Slightly missed focus - is this image acceptable?

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Eddy
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Slightly missed my focus point photographing a newlywed couple exiting the church... I've had a go trying to hide it in Lightroom. What do you think - still an acceptable image to include?
 

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Obviously depends on the other images but it's not screaming out as OOF ... what does stand out is the need for correction of horizontal and vertical :)
 
It is not acceptable to miss focus when working professionally.
but you might get away with it.

What is perhaps more important ...do you know why you missed focus.?
can you guarantee it wont happen again.?
Of course to some extent this depends on the camera and how it and you acquire focus.
 
It is not acceptable to miss focus when working professionally.
but you might get away with it.

What is perhaps more important ...do you know why you missed focus.?
can you guarantee it wont happen again.?
Of course to some extent this depends on the camera and how it and you acquire focus.

Yes, I know why I missed focus and no, I cannot guarantee it won't happen again because predicting the future is a skill I'm yet to acquire.
 
for me the focus looks kind of ok but its a very mediocre picture.
 
Yes, I know why I missed focus and no, I cannot guarantee it won't happen again because predicting the future is a skill I'm yet to acquire.

If you know why, you should be able to ensure that it being repeated is vanishingly small.
it is never just chance.
on a set piece like the isle shot I would not expect to see it.
 
As a photographer, I'm not sure why it happened or the likelihood of it happening again.

As a customer, I can honestly I would notice and no it wouldn't be acceptable. I may be fussier than others mind you.
 
There's absolutely no earthly reason why you shouldn't include that image in the final set. I'd put my house on the fact that the bride and groom won't notice and they'll love the image.

I honestly think that anyone who says otherwise is a) looking at it from a nit-picky photographers point of view or b) has never shot a wedding (or last shot one back in the day when every shot took fifteen minutes to set up and you delivered half a dozen prints).
 
There's absolutely no earthly reason why you shouldn't include that image in the final set. I'd put my house on the fact that the bride and groom won't notice and they'll love the image.

I honestly think that anyone who says otherwise is a) looking at it from a nit-picky photographers point of view or b) has never shot a wedding (or last shot one back in the day when every shot took fifteen minutes to set up and you delivered half a dozen prints).

It was one of those situations in which I had like 10 seconds to get from the front of the Church to the back, to get into a decent enough shot of them coming down the aisle. I managed to fire off six shots and this one the most pleasing one. I imagine the fact that it wasn't in focus can be attributed to me rushing and also not flicking to the correct focus switch on my 70-200... It's not imperative that I include it, but it's the only one I have!
 
It was one of those situations in which I had like 10 seconds to get from the front of the Church to the back, to get into a decent enough shot of them coming down the aisle. I managed to fire off six shots and this one the most pleasing one. I imagine the fact that it wasn't in focus can be attributed to me rushing and also not flicking to the correct focus switch on my 70-200... It's not imperative that I include it, but it's the only one I have!

As I said, if either of the bride/groom or any of their friends/family notice that it's a few mm out of focus I'll be extremely surprised. In reportage/documentary style photography not every shot you take is going to be perfectly lit or sharp as a tac. As long as it conveys the moment and the relevant emotion, in my opinion, you should always include it.

"I'm sorry, I binned the only shot I have of you walking out of the church as, even though it was a nice picture and showed you both looking happy and joyous, it was microscopically out of focus". Don't be daft.
 
As I said, if either of the bride/groom or any of their friends/family notice that it's a few mm out of focus I'll be extremely surprised. In reportage/documentary style photography not every shot you take is going to be perfectly lit or sharp as a tac. As long as it conveys the moment and the relevant emotion, in my opinion, you should always include it.

"I'm sorry, I binned the only shot I have of you walking out of the church as, even though it was a nice picture and showed you both looking happy and joyous, it was microscopically out of focus". Don't be daft.

Cheers Danny - that's some good logic!
 
A case in point, a very good friend of mine races motorbikes and has done so in the Isle of Man a couple of times. After returning home he managed to find a photographer that was set up at one of his favourite places on the track and searched for his photograph so he could buy it. He soon discovered that he wasn't on the website so dropped the photographer a quick email. Turned out the photographer had a shot that was slightly out of focus and wasn't 100% happy with it, so didn't include it on the website. After receiving the image the good friend was over the moon. No, it wasn't a perfect image but it was him, doing what he loved in a place he loved and that meant more to him than any technical aspect of the photograph.

There's 4 ways this could go though:

1. They notice it's out of focus and are annoyed with you, but they have the image.
2. They don't notice and it's a shot of them they're happy with of them walking down the aisle as newlyweds.
3. You don't include it, and they wonder where the hell is the image of them walking down the aisle as newlyweds.
4. You don't include it, and they never even wonder why they don't have it because of all the other wonderful images you've delivered :D

Printed out in an album, it may be even less noticeable but if they decide they're having it on the wall you might be in trouble.

I would be tempted to include it personally, as Danny said as long as it conveys the moment, the relevant emotion and isn't massively offensive it should stay. 1 image (of an important part of the day) out of a couple of hundred supplied would be acceptable, supplying an entire wedding of missed focus shots wouldn't be. Making a habit of it would be dentrimental to your reputation, but I'm sure you already know that! In a perfect world it wouldn't have happened in the first place, but that's not really helpful at this point :LOL:
 
Eddy - I am not at all a wedding photography, but I would have thought with images as important as that you would have taken at least half a dozen
 
I would include it, but looking at how far away they are you probably could have fired off a few more as they got closer, but these things happen and I'm pretty sure we have all missed focus on shots in high pressure situations.
 
I'm not; and wouldn't want to be a pro tog, certainly not to shoot weddings anyway.

Like lots of folk i've shot close family weddings / christenings etc and have had shots not unlike this one where the subject is a tad oof

As a non professional, I've accepted them ( albiet being personally frustrated at not nailing the shot) and the family/bride, groom have been satisfied, however they were shot, printed and offerd free of charge.......Had I been requesting payment then I, as the tog, would not accept this photograph and as such wouldn't offer it to the client(s)
 
Maybe I've got low standards but that's a nice picture, sharp enough for a moment that's never going to happen again with the bride looking happy, how much sharper does it need to be? A bit of levels tweaking will make it better, I'd want to be given the option.
 
From a b&g pov there is nothing wrong with this photo. Include it. If you don't, and others have alluded to, it will open up more questions.
The bride looks radiant, is smiling and has a good shape in her dress. She will no doubt love it.
And that is what is most important....
 
Eddy - I am not at all a wedding photography, but I would have thought with images as important as that you would have taken at least half a dozen


Indeed I did and the rest were more in focus than this one! However, this was the only shot that both bride and groom were in a decent stance and looking in my general direction, so I decided that this was the best of a poor bunch!

Taking on board everybody's responses I will include the photo - hopefully they won't have such a keen eye for detail as myself ;)
 
You will always be your own worst critic. It's good that professionally you're giving yourself a hard time, even if the clients ultimately don't.
 
I agree with what Johnny posted (y) just give them the photo even if they think focus is a little out they would still likely prefer to have it.
I did some wedding photos for friends "for free" made a few little mistakes on one or two of them which i don't believe id make if i was to do a wedding again... anyhow the photos i was unsure on everyone seemed proper impressed with them all even though id been unsure about them :)
 
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