People First Family Shoot

geoles2 · 05-28-2011, 03:38 PM

This was my first family shoot, the family likes them but I am not convinced

They look out of focus when zoomed in, wondering if they will look good printed?

Please critique!

Attached Images

jellyfish26 · 05-28-2011, 03:40 PM

At what aperture did you shoot at?

geoles2 · 05-28-2011, 05:46 PM

F11 Iso 100

**Ash** · 05-28-2011, 06:38 PM

You chose a decent aperture, but there may be slight back focusing (perhaps in #2) that may explain the softness. #2 is certainly the more balanced image, avoiding the harsh sky highlights in the scene that would make both metering and exposure difficult.
It's always a challenge in the outdoor setting where you are at the mercy of the weather and ambient lighting conditions.

Wombat · 05-29-2011, 01:44 AM

Yes, they look a wee bit soft but to me the important thing is you captured a really happy scene. They look an exceptionally cheery bunch who appear to enjoy each others' company and you show that quite clearly in your photos. That says to me you have the ability to put people at their ease. I think that's worth something in itself. Of course, you want to improve and I'd be interested to know what your shutter speed was. I have a feeling that many of us (myself included) have come to expect shake reduction to take care of everything, so we can be as sloppy as we like when we fire the shutter. While SR in Pentax cameras is very good, it ain't perfect and good selection of shutter speeds, coupled with elbows in and all the other stuff, is still important for getting nice sharp shots. The k-x is a very light camera, not so easy to keep still as something with a bit of weight to it, so I suspect you'll get improved results partly by just being more aware of your technique.

05-28-2011, 03:38 PM	#1
geoles2 Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Illinois Photos: Albums Posts: 32	First Family Shoot Lens: 18-55 Camera: Pentax kx ISO: 50 This was my first family shoot, the family likes them but I am not convinced They look out of focus when zoomed in, wondering if they will look good printed? Please critique! Attached Images

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05-28-2011, 03:40 PM	#2
jellyfish26 Forum Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Texas Posts: 87	At what aperture did you shoot at?

05-28-2011, 05:46 PM	#3
geoles2 Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Illinois Photos: Albums Posts: 32 Original Poster	F11 Iso 100

05-28-2011, 06:38 PM	#4
Ash Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Toowoomba, Queensland Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 23,920	You chose a decent aperture, but there may be slight back focusing (perhaps in #2) that may explain the softness. #2 is certainly the more balanced image, avoiding the harsh sky highlights in the scene that would make both metering and exposure difficult. It's always a challenge in the outdoor setting where you are at the mercy of the weather and ambient lighting conditions.

05-29-2011, 01:44 AM	#5
Wombat Veteran Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: South Australia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 901	Yes, they look a wee bit soft but to me the important thing is you captured a really happy scene. They look an exceptionally cheery bunch who appear to enjoy each others' company and you show that quite clearly in your photos. That says to me you have the ability to put people at their ease. I think that's worth something in itself. Of course, you want to improve and I'd be interested to know what your shutter speed was. I have a feeling that many of us (myself included) have come to expect shake reduction to take care of everything, so we can be as sloppy as we like when we fire the shutter. While SR in Pentax cameras is very good, it ain't perfect and good selection of shutter speeds, coupled with elbows in and all the other stuff, is still important for getting nice sharp shots. The k-x is a very light camera, not so easy to keep still as something with a bit of weight to it, so I suspect you'll get improved results partly by just being more aware of your technique.