sharp eyes, help

bellaphoto · May 21, 2008

when i search online for childrens photography websites (which i am interessted in ) i see how clearly the eyes are and how sharp they are focused in, even in black and white! i love the look, how do i get that to happen! i own a D40 Nikon, how can i take outdoor photographs of kids and toddlers and focus in on the eyes like that. so sharp and clear. is there a special lens they use, technique???
thanks

jeffreaux2 · May 21, 2008

Hi Romina,

Sharp eyes, in my opinion, is the foundation of a good portrait in most cases. Yes, a photo sometimes will work without the sharpness, but I prefer to soften a sharp image rather than try to salvage one that isn't sharp.

Tips?...I'll try...

- Others use their own methods, but I keep my camera set up on center point focus. I half press the shutter to focus on eyes, and then keeping the shutter half-pressed....recompose the shot to get the composition I desire. This will not work in a servo type focus mode....but will in single shot. I very rarely use a focus point other than the center one...only on really tough angles.

- Shutter speeds- Sure, I use a stabilized lens whenever possible, and have gotten keepers at very low shutter speeds. My preference, though, is to keep the speeds up so that I don't have to worry about me or the subject causing blur from subtle movements. Twice the focal length....1/100 for 50mm....would be ok, but I try when possible to stay around 1/125 and up. Depending on the light I might drop below that to keep from getting into higher ISO's, but that is where I prefer to be.

--Stabilize the camera

-Light. If there is no light in the eye areas you will struggle to pull detail from the eyes. Get some light in there! As much as I love natural light, there is no better aid in portrait photography than learning to use a bit of fill flash to brighten the eyes. Reflectors are good for this as well. By whatever means...getting light in the eyes will help get detail and will also get the desirable catchlights in there.

-Catch lights- If you don't see any when you take the photo...save for flash...they won't be there later. Those little highlights give you something to sharpen later and add a sparkle to any portrait.

-post processing- I have tried many methods...dodge and burn...selective sharpening....you name it. Lately I have begun using a curves adjustment on a seperate layer for the eyes only. I then use a mask to only allow the eyes to show through....and can adjust opacity to "keep it real". It is easy to make them appear fakey so be careful. (EDIT) There was an article on this method within the last several months in Popular Photography. I don't remember what issue, but they usually put their how to's and toolbox articles on the web. Unfortunately I cannot provide a link right now because their link is dead at present.

jeffreaux2 · May 21, 2008

I dug up a couple photos to do the curves layer on the eyes as examples. I may have gone overboard on these two, but you should get the idea at least that there is a ton that can be done for eyes...however both photos had nice sharp eyes that were well lit to begin with.

before/after

before

after

bellaphoto · May 22, 2008

sharp eyes
Thank you so much for all that Advise, i need all the help i can get. i photograph children outdoors ALOT and keeping them still is one of my problems, i let them do what they please so its hard getting a good sharp picture. any lens recommendations for such candid photography? i use a NIKON . pretty basic SLR
thanks again

jeffreaux2 wrote:

I dug up a couple photos to do the curves layer on the eyes as examples. I may have gone overboard on these two, but you should get the idea at least that there is a ton that can be done for eyes...however both photos had nice sharp eyes that were well lit to begin with.

before/after

before

after

jeffreaux2 · May 22, 2008

I don't shoot Nikon so cannot reccomend a particular lense. I would think, though, that if you can get a normal range zoom with a fast aperture...F 2.8 then you would be in good shape. Tamron makes one...a 17-50 F2.8 that I have heard good things about. A particular lense would be best reccomended by another Nikonian.

sweet chilli philly · May 22, 2008

I don't have a Nikon either so can't help you there but I use my canon and 50mm lens when doing sessions of children.

I like to make sure I have a fast ss (no less then 1/125). When focusing on the eyes I find if I am focusing towards the tear duct I have a much better chance of getting the eyes nice and sharp. I'm a big lover of sharp and nicely focused eyes, that's one of my big things when taking a portrait.

I know it can be hard with fast moving objects ( I have two of them!) but I think the fast SS should help especially if you are shooting lots outside so you shouldn't have too much trouble achieving that.

Just an example and btw I haven't edited his eyes at all as I prefer to leave them alone.

Codogg · May 26, 2008

Hi Jeff,
What is the fastest shutter speed you should use when taking portraits? Can the shutter speed be to fast?

