Attempting portraiture CC

[shutterbugmomma]

Georgiegirl, 3 point studio lighting.

On focus: Is this better?? Still shooting with 50mm

f4.5, 1/320, ISO 400

 

[GeorgieGirl]

OK something is not working here as you don't have a crisp, clear shot even at ISO 400. With Lighting you can shoot at ISO 400 and 1/125 and let the camera do the rest as long as your lighting is set/balanced. Do you meter your lighting at all? The BG is good and white and even, so I suspect two lights took care of this and one light was overhead, straight on to subject???

 

[MWC2]

I've just started with studio lighting but I agree something is just off. The last image just isn't as crisp and sharp as it should be at 1/320 and f/4.5.

 

[shutterbugmomma]

Georgie, the last photo was just taken with speedlight in a dimly lite room. Light metering is set at evaluative metering.

 

[KmH]

So, you're using TTL and letting the not very smart camera and speedlight make all the lighting decisions based on some program a committee of camera software engineers in Japan wrote ?

If you control the camera and flash manually, the metering mode can be entirely eliminated from consideration.

 

[MLeeK]

I think your lens is front focusing. I think the focus is again on the tip of the nose on that one.

 

[shutterbugmomma]

Ok. Thank you for your help. I will work on it until I get it right.

 

[MLeeK]

What are you working on? If your lens is front focusing you aren't ever going to get it right because focus will always be in front of where you are locking. You need to test your lens and find out if it is front focusing before you can go much further on the focus issues.

 

[shutterbugmomma]

Ok, here is a comparison. Does the 50mm still appear to be front focusing?

Taken with the 18-55mm IS. focal length 29mm, f 4.4, 1/320, ISO 800

Taken with the 55mm 1.8. f4, 1/320 ISO 800

 

[MLeeK]

It's better, but it's falling short.
This isn't the greatest thread for testing, but it will give you the tools to figure out if your lens is back or front focusing: 10D focus issue demystified - Canon Digital Photography Forums Just scroll down a little bit in that first post. He's going on and talking about his 10D, but the steps for performing the focus test are there.

 

[ph0enix]

Ok, here is a comparison. Does the 50mm still appear to be front focusing?

Taken with the 18-55mm IS. focal length 29mm, f 4.4, 1/320, ISO 800

Taken with the 55mm 1.8. f4, 1/320 ISO 800

Which part of the frame where you trying to get in focus?

 

[bazooka]

To properly determine if there is a problem, you need to start with a stable camera position (not handheld), and a normalized subject like a printout of a test chart of some sort in a well-lit area... outside in bright sunlight is good. Indoor tunsten light is not.

Here's how I would do it quick-and-dirty.
On tripod.
Focus on high-contrast target (black marker on white paper, or print a focus chart).
Turn on live view and DIGITALLY zoom in to target.
Slowly turn focus ring in one direction to see if focus improves.
If it does, you know you have a problem.
If it does not, turn off live view and re-focus.
Turn on live view and DIGITALLY zoom in to target.
Turn focus ring in the OTHER direction to see if focus improves.
If it does, you know you have a problem.
If it does not, then the lens is probably ok.

 

[shutterbugmomma]

Thank you MLeek! I am trying to figure out if it is ME, or the lens...or maybe a combination??
Ph0enix, in both photos the focus was the inside the left eye.
Bazooka, thank you! I will definitely give that a try.

 

[MLeeK]

In the first cc pics you definitely have the error of aperture to deal with, but I think you'll find that the lens is making it a whole lot harder on you. Test it at f/1.8, 2.8, 4, 5.6 and 8. That should give you a good idea of where the lens is falling short and where it will start to be more accurate.
What camera body are you using?

 

[shutterbugmomma]

I am using a Canon T1i