Soft focus/blur HELP PLEASE!!

[1hawaii50]

D600 flash sync is 1/200s....shoot in AF-C unless you need to to focus/recompose...

 

[Tee]

Did you take the UV filter off your lens?

 

[KmH]

Nikon's AF 50 mm f/1.8 D lens is an inexpensive consumer grade lens, so don't expect pro grade lens sharpness from it.

You may want to stop the lens down to between f/5.6 - f/8 and move your subject further from the background.

You also need to gain a better understanding of how depth-of-field (DoF) relates to focus, lens focal length, point of focus distance, and how far behind the far limit of the DoF the background is.

Beyond all that is post processing (color and exposure correction, sharpening, adjusting mid-tone contrast, enhancing local contrast to get to the finished image.

Professional Portrait Retouching Techniques for Photographers Using Photoshop (Voices That Matter)

 

[Derrel]

4' away is pretty damned close.

Seriously? For a head shot with a 50mm?

YES, 4 feet away with a 50mm lens will, I guarantee it, cause the nose and chine to be rendered disproportionately LARGE in appearance compared to moving BACXK and shooting at the proper distance; at that close a range, the perspective distortion on the human body is horrifically noticeable. You really weant to be farther away, like 7 to 12 feet, with a longer focal length, to get a pleasing rendering of a person. Unless, for example you are deliberately trying to distort things.

Good example: pro bass fishing photogs and videographers" shoot a 3 pound bass held out at arm's length from 4 feet away...the fisherman is an arm's length behind the fish----so that 3# bass looks freaking Huuuuuuge!

If the camera were moved back to 12 feet, and a telephoto lens used, the size of the bass and the fisherman's head would look more natural.

THe 50mm focal length from close-up, for a head shot is an AWFUL lens choice...really,really, really NOT the best way to get natural perspective.

 

[coffeefilter]

4' away is pretty damned close.

Seriously? For a head shot with a 50mm?

YES, 4 feet away with a 50mm lens will, I guarantee it, cause the nose and chine to be rendered disproportionately LARGE in appearance compared to moving BACXK and shooting at the proper distance; at that close a range, the perspective distortion on the human body is horrifically noticeable. You really weant to be farther away, like 7 to 12 feet, with a longer focal length, to get a pleasing rendering of a person. Unless, for example you are deliberately trying to distort things.

Good example: pro bass fishing photogs and videographers" shoot a 3 pound bass held out at arm's length from 4 feet away...the fisherman is an arm's length behind the fish----so that 3# bass looks freaking Huuuuuuge!

If the camera were moved back to 12 feet, and a telephoto lens used, the size of the bass and the fisherman's head would look more natural.

THe 50mm focal length from close-up, for a head shot is an AWFUL lens choice...really,really, really NOT the best way to get natural perspective.

I learn a lot about lenses from your posts.