Out Door Portraits

Aussieroo

Our local camera group had a field trip last Sunday and I took the oportunity to put the 70-200mm f2.8 sigma lens to good use. At the full 200mm zoo my DOF was shallow indeed and I tried to have the eyes sharp in these shots and the background blkurred just how I wanted it to and the colours I felt complimented the subject. Your thoughts would be appreciated.

Scott_Quier

Nice. I don't normally like really tight crops, but #2 is very well done. I also like how your subject's face in #3 is not in dark shadow. Don't know what, if anything, can be done for the deep shadows in #1.

More to the point, it appears your Siggy is a very sharp lens. I've got a wedding on Sat and an e-shoot (different couple, D'oh) on Sunday. I'm thinking my 70-200 f/2.8 will be seeing a signigicant amount of action! After seeing these, I'm really looking forward to the experience!

Thiago Sigrist

Very nice pictures!

#2 is my fave really, I'm a fan of very tight shots, and yours delivers!

Thanks for sharing!
Take care!

-- thiago

Aussieroo

Thanks for your kind words. I am thinking of entering No.2 into a print comp in our local camera group next Wednesday. Your replies have helped make my mind up. Will let you know how it goes. Hope your wedding shoot goes well Scott. I have never attempted a wedding with my new gear but one day, who knows. Thanks again for having a look.
Ralph

Jeffro

Maybe I need glasses, but all three look soft or OOF to me.

Aussieroo

Jeffro wrote:

Maybe I need glasses, but all three look soft or OOF to me.

Quite right, but at f2.8 @ 200mm zoom the DOF would be about 1/2" so I tried to have the eyes the sharpest. In the full sized photos they are quite sharp and none of these have been edited apart from resizing and a crop in the second one.
Thanks for your point of view.

jeffreaux2

This lens is on my short list. I appreciate the demo. I bet if you try the same type shots at F 3.2 to F 4 you will be blown away.

The first shot could have gained a ton from the use of a reflector to bounce a little light under the brim of the hat.

Aussieroo

jeffreaux2 wrote:

This lens is on my short list. I appreciate the demo. I bet if you try the same type shots at F 3.2 to F 4 you will be blown away.

The first shot could have gained a ton from the use of a reflector to bounce a little light under the brim of the hat.

Thanks Geoff, I totally agree with the light on the first shot, however these were candid shots and not posed. Thinking about this young man he would have run a mile if he thought he was being photographed. No worries there he is a friend and knows full well I have this photo in fact he has a copy. So sometimes we have to maximise what we have to work with at the time and do it quickly unless you have a model to be patient enough while you set it all up to get it right. Few of us have that luxury. I must try the f 4.0 but wonder just how much it will blurr the background. I was trying to see how well the f2.8 worked. The sigma is a fast quiet and by and large a sharp lens that for $800 Aus. less than the Canon L series equivilant I am more than happy with.