Thanks,
Cody Hogden ><>
www.finishlinefotos.com

jeffreaux2 wrote:

Hi Romina,

Sharp eyes, in my opinion, is the foundation of a good portrait in most cases. Yes, a photo sometimes will work without the sharpness, but I prefer to soften a sharp image rather than try to salvage one that isn't sharp.

Tips?...I'll try...

- Others use their own methods, but I keep my camera set up on center point focus. I half press the shutter to focus on eyes, and then keeping the shutter half-pressed....recompose the shot to get the composition I desire. This will not work in a servo type focus mode....but will in single shot. I very rarely use a focus point other than the center one...only on really tough angles.

- Shutter speeds- Sure, I use a stabilized lens whenever possible, and have gotten keepers at very low shutter speeds. My preference, though, is to keep the speeds up so that I don't have to worry about me or the subject causing blur from subtle movements. Twice the focal length....1/100 for 50mm....would be ok, but I try when possible to stay around 1/125 and up. Depending on the light I might drop below that to keep from getting into higher ISO's, but that is where I prefer to be.

--Stabilize the camera

-Light. If there is no light in the eye areas you will struggle to pull detail from the eyes. Get some light in there! As much as I love natural light, there is no better aid in portrait photography than learning to use a bit of fill flash to brighten the eyes. Reflectors are good for this as well. By whatever means...getting light in the eyes will help get detail and will also get the desirable catchlights in there.

-Catch lights- If you don't see any when you take the photo...save for flash...they won't be there later. Those little highlights give you something to sharpen later and add a sparkle to any portrait.

-post processing- I have tried many methods...dodge and burn...selective sharpening....you name it. Lately I have begun using a curves adjustment on a seperate layer for the eyes only. I then use a mask to only allow the eyes to show through....and can adjust opacity to "keep it real". It is easy to make them appear fakey so be careful. (EDIT) There was an article on this method within the last several months in Popular Photography. I don't remember what issue, but they usually put their how to's and toolbox articles on the web. Unfortunately I cannot provide a link right now because their link is dead at present.

jeffreaux2 · May 27, 2008

Codogg wrote:

Hi Jeff,
What is the fastest shutter speed you should use when taking portraits? Can the shutter speed be to fast?

Thanks,
Cody Hogden ><>
www.finishlinefotos.com

I would guess that there are a number of things to consider to give a proper answer.

I use fill flash. My flash and camera are compatable and able to take advantage of High Speed Synch. I am unsure of the limits of this, but have used HSS flash at least up to 1/1000 personally. Depending on your gear you may be limited by flash sych speed when using fill flash. That is a disappointment because you may be also limited to whether you can take advantage of a wide aperture/shallow DOF or not. With my system...and decent natural light...I can shoot at any aperture I want....add fill flash...let er rip as long as I don't exceed my camera's 1/4000th max shutter. At least I think the flash can still keep up.

If not using fill flash then I would see no reason to worry about fast shutter speeds. The faster the better ...at least as far as I am concerned...will keep your image sharp. I keep it within reason. I would never step up to ISO 400 and added noise if I was already getting 1/160 at ISO 100. IQ and sharpness need to be balanced.

Codogg · May 27, 2008

jeffreaux2 wrote:

I would guess that there are a number of things to consider to give a proper answer.

I use fill flash. My flash and camera are compatable and able to take advantage of High Speed Synch. I am unsure of the limits of this, but have used HSS flash at least up to 1/1000 personally. Depending on your gear you may be limited by flash sych speed when using fill flash. That is a disappointment because you may be also limited to whether you can take advantage of a wide aperture/shallow DOF or not. With my system...and decent natural light...I can shoot at any aperture I want....add fill flash...let er rip as long as I don't exceed my camera's 1/4000th max shutter. At least I think the flash can still keep up.

If not using fill flash then I would see no reason to worry about fast shutter speeds. The faster the better ...at least as far as I am concerned...will keep your image sharp. I keep it within reason. I would never step up to ISO 400 and added noise if I was already getting 1/160 at ISO 100. IQ and sharpness need to be balanced.

Thank you very much. I use the Canon 40D with the 70-200 f2.8IS (I bought it to take volleyball pics of my daughter in school gyms) I can't use a flash at most sporting events so I've never bothered to research them. I had some parents ask about senior portraits and I was like whoa, I know nothing about portraits. (I really don't know much about sports photos either... lol) So I tried some outdoor photos with good lighting and they turned out OK. With the ISO turned down and the aperture wide open, I had some super fast shutter speeds. Well. I was also using the center focus point BUT I DIDNT FIRST FOCUS ON THE FACE. (I know...rookie) So, with the fast shutter speed and wrong focus, the face turned out soft in some of the photos. With all that said, I have a couple more questions if that's ok....???

