Why do my photos look like this?

brandibell · Jul 5, 2011

On the weekend I did a couple outdoor photo shoots and my photos when zoomed in are not sharp and look like they have grain in them. I shot with a 50D and 28-135 mm IS lens, I didnt use a tripod, I shot in RAW, My ISO was between 100 and 200 and my shutter speed was between 100-200 with my aperature between 5 and 7. I am not sure off hand the exact setting for this photo. I did some photos in my studio last week and they seemed to be fine I am not sure what I am doing wrong? I couldnt seem to upload the photo so I posted a link to it. Thanks in advance

Flickr: B & G Photography's Photostream

Melissa Royal · Jul 5, 2011

Looks fine to me. But if it bugs you, I advise popping it into photoshop and reducing the noise. If you don't have photoshop or don't know how to do it, send me a private message and I'll give it a shot. =)

Garbz · Jul 5, 2011

Don't see the problem. If you want photos with really high perceived sharpness you'll need to sharpen in photoshop. Less dull colours also helps with acutance.

Mike_E · Jul 5, 2011

Really flat light. There is no shadow to highlight the highlights so the whole shot looks the same, ie bland. Get a reflector or Google subtractive lighting.

tirediron · Jul 5, 2011

Mike_E said:
Really flat light. There is no shadow to highlight the highlights so the whole shot looks the same, ie bland. Get a reflector or Google subtractive lighting.

^^ That.

GreatPhotoRace · Jul 5, 2011

Could be an optical illusion. Since you see grain in the wall behind you, you'll tend to use grain on the model too.

Kerbouchard · Jul 5, 2011

Another thing you could be running into is that noise is almost always more prevalent in the blue channel.

kasperjd4 · Jul 7, 2011

I think it's just because of the texture of the wall behind her you are perceiving noise in the photo.

brandibell · Jul 21, 2011

Thanks all for the suggestions. It's not just this pictures, it's every picture lately. Could something be wrong with the lens? This is the lens I use most of the time, I'm in the process of moving and most of my equipment is packed but I will try another lens once I get the chance.