Beginner Holding the camera better

[Merlin5]

My title suggests I've just started photography. Well kind of, though been at it since July. What I'm trying to do is improve my camera holding to get sharper focus. I think my photos are generally fine and in focus but there's often areas of the photo that aren't sharp and I suspect user error. I was told to keep my arms in to my body and take the shot after an inhale or after an exhale. I do this but I'm wondering, do you hold it so that your arms are really tight against your body and you're gripping the camera tightly to try and steady everything? I've been holding my arms and the camera pretty tight to steady everything as much as possible but I feel this might be creating too much tension and making the camera more shaky.

Recently I've loosened off. I still hold my arms in but, and I could be imagining this, I think some shots have been a bit sharper by staying loose rather than trying too hard to keep it steady. Instead of gripping the underside of the lens tightly I'm just cupping it lightly now. Does that sound about right?

Also, I find with my Canon nifty fifty lens, it's easy to disturb the manual focus ring, so once I've auto focused, if my finger moves the focus ring it'll still blur the shot. So I'm conscious of keeping my fingers and thumb further back under the lens, and often I'm finding it more comfortable to keep my thumb up on the left side of the camera. Does it really matter if all digits are not holding the lens with regards to keep the camera perfectly steady?

And finally, I've experimented with how quickly to take a shot after focusing. I use back button focus. Do you think it's better to take the shot as quick as possible after focusing to prevent any introduction or increase of handshake?
Up till now I've focused and waited maybe 2 or 3 seconds before taking the shot. Recently I've taken shots immediately after focusing. Is that the best way? I've noticed photographers on you tube taking photos very quickly.

 

[kendo1]

I'd say you are overthinking this.
Just hold the camera so it is comfortable and take the shot. Keep your shutter speed up to avoid camera shake.

That's it!
I started about November.
In 1975.

 

[Box Brownie]

I think you are "overthinking" the method!

This guide to holding might be of use

How to Hold A Camera | Getting Started | Nikon

Learn how to hold a camera with these tips from Nikon. Find out how to hold your Nikon digital camera properly when taking pictures.

www.nikonusa.com

.

To put it simply, it is about supporting the weight of the camera with your left hand and 'balancing' it with the right hand.

What you should not be doing is straining to hold it "tight" because by doing so you are likely to tire quickly and introduce camera shake!

Plus, even though you are using BBF you still need to be soft in pressing the shutter i.e. don't stab it down as that will also introduce camera shake.

With the nifty fifty, the lens is so short and light IMO, depending on how flexible your wrist is, put the heal of your left hand under the camera body with the fingers bent and tips near base of lens.....in other words away from the manual focusing ring.

Holding your longer zoom, no different other than moving your left hand along the lens to a point where your finger tips can turn the zoom ring as needed.

PS don't forget to make sure to use a suitably fast shutter speed so compliment the focal length in use!

Edit ~ I took so long to type my reply I missed @kendo1 reply

 

[Merlin5]

Thanks chaps. Yes, I have a very bad habit of over analysing everything I do! I just tried the heel of my left hand under the camera, Yes that works well and feels like it's making the camera more stable. I keep coming back to the thumb up against the left side of the camera though, that seems to feel the most comfortable and natural for me.

Yes, you've confirmed I was holding too tight and I just need to keep it all relaxed.

With regard to pressing the shutter, yes, I press it gently though I do wish it had slightly less resistance. Through the viewfinder where I can see every movement of mine magnified, it looks sometimes like I'm ever so slightly pushing the camera downwards when I take the shot which may or may not be enough to affect sharpness. I'm talking very small movement. When I tried some Sony cameras in a shop recently, the shutter buttons were so nice and light to press.

 

[Box Brownie]

Thanks chaps. Yes, I have a very bad habit of over analysing everything I do! I just tried the heel of my left hand under the camera, Yes that works well and feels like it's making the camera more stable. I keep coming back to the thumb up against the left side of the camera though, that seems to feel the most comfortable and natural for me.