Sunny day...overcast...late evening... how do I know where to set the ISO? Also, how do you get the dark shadow around the outside of your photos? By the way, your pictures are spectacular. Last one, can you give me a quick explanation of fill flash or a tutorial to read?

jeffreaux2 · May 29, 2008

Codogg wrote:

Thank you very much. I use the Canon 40D with the 70-200 f2.8IS (I bought it to take volleyball pics of my daughter in school gyms) I can't use a flash at most sporting events so I've never bothered to research them. I had some parents ask about senior portraits and I was like whoa, I know nothing about portraits. (I really don't know much about sports photos either... lol) So I tried some outdoor photos with good lighting and they turned out OK. With the ISO turned down and the aperture wide open, I had some super fast shutter speeds. Well. I was also using the center focus point BUT I DIDNT FIRST FOCUS ON THE FACE. (I know...rookie) So, with the fast shutter speed and wrong focus, the face turned out soft in some of the photos. With all that said, I have a couple more questions if that's ok....???

Sunny day...overcast...late evening... how do I know where to set the ISO?

Set it as low as you can while still getting a fast enough shutter speed that camera shake will not be a problem. You really ought to use a monopod with a 70-200 for portrait work. Even with IS

Also, how do you get the dark shadow around the outside of your photos?

It is a vignette applied in Lightroom, but I also do my own in photoshop.

By the way, your pictures are spectacular. Last one, can you give me a quick explanation of fill flash or a tutorial to read?

Fill flash? Quick?....short answer no...
There is much to learn for good technique. The best answer is practice and learn about Flash exposure compensation. Here is a good place to start...

3 from the Canon Digital Learning Center

http://www.usa.canon.com/dlc/control...&articleID=946

http://www.usa.canon.com/dlc/control...&articleID=106

http://www.usa.canon.com/dlc/control...&articleID=126

Chuck Gardner's excellent tutorials:

http://super.nova.org/DPR/#TOC

...and check out the EOS sticky at the top of the technique threads.

Scott_Quier · May 30, 2008

Something that's not been mentioned - "Focus and Re-Compose" errors

In those situations where the camera to subject distance is smaller, you can get significant focus errors when you use the center focus point and then move the camera to re-compose. It has to do with the tilting of the focal plane when you move the camera. So, in situations where you are close to the subject (yeah, I know, "What's close?") and your subject is not moving much (or at all) it is usually better to compose the shot and use something other than the center focus point.

Check out these for more info

http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=5642
http://www.outbackphoto.com/workshop/phototechnique/essay06/essay.html

Codogg · May 31, 2008

Thanks for the info...I appreciate it. I also have the lense that came with the camera, a 28 - 135mm 3.5-5.6IS. Is this a better lens for portraits?

jeffreaux2 wrote:

Set it as low as you can while still getting a fast enough shutter speed that camera shake will not be a problem. You really ought to use a monopod with a 70-200 for portrait work. Even with IS

It is a vignette applied in Lightroom, but I also do my own in photoshop.

Fill flash? Quick?....short answer no...
There is much to learn for good technique. The best answer is practice and learn about Flash exposure compensation. Here is a good place to start...

3 from the Canon Digital Learning Center

http://www.usa.canon.com/dlc/control...&articleID=946

http://www.usa.canon.com/dlc/control...&articleID=106

http://www.usa.canon.com/dlc/control...&articleID=126

Chuck Gardner's excellent tutorials:

http://super.nova.org/DPR/#TOC

...and check out the EOS sticky at the top of the technique threads.

Codogg · May 31, 2008

Scott_Quier wrote:

Something that's not been mentioned - "Focus and Re-Compose" errors

In those situations where the camera to subject distance is smaller, you can get significant focus errors when you use the center focus point and then move the camera to re-compose. It has to do with the tilting of the focal plane when you move the camera. So, in situations where you are close to the subject (yeah, I know, "What's close?") and your subject is not moving much (or at all) it is usually better to compose the shot and use something other than the center focus point.

Check out these for more info

http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=5642
http://www.outbackphoto.com/workshop/phototechnique/essay06/essay.html

Very interesting!! I've started trying the different focus points and I'm getting better at changing them quickly. Thanks for the information. If there is anything else you can suggest that I read I would appreciated it.

sharp eyes, help

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