

Evertking · Sep 7, 2017

That's what I thought. I have the picture here on my phone and the exif is 1/1250 at 4.5.. So it comes down to me, right? At F 4.5 with the focus point right on her eye should have gotten focus, right? Maybe i should try a tripod??? She was not moving around. I was hand holding the camera but I guess my hands are jumpy at 43.. I was a sharp shooter in the Army and try to apply the breath and squeeze technique in the Camera. Uugghh seems like yesterday! Anyway, Thanks you. This fourm is very friendly and helpful.

I also was trying to upload a raw file.. I kept getting an error. Can I upload raw files?

tirediron · Sep 7, 2017

It's not your holding technique or your shaking hands, rather it's missed focus. If you look in #2 the cement step closest foreground is tack sharp and in #3, it's the bricks and her foot. So you're not shaking, you're letting the camera make the focusing decisions and it's picking the wrong spot. For portraiture, always use a single AF point and place it on the nearest eye.

You CANNOT upload raw files.

Evertking · Sep 7, 2017

Thanks for your help. So, the way I'm lighting her looks fine? I noticed in most of my images i tend to broad light and today I was going to short light and well, I got out there and when it comes time to shoot and all my plans flew out the window. I will be back in a few days to try again

Another quick question while I got ya here.
I own a 6D and I use a Sekonic 308s and I have noticed that when I take a ambient reading and put those settings in the camera, it blows the highlights, or they are blinking on the LCD. They should not be blinking, right?

Tomasko · Sep 8, 2017

What lens did you use? If you picked a single AF point, it can mean you're facing a problem with front-focusing lens and a simple calibration should help you. In all your shots your focus is clearly in front of your subject.

You can easily test for this using a tripod, picking a single AF point and observing your resulting photos. Also make sure you're testing with inanimate objects, so you rule out any human errors. For instance some slightly angled book is a good test subject. Try to focus on a specific letter/word and it has to be sharp. If it's not, you know you have to calibrate it. As you have 6D, you probably won't even need to visit a service center for that (you can adjust this from the menu in your camera).

Evertking · Sep 8, 2017

For the bottom 2 I used the 135mm and I'm starting to wonder if that's the case. Cause I used the center one and it was smack dab on her eye.
I'm stuck at work but in a couple of days I will test its focus. I though this befor

e and tried with a yard stick at a angle and I probably made it worse lol... Anyway. Here are a series of untouched pics and all with the FP right in the eye. Thanks for the help.

And at f4 it seems to "front" focus kinda bad, right?

Evertking · Sep 10, 2017

Tomasko said:
What lens did you use? If you picked a single AF point, it can mean you're facing a problem with front-focusing lens and a simple calibration should help you. In all your shots your focus is clearly in front of your subject.

You can easily test for this using a tripod, picking a single AF point and observing your resulting photos. Also make sure you're testing with inanimate objects, so you rule out any human errors. For instance some slightly angled book is a good test subject. Try to focus on a specific letter/word and it has to be sharp. If it's not, you know you have to calibrate it. As you have 6D, you probably won't even need to visit a service center for that (you can adjust this from the menu in your camera).

Hey, I got a day off and would like to try this today. Look back at all of my pictures that are shot with my 135 the focus is always in front! How far should I set this book up and do I need to use widest aperture? Thanks

I got it! Thanks.. had my son stand out in the back yard and it took +12 to get it right.

Evertking · Sep 10, 2017

this was taken a few weeks ago and I took many like this and I had the FP right on her eye and just like the ones above the focus is in front. It boggles my mind that you pay a premium for precision equipment and have to calibrate it. As far as tech has came along I'm sure the could implement a auto calibration with just one test shot. Anyway, I can't wait for tomorrow.. I will find out for sure if I done this right at sunset tomorrow!!