Yes, you've confirmed I was holding too tight and I just need to keep it all relaxed.

With regard to pressing the shutter, yes, I press it gently though I do wish it had slightly less resistance. Through the viewfinder where I can see every movement of mine magnified, it looks sometimes like I'm ever so slightly pushing the camera downwards when I take the shot which may or may not be enough to affect sharpness. I'm talking very small movement. When I tried some Sony cameras in a shop recently, the shutter buttons were so nice and light to press.

Perhaps, for the time being stop using BBF and keep both focusing & shutter on the 'shutter button' ~ that should allow you to "get the feel of the shutter" by that I mean...............being more sensitive to the half press for focusing & then the (gentle!) full press to fire the shutter. It is all(?) about developing the muscle memory to be decisive in the action but gentle & not stabbing down on it.

PS remind me, what camera are you using because my Canon 5D3 has a typically Canon shutter action in that the half press is clearly defined, as in I can feel the semi-stop point, to then press more firmly for the shutter firing.

 

[kendo1]

Perhaps, for the time being stop using BBF and keep both focusing & shutter on the 'shutter button' ~ that should allow you to "get the feel of the shutter" by that I mean...............being more sensitive to the half press for focusing & then the (gentle!) full press to fire the shutter. It is all(?) about developing the muscle memory to be decisive in the action but gentle & not stabbing down on it.

PS remind me, what camera are you using because my Canon 5D3 has a typically Canon shutter action in that the half press is clearly defined, as in I can feel the semi-stop point, to then press more firmly for the shutter firing.

Probably a Canon EOS 5D Mark II
I use Nikon

 

[Merlin5]

Correct kendo, 5D2. The only gear I currently have is in my gearlist/sig.

Perhaps, for the time being stop using BBF and keep both focusing & shutter on the 'shutter button' ~ that should allow you to "get the feel of the shutter" by that I mean...............being more sensitive to the half press for focusing & then the (gentle!) full press to fire the shutter. It is all(?) about developing the muscle memory to be decisive in the action but gentle & not stabbing down on it.

PS remind me, what camera are you using because my Canon 5D3 has a typically Canon shutter action in that the half press is clearly defined, as in I can feel the semi-stop point, to then press more firmly for the shutter firing.

Box Brownie, yeah I often keep the shutter button half pressed to the stop point (i.e where there's no loose play in the button anymore) while pressing the BBF. Then I release the BBF or sometimes keep it depressed and then I continue to press the shutter button the rest of the way to take a shot.

 

[Box Brownie]

Correct kendo, 5D2. The only gear I currently have is in my gearlist/sig.



Box Brownie, yeah I often keep the shutter button half pressed to the stop point (i.e where there's no loose play in the button anymore) while pressing the BBF. Then I release the BBF or sometimes keep it depressed and then I continue to press the shutter button the rest of the way to take a shot.

Hmmm!

Now wracking my brains because I have not used the 5D3 for a long while..............................but:-

As I recall, when setting BBF I could either just leave the shutter button as a shutter button or do BBF with the shutter still doing both ~ I thought that was odd so made the setting such that it was "just" the shutter.

So, is the 5D2 the same or different? Because in you have the former situation if you release the BBF to lock focus it may shift due to the shutter button 'taking over'??? NB My memory may be off and/or the 5D2 and the 5D3 are different. Indeed, even if fully separated function (see below) a VC or IS lens will stop it stabilisation = more likely camera shake will affect the image!

The other thing is your Tamron lens, it has VC and though I don't know about that my Canon 100-400mm had IS but the IS would only run whilst focusing thus the BBF had to be held down.............maybe the same on the Tamron and its VC function??? Of course the nifty fifty does not have IS so not relevant

PS a page that talks about BBF settings on the Canon https://neilvn.com/tangents/back-button-focus-canon-camera/

 

[Merlin5]

Hmmm!

