Originally posted by jt1667 Here's a test photo ... Im struggling to effectively focus the lens.
It looks like your focus was just in front of your subject (see the edge of the table).
Manually focusing with the K-r:
Use center spot focus. Leave your camera's switch set to AF. Aim at the point of critical focus (your son's nearest eye in this case) Watch for the blinking red dot. Now carefully turn the lens focus until you see the green octagon (like a stop sign) in the viewfinder. Double-check your focus looking at the matte focus screen (although this is the toughest way to focus with the stock K-r focus screen). Recompose being careful not to change camera to subject distance. Check the matte screen a second time.
OR - use Live View
OR - use Catch in Focus (page 136 in your manual)