the critical question

Dew · Jan 9, 2004

do ya like your portraits/photos crisp and clean (sharp) or soft? .... high contrast or low?

i did a photo shoot today (paying client this time

) ... he wanted some headshots for auditions (he's a gymnast, trapeze artist) and i just love my photos very sharp and crisp with super high contrast

... how do ya like your meat cooked? ... or tofu?

tr0gd0o0r · Jan 10, 2004

I'm with ya on the one Dew. Nice sharp high contrast for me, unfortunatly I think we may be alone

photobug · Jan 10, 2004

Kinda depends on what the purpose of the shot is I think.

If it's a model portfolio head shot it probably needs to be pretty sharp.

If it's a wedding portrait of the bride & groom kissing it could be blurred.

What mmod are you trying to convey... that kinda stuff. [shrug]

photojunky · Jan 10, 2004

That’s one of my petpeaves (spelling?) when it comes to photography. I feel there is too much emphasis on equipment and sharpness, and not enough on the image itself. I have seen great photos that were soft, and I have many terrible photos that were super sharp. Just imagine, there are lenses that cost big money that actually soften your photos on purpose like my Mamiya portrait lens. It even comes with discs that you insert to additionally soften you images.

I guess it all depends on the photograph, and in your case, what the client wants. www.onlinephotogallery.com

Thorniest Whisper · Jan 10, 2004

I vote for sharp. Soft focus appeals to me rarely. I especially dislike wedding photo that are hyper soft focused. I like grainy, or high contrast kinda out of focus, but not "soft" focus.

Face · Jan 11, 2004

i agree that it should be what mood you're conveying. If it's a dirty street scene, go gritty. If it's little cute girl running through dandylions, soft.

vonnagy · Jan 11, 2004

thats a good question!

i would say my style would be to make the look softer, but like the others say here, it depends on the mood that it conveys.

I was just thinking of voodoocats pics of his sister, I think the subject is very focused and crisp, yet it has a very soft feel without blurring it:

http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3025&start=0

voodoocat · Jan 11, 2004

It all depends on the application. In fact, for my sis' portraits, I applied soft focus to the images in photoshop. I like the way it makes skin look in some instances. I'm not sure if those images will include the soft focus in the final print.

I'm not a huge fan of over the top soft focus. If it's overdone, it seems tacky IMO.

Like others have said, there are softer lenses that look awesome. With my Yashica D the focus is a tad soft. I love it for portraits. Prints still to come when payday comes.