Now wracking my brains because I have not used the 5D3 for a long while..............................but:-

As I recall, when setting BBF I could either just leave the shutter button as a shutter button or do BBF with the shutter still doing both ~ I thought that was odd so made the setting such that it was "just" the shutter.

So, is the 5D2 the same or different? Because in you have the former situation if you release the BBF to lock focus it may shift due to the shutter button 'taking over'??? NB My memory may be off and/or the 5D2 and the 5D3 are different. Indeed, even if fully separated function (see below) a VC or IS lens will stop it stabilisation = more likely camera shake will affect the image!

The other thing is your Tamron lens, it has VC and though I don't know about that my Canon 100-400mm had IS but the IS would only run whilst focusing thus the BBF had to be held down.............maybe the same on the Tamron and its VC function??? Of course the nifty fifty does not have IS so not relevant

PS a page that talks about BBF settings on the Canon https://neilvn.com/tangents/back-button-focus-canon-camera/

You're spot on. I do indeed have to hold the BBF depressed to enable the VC on the Tamron. Me being such a noob I thought the VC wasn't working when I first got it until I played around and realised it only activated when I kept holding the BBF button. When I first got that stabilisation working it was a real wow moment, I was excited because it's really very effective. I'm hoping the IBIS in the a6600 I'm getting will be as good.

Yes, my camera can do focus simultaneously on both the shutter button and AF-ON button which is the one I use for BBF. But I've got it separated so there's no focusing with the shutter button.

I'm not sure what you meant with "..even if fully separated function a VC or IS lens will stop it stabilisation = more likely camera shake will affect the image!"

 

[Box Brownie]

Re: bit you have quoted ~ what I thought I said (not clear was it ) was as you mentioned taking finger off the BBF button and then firing the shutter....if you do that with your Tamron VC lens then the VC will shut down!

But from what you say, you are aware of that but possible to get into bad habit i.e. you do that with your 50mm and then do the same with the Tamron by mistake?

 

[Merlin5]

Re: bit you have quoted ~ what I thought I said (not clear was it ) was as you mentioned taking finger off the BBF button and then firing the shutter....if you do that with your Tamron VC lens then the VC will shut down!

But from what you say, you are aware of that

Ah yeah, I see what you mean.

 

[rob-nikon]

I’ve never got on with back button focus as I mostly shoot wildlife. For landscapes it’s useful to stop the shutter button trying to refocus when pressing the shutter. It’s great if you need to switch back and forth between single AF and continuous AF.

I’ve found this guide below:

Cheat Sheet: How to Hold a Camera - Digital Photography School

How to hold a camera - here is a Cheat Sheet of what to consider when holding your camera steady.

digital-photography-school.com

I do most of this except if I don’t have a battery grip attach I hold the camera the opposite way around when taking portraits. This way my arms are inwards rather than flapping out to the side. Also if my arms are in contact with my leg or a wall I don’t use the point of the elbow I use the side of the arm near the elbow (if that makes sense). The point of the elbow seems to move every where when I lean on it!

 

[troutfisher]

Hold the camera gently but firmly and press /squeeze the shutter release gently, like a rifle trigger ( there are other analogies but you can work them out your self).

 

[Tringa]

My title suggests I've just started photography. Well kind of, though been at it since July. What I'm trying to do is improve my camera holding to get sharper focus. I think my photos are generally fine and in focus but there's often areas of the photo that aren't sharp and I suspect user error.

Can you post a shot or two(with the exif data) which shows "..... areas of the photo that aren't sharp .....

The fact that you say, "my photos are generally fine and in focus but there's often areas of the photo that aren't sharp" does not suggest camera shake. If some areas are sharp and in focus and others are not suggests the use of a wide aperture. Camera shake would affect all of the image.

Dave

 

[Merlin5]

I’ve never got on with back button focus as I mostly shoot wildlife. For landscapes it’s useful to stop the shutter button trying to refocus when pressing the shutter. It’s great if you need to switch back and forth between single AF and continuous AF.

