To sharp looking?

[Reyna]

Sometimes on my photos, I see lines on faces when they are smaller... kinda makes it look like they are too sharp. I hope this picture can show what I am talking about. Anyway, what am I doing wrong and how can I make it look softer?

 

[AUZambo]

Look through your camera's settings and see if you can find the adjustments for contrast, saturation, and sharpness. Below is what the EXIF data is telling me...perhaps the "high" and "hard" settings are making the difference.

Also, is there a reason you're shooting at ISO 450? In such a bright environment it seems that 100 or 200 would be plenty fast.

Exif Sub IFD

* Exposure Time (1 / Shutter Speed) = 1/400 second ===> 0.0025 second
* Lens F-Number / F-Stop = 4/1 ===> ƒ/4
* Exposure Program = shutter priority (4)
* ISO Speed Ratings = 450
* Exif Version = 0221
* Original Date/Time = 2009:11:04 10:13:50
* Digitization Date/Time = 2009:11:04 10:13:50
* Shutter Speed Value (APEX) = 8643856/1000000
Shutter Speed (Exposure Time) = 1/400 second
* Aperture Value (APEX) = 4/1
Aperture = ƒ/4
* Exposure Bias (EV) = 0/6 ===> 0
* Max Aperture Value (APEX) = 40/10 ===> 4
Max Aperture = ƒ/4
* Metering Mode = pattern / multi-segment (5)
* Light Source / White Balance = shade(11)
* Flash = Flash did not fire
* Focal Length = 550/10 mm ===> 55 mm
* Original Subsecond Time = 20
* Digitized Subsecond Time = 20
* Colour Space = 65535
* Image Width = 2592 pixels
* Image Height = 3872 pixels
* Image Sensing Method = one-chip color area sensor (2)
* Image Source = digital still camera (DSC)
* Scene Type = directly photographed image
* Colour Filter Array (CFA) Geometric Pattern = 0x02,0x00,0x02,0x00,0x01,0x02,0x00,0x01
* Custom Rendered = normal process (0)
* Exposure Mode = auto exposure (0)
* White Balance = manual (1)
* Digital Zoom Ratio = 1/1 ===> 1
* Focal Length in 35mm Film = 82
* Scene Capture Type = standard (0)
* Gain Control = low gain up (1)
* Contrast = hard (2)
* Saturation = high (2)
* Sharpness = hard (2)
* Subject Distance Range = unknown (0)

 

[Reyna]

I thought b/c I was in a tunnel it wouldn't come out, that is why the high ISO. Obviously, I didn't do it right though! Ok, let me see where to change that on my camera. Thank you so much.

 

[AUZambo]

I thought b/c I was in a tunnel it wouldn't come out, that is why the high ISO. Obviously, I didn't do it right though! Ok, let me see where to change that on my camera. Thank you so much.

No prob. I've been in the exact same situation with a kid in the tunnel and swapped to spot metering so it would meter only for the center of the shot. It ends up blowing out the sky and other parts of the shot, but I'd rather have a properly exposed subject with blown-out edges than properly exposed edges with a hard to see subject.