Dealing with focus issue...

[deedubss123]

I have been a photographer for two years and just recently, wondering why my photos aren't tack sharp with my specific lens. Its 24-70 2.8 Canon. I shoot with a Canon Mark IV.

This photo was taken this past weekend of a large group and I feel like the image isnt tack sharp. It seems very soft and almost noisy to me. What could I possibly be doing wrong for it to be like this? I was standing about 5 feet from the group.

Using my 24-70 2.8 lens - I was at 33mm, F/5.6 , 1/320 ISO 800 - I was standing probably 5 feet in front of them. How come the image seems soft. Is it b/c of my meter or AF points? I focused on boy in front, assuming focus would fall behind and hit everyone else, correct? Any veterans have advice?

 

[deedubss123]

SOOC

 

[DGMPhotography]

What type of focus are you using? You should be using single-point focus if you're not already.

 

[Overread]

It's kind of hard to tell at the size you've uploaded, which looks decently sharp.
You need to upload a crop of a section of it that is showing your sharpness whilst the image is at full size (a 100% crop). That way we can see what you're seeing fullsize; as opposed to a resized version for the net

 

[Derrel]

On my phone. It looks like high ISO a d not focus. And Five feet at 33mm????That is a horrible distance and focal length for a group photo, guaranteed to cause foteshortening.looking at the photo I would say that your estimate of your distance is incorrect.

 

[jcdeboever]

I agree with Derrel. 60 mm, a few steps back probably would have a given you what you are looking for providing you were in the proper focus mode. Being that close at that f/stop may have given you a tight window for DOF in relation to the number of people. You could have stopped down a stop or two, maintained a workable shutter speed, and brought more people in focus. However, at that distance you actually shot it at, now your dealing with a non compressed image of people.

 

[deedubss123]

I never have grain issues when shooting at 800 ISO. The Mark IV handles it so well so makes me wonder why it is grain. Here is a screen shot of zoomed in at 100%. Anyone interested in seeing the RAW file? Can send via email.

 

[deedubss123]

I just tried to upload screen shot and its saying the file is too big which I dont understand how that could be....

 

[deedubss123]

What type of focus are you using? You should be using single-point focus if you're not already.

Yes I toggle my focus points currently

 

[deedubss123]

 

[deedubss123]

It's kind of hard to tell at the size you've uploaded, which looks decently sharp.
You need to upload a crop of a section of it that is showing your sharpness whilst the image is at full size (a 100% crop). That way we can see what you're seeing fullsize; as opposed to a resized version for the net

I uploaded the 100% crops of some of the people in the family. Let me know what you think

 

[TCampbell]

It would be normal to have a very tiny amount of noise at ISO 800 if you view at 100% crop. It's not much (and it's very easy to manage) but it isn't zero.

When I look at this image, mostly what I notice is the blue cast on the white balance (it needs to be warmed up) and the color seems desaturated.

I also notice the focus is a little better on the subjects that are nearer to the camera (and you said you used f/5.6).

But it's difficult to provide a good evaluation since these are JPEGs and have no EXIF data in them.

Did you shoot RAW? Do you have a straight-out-of-the-camera shot you can share (not a JPEG) with all the EXIF data still intact?

 

[Braineack]

looks decently sharp at the size you posted. image needs major post-processing help.

 

[vintagesnaps]

The exposure looks off. The shutter speed seems way faster than necessary for the conditions. Before you do more pictures for people, get out and practice with just your camera and learn how to get proper exposures.

Work on learning how to meter a scene. I find that sometimes in shade with sun coming in from the background the meter may be trying to adjust for that light - you may need to learn how to meter where the subject is then reframe as needed. It would help to notice the background before getting the subjects set; I think it may have looked better without that lighter patch of sun because it makes for a somewhat visually distracting bright area in the composition (and might have been what at least partly messed up the exposure).

Describing the quality, grain is in the emulsion of the film, noise is digital. It seems like you need to become more familiar with these type aspects of photography and the appropriate terminology. This is going to need correction on the color/WB and brightness and maybe a bit of a crop to make it acceptable. Shooting digitally I find it's going to be better to make adjustments if needed later if shooting Raw.

You seem to have engaged the subjects nicely and gotten smiles and good expressions. They'll probably like the picture if you can get some corrections made to improve the technical quality.

 

[pixmedic]

could be some DOF issues as well. for that many people you need a few feet of DOF for everyone to be in focus.
DOF is not just your aperture, but also affected by focal length/distance to subject. you might have had the group in the very back end of your focal plane.

the white balance looks off, as does the exposure. nothing a little processing cant fix.