I’ve found this guide below:

Cheat Sheet: How to Hold a Camera - Digital Photography School

How to hold a camera - here is a Cheat Sheet of what to consider when holding your camera steady.

digital-photography-school.com

I do most of this except if I don’t have a battery grip attach I hold the camera the opposite way around when taking portraits. This way my arms are inwards rather than flapping out to the side. Also if my arms are in contact with my leg or a wall I don’t use the point of the elbow I use the side of the arm near the elbow (if that makes sense). The point of the elbow seems to move every where when I lean on it!

Thanks rob. Do you think me having BBF will be detrimental to shooting wildlife? That's one of the areas I'm interested in. I've done some decent photos of perched birds but not birds in flight yet.

Can you post a shot or two(with the exif data) which shows "..... areas of the photo that aren't sharp .....

The fact that you say, "my photos are generally fine and in focus but there's often areas of the photo that aren't sharp" does not suggest camera shake. If some areas are sharp and in focus and others are not suggests the use of a wide aperture. Camera shake would affect all of the image.

Dave

That's interesting. Ok, I'll take some shots of random objects. I'll shoot at 1.8 and f4.

 

[scott199]

plenty of good advice above, i went through the same thing a few years ago when i started, i over analyse everything as well.

read loads on posture and control, practised loads on holding it "the right" way, it almost felt uncomfortable to me, then about a year or so after starting i started to shoot sports events/action type stuff.

All that "posture" stuff went right out the window and the angles, position of the shot took over and once i relaxed and let it happens everything was better and so much easier.

You've prob heard this before, but just go out and concentrate on the point, taking pics of stuff, it will get to be natural in your own way.

 

[EJB]

Relax, deep breath in, breathe out slowly, press shutter release...release the button slowly, breathe in .....carry on with life!
Good luck.

 

[Merlin5]

Thanks scott199 and Ted, I like what you both said.

"just go out and concentrate on the point, taking pics of stuff, it will get to be natural in your own way". I like that and I'll remember it. What you said sort of takes the stress out of trying too hard to get the perfect shot.

 

[LeeRatters]

Definitely over thinking things

 

[Merlin5]

Definitely over thinking things

Hehe, yep, that's me! We have the same name by the way, the best one of course.
I viewed some of your photos the other day on Flickr. Really excellent, particularly your trees in the woods.

 

[Merlin5]

Ok I uploaded test shots with no processing of three different things each at f1.8 and f8. Hmm, I guess they're ok. There's always fuzziness on the 1.8 shots though. I know it's shallower depth of field, but shouldn't I be able to still get every bit of the subject including all text in sharp focus?

ISO 100 50mm f1.8 1/500
Coffee 1 by Merlin 5, on Flickr

ISO 400 50mm f8 1/100
Coffee 2 by Merlin 5, on Flickr

ISO 100 50mm f1.8 1/1600
Watch 1 by Merlin 5, on Flickr


ISO 250 50mm f8 1/200
Watch 2 by Merlin 5, on Flickr

ISO 100 50mm f1.8 1/400
Vape 1 by Merlin 5, on Flickr

ISO 640 50mm f8 1/160
Vape 2 by Merlin 5, on Flickr

 

[scott199]

a few things to consider, very few lenses are at their sharpest at max aperture, also depending on the distance your DOF field could be very small and as you are at a slight downward angle this will also affect DOF.

DOF is kind of a flat plane front to back, so at a given distance from your lens, everything with a certain amount should be in focus, actually in focus is wrong, more in the DOF range, well that how i understand it as a beginner.

Have a look here and see how distance to object and focal length effect your DOF "window"

Depth of Field (DoF) calculator | PhotoPills

This Depth of Field (DoF) calculator will help you get the creative control on the design of your photos. Decide the zone of sharpness you need to tell the story you want and get your message across.

www.photopills.com

 

[LeeRatters]

Hehe, yep, that's me! We have the same name by the way, the best one of course.
I viewed some of your photos the other day on Flickr. Really excellent, particularly your trees in the woods.

Thank you. Those shots are easy to hold. They are tripod mounted

 

[Merlin5]

a few things to consider, very few lenses are at their sharpest at max aperture, also depending on the distance your DOF field could be very small and as you are at a slight downward angle this will also affect DOF.

DOF is kind of a flat plane front to back, so at a given distance from your lens, everything with a certain amount should be in focus, actually in focus is wrong, more in the DOF range, well that how i understand it as a beginner.View attachment 294261

Have a look here and see how distance to object and focal length effect your DOF "window"

Depth of Field (DoF) calculator | PhotoPills

This Depth of Field (DoF) calculator will help you get the creative control on the design of your photos. Decide the zone of sharpness you need to tell the story you want and get your message across.

www.photopills.com

Thanks scott. I read the article and I put a random subject distance into the calculator, but I don't understand it very well.

 

[andrewc]

Basically focussing on a subject 1m away, at f/1.8, the section of photograph that will be in focus is a strip about 4cm thick. Everything in front and behind this is progressively blurred. As you are shooting at an angle to the jar of coffee, this strip is also angled which is why different parts are in focus.

 

[rob-nikon]

Thanks rob. Do you think me having BBF will be detrimental to shooting wildlife? That's one of the areas I'm interested in. I've done some decent photos of perched birds but not birds in flight yet.

I know some wildlife photographers rave about BBF but I’ve never seen the advantages it supposedly brings. I find it to be a hinderance as I use my thumb to move the AF around (I mainly use single point). If I used BBF I’d need to take my finger off that to let me move the AF point. I find half pressing the shutter button to work fine. For landscapes I alway use BBF as it’s some much easier to set focus and then add filters before pressing the shutter knowing the focus won’t move.

BBF is one of those things you have to try out for yourself and see if it suits you or not. Everyone is different so what works for one may not work for others. Just do whats right for you and dont try to follow others just because they say you should do it their way. There aren’t ‘rules’ in photography, more guidelines that you don’t necessarily need to follow.

 

[Merlin5]

Basically focussing on a subject 1m away, at f/1.8, the section of photograph that will be in focus is a strip about 4cm thick. Everything in front and behind this is progressively blurred. As you are shooting at an angle to the jar of coffee, this strip is also angled which is why different parts are in focus.

So it's possible to get the whole jar of coffee sharply in focus at f1.8 the same as a much smaller aperture could, but I'd have to stand further back focusing face on to the jar with no angle downwards?

 

[kendo1]

Yep

 

[Merlin5]

Yep

Ok, I'll try that tomorrow! I imagine the further back I stand to get the subject in focus from top to tail, it might weaken the bokeh, or perhaps not that much at 1.8?

By the way, do you think those photos I posted look ok, meaning, do you see anything that looks like camera shake? Or do they look clean and it's just the aperture, distance and angle that I need to master?

 

[kendo1]

Shutter speed is fine, as is ISO.
Bokeh depends on many things - distance, aperture, background, light and so on.

Probably the most important thing is Subject. You must know what your subject is and not get distracted from it (and be aware what is behind/at the side of - the old telegraph pole sticking out of a head). Why are you taking the pic? Is a different viewpoint advantageous? What is the light like? (and shadows)
It all comes down to practice, practice, and practice!

 

[Merlin5]

Shutter speed is fine, as is ISO.
Bokeh depends on many things - distance, aperture, background, light and so on.

Probably the most important thing is Subject. You must know what your subject is and not get distracted from it (and be aware what is behind/at the side of - the old telegraph pole sticking out of a head). Why are you taking the pic? Is a different viewpoint advantageous? What is the light like? (and shadows)
It all comes down to practice, practice, and practice!

Thanks. I guess my camera holding is steady enough then and no-one has mentioned noticing any motion blur, so that's good.
Looking forward to getting my a6600 and having IBIS onboard. I'm not even sure how sharp the Canon nifty fifty is meant to be so I always wonder how much sharper my photos above might be in the hands of an experienced photographer.
Yes, lots of practise indeed.

 

[scott199]

Thanks scott. I read the article and I put a random subject distance into the calculator, but I don't understand it very well.

The DOF is helpful, not really for general but i sue it to give myself an idea or as a little reminder, if you adjust the distance and aperture independently, you can see that moving your self away or raising the Aperture will give you different or variations in the DOF range, so in the example, 1m at F1.8 will give you a 4cm, you can get clever and use the other number but for me the only one that i look at if the depth of field.

So it's possible to get the whole jar of coffee sharply in focus at f1.8 the same as a much smaller aperture could, but I'd have to stand further back focusing face on to the jar with no angle downwards?

yep, either raise aperture or move back but these both have compromises, photography or so i was told is a compromising triangle, the good guys use this and know-how, me i generally take a bucket load and hope i get the "goods"

basic DOF, excuse the "art", think of DOF as a thickness/block type thing for ease

i think i have this right, anyone want to confirm ?

 

[Box Brownie]

The DOF is helpful, not really for general but i sue it to give myself an idea or as a little reminder, if you adjust the distance and aperture independently, you can see that moving your self away or raising the Aperture will give you different or variations in the DOF range, so in the example, 1m at F1.8 will give you a 4cm, you can get clever and use the other number but for me the only one that i look at if the depth of field.

yep, either raise aperture or move back but these both have compromises, photography or so i was told is a compromising triangle, the good guys use this and know-how, me i generally take a bucket load and hope i get the "goods"

basic DOF, excuse the "art", think of DOF as a thickness/block type thing for ease

i think i have this right, anyone want to confirm ?
View attachment 294353

And what you so elegantly illustrate also points to the major pitfall of the 'technique'(?) of "focus & recompose".......you need to fully appreciate DoF to do this!

 

[Mr Badger]

Don't forget, depth of field will be more at the same aperture with a crop sensor camera than it is with a full frame camera like your 5D Mk II, so do make sure you are aware of that factor if you are comparing the aperture size on other people's shots, as they may well be using a crop sensor camera!

As for your Canon 50mm f/1.8 STM, it should be sharper (when stopped down to around f/5.6 to f/8) than your old 5D II is capable of capturing, so no worries there. Providing the lens is working as it should, then any 'unsharp' areas will be down to focusing, depth of field or camera shake or the object itself moving. DoF can also be more apparent at different focal lengths too, with ultra wide angle appearing to give more, and super/ultra telephoto appearing to give less.

As an example, you can see what appears to be a fairly narrow strip in focus either side of the pole (the focus point) on this shot with at 400mm f/6.3 on a Canon full frame camera (click on the image to view full size in Flickr). If you look carefully, you can also see how that strip runs across the field in relation to the angle at which the shot was taken. I hope this helps you understand depth of field and focus a bit more, and, when shooting downwards at an angle, at f/1.8, why the top or bottom (or both) of your coffee jar might not be in focus, while the middle is.

 

[scott199]

thats a slightly better example than my doodle, go with this one

 

[Mr Badger]

thats a slightly better example than my doodle, go with this one

Hopefully, the combination of doodle and photo will help.

 

[Merlin5]

Thanks guys for the advice, drawing and sample photo, very good.

Mr Badger, just to clarify, where you said "As for your Canon 50mm f/1.8 STM, it should be sharper (when stopped down to around f/5.6 to f/8) than your old 5D II is capable of capturing, so no worries there."

Does this mean that my 5D ll isn't capable of getting the best out of this lens and out of interest, which camera is?
I thought the 5D ll was renowned for excellence, but maybe the sensors in newer cameras have improved sharpness?

 

[Mr Badger]

It's like most technological things, over time they tend to be improved. Back in the early 1970s we had cars that could struggle to start on damp winter mornings and had heaters that would roast one leg and foot while the other froze, and they had one wing mirror as an optional extra, etc. etc. Modern cars pretty much always start first time, not matter what the weather, and have climate control, heated windscreens, heated seats, surround sound in-car entertainment, parking cameras, etc.

It's the same with Cameras. The 5D II is still capable of taking some lovely looking photos, but compared with the current 5D Mk iv, it's in a different league when you compare the images from both these two cameras by viewing them at 100%. It's not just sharpness, its resolution and detail too, and dynamic range. This doesn't suddenly make the 5D II a bad camera though, it's just that the latest model of 5D has been noticeably improved.

However, as high-resolution camera sensors have improved they have now started to make any shortcomings with a lens (and/or the technique of the photographer!) more obvious, that's why most people who buy a top of the range camera (such as a Canon 5D iv or a 5DS) also buy top quality (Canon 'L' series, Sigma Art, etc.) lenses to use on them. The downside being the cost, not only for the camera itself, but for the lenses to do full justice to that camera.

Having said that, the 50mm STM is quite a sharp lens, particularly when used at its 'sweet spot' aperture, and not shot wide open at f/1.8, where edge sharpness can be a little softer. However, in the real world, you may well not notice the slight edge softness unless you actively look for it and compare it to a shot at f/5.6, f/8 or whatever. So I wouldn't worry about it, and, as a beginner, just concentrate on seeing, framing, composing and exposing your photos as well as you can. Don't let it put you off shooting at f/1.8 either! Yes, the image might not be quite as bitingly sharp as one with the lens stopped down a bit, but sometimes the bokeh and the effect of concentrating your eye on the focal point itself will be what makes the photo, not absolute edge sharpness!

Sharpness can be a disproportionately overrated concept; some of the most famous and highly regarded photos in history are not what would be regarded as 'pin sharp' by today's standards if you scrutinise them, but that doesn't detract from them because they are such amazing and powerful images! Some subjects do require critical sharpness, but many don't as long as they aren't out of focus or blurred (and even then, some subjects might actually suit that look!).

Always remember, a sharp but rubbish photo is still rubbish - a slightly soft but great photo is still a great photo! Not obsessing unnecessarily about critical sharpness and concentrating on the overall look of the photos you are taking, and learning to fully understand why some of your photos worked and why others didn't, is far more important as a beginner.

 

[Merlin5]

Thanks Mr Badger, that's great advice! Yeah I remember the 1970's cars well, I had a Vauxhall Viva and a Ford Capri. So glad things have improved!

"some of the most famous and highly regarded photos in history are not what would be regarded as 'pin sharp' by today's standards if you scrutinise them, but that doesn't detract from them because they are such amazing and powerful images! "

I absolutely love the Afghan Girl image. Looks pretty sharp to me, at least the eyes do, but I don't know if that's regarded as pin sharp by today's standards.

I like "a sharp but rubbish photo is still rubbish - a slightly soft but great photo is still a great photo! " Thing with me though is I want my cake and eat it. I've seen some pin sharp photos on
here which just grab my attention every time, but they've also been quite interesting subject matter.

These are the sharpest I've managed from my 50mm, I didn't get the tip of the nose particularly in focus.

Goat

I was feeding sultanas and sunflower heart seeds to a goat at a small local farm down the road from me. It came up to me from behind a railing that meets a residential street I was in. I love their odd eyes. :)

www.talkphotography.co.uk

 

[Mr Badger]

I absolutely love the Afghan Girl image. Looks pretty sharp to me, at least the eyes do, but I don't know if that's regarded as pin sharp by today's standards.

It's sharp for it's day, but you'd get a lot more detail (and apparent sharpness) with something like a 5DS these days; you'd see virtually every skin pore and tiny hair that was in focus. Would that have significantly improved that photo though? I very much doubt it! And that's the point I was making.

The sharper things are and the more detail/resolution, the more spot on you have to be with your focus point when using a shallow depth of field, as a couple of millimetres either way can become critically apparent... so buying the latest high resolution camera and technically excellent lenses can actually make you appear a worse photographer, not a better one! So be careful for what you wish for!