Stupid sharpness/clarity/something along those lines, question

Shorty

Shorty

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This may seem a little stooopid, but I don't know how to get that really clear/sharp look in eyes[I 'shoot' pets] I have a couple of sharp lenses, but I can never quite get the sharpness or clarity to the eyes as I see other people manage. Is it a lens/camera/technique issue?

Or is it just luck?
If it is an easy to mange issues, how do 'you' achieve it? Is it a camera technique/Lighting or a PP technique?

I'll post links to a couple of pics from other people that I mean.

http://www.ruthlessphotos.com/galleries/mydogs/index.php?pg=galleries&sub=01&picid=24&aw1=1#show

http://www.ruthlessphotos.com/galleries/mydogs/index.php?pg=galleries&sub=02&picid=56&aw1=16#show

[not the best examples actually]
 
Post one of yours and lets have a look.

Post one straight from camera and then then the same image which you have processed and then let all of us have a bash at it.

I must say though if you have a 50mm or 85mm really fast prime, this will make all the difference.

Give us a go.
 
I find that most of the time it's due to the focus point not being on the eyes, but on the tip of the nose.

Hacker (I think) posted a tutorial in the tutorials section covering making eyes pop which is relatively easy to follow, and works a treat, even on those shots where the focus is just slightly off.

Search for "Make those eyes pop" in the tutorials forum.
 
tiler65 said:
Post one of yours and lets have a look.

Post one straight from camera and then then the same image which you have processed and then let all of us have a bash at it.

I must say though if you have a 50mm or 85mm really fast prime, this will make all the difference.

Give us a go.
Click to expand...

Okee dokeee, let me sort a shot out and I'll be back!
 
My take - edited:
3999780419_73456cfeb2.jpg


My take SOOC[I just resized it]:
4130912949_bb5729b31b.jpg


Outlore, thanks, will do :)
 
Hi

I started off with a 400d and kit lens and always shot on sports mode which ]was rubbish. If I can find some shots, I'll put them on. It takes a bit of practice, when I first started, i used to get the nose sharp and eyes not and vice versa. I only shoot in AV or TV now. Always TV for dogs moving, particuarly at speed, or AV for a nice blurred background.

I've got a 40d too and a 70-200 L 2.8. Most of my photography is of dogs and horses. I'm no expert but I always shoot in AI or Servo mode. I always aim for the eye and make sure I have a fast enough shutter speed.

Here's a couple:

One of my dogs. When I set out, the light was lovely but it became really harsh:

diesel-ball.jpg


Same set up, I should really crop this closer:

hunt7.jpg


I think this was shot on AV

hunt9b.jpg


Used a 105 Sigma macro:

fezforezone.jpg


My other dog:

for-ss-and-photo.jpg


This is one of my first shots taken, 400d, Sigma 70-300 APO: (nose not quite in focus).

daisuseforstaffs-1.jpg


Practice, practice.

Lisa
 
Your Original

4130912949_bb5729b31b.jpg


My Edit


Just a little sharpening to the eyes and muzzel.

A small file was hard to play with though :bonk:
 
Yeah, I always shoot Aperture Priority, use my D80 majority of the time, and always get highest speed possible and aim for one eye/middle of the eyes.
It's the clarity of the eyes I want, the ones where they really stand out and draw you in. I can't seem to get them as sharp as I see some people's work having. - They're usually really glazed and just 'sharp' looking, the eyes.


Sorry, that is was a small file.
How do you sharpen just a certain area - do you use the marquee tool and a different layer?
 
Shorty said:
Sorry, that is was a small file.
How do you sharpen just a certain area - do you use the marquee tool and a different layer?
Click to expand...


No I use a layer mask. There are lots of free tutorials on how use layer masks.

You could use the quick mask tool if you are unsure about layer masks
 
Will look up Layer Masks and things, thanks.

Have lots of pics to practise this all on too, so that's great. Thanks.
 
Thanks Robert - will give that a go tomorrow.

It's not the eyes standing out as such, it's the glazed/sharp/bright etc. eyes that I've seen in pet/people portraits, where the focus is very much on the eye[not actual focus, but when you look at the pic you get drawn into the eyes first] and they dominate the pic with their clarity.


Thanks for your help guys, I'll try all these tutorials and things :)
 
young_barbary_ape.jpg


you can use flash to open up the shadows and give highlights...

ermm...not a pet i might add but a good friend and model
 
Something I find while shooting dogs is you get a lot more reflections on the eyes.
I have found that shooting in subdued light helps greatly - not totally overcast just weak light.
4110041331_8e5c7f3a9f.jpg


Or good winter sunlight and a well positioned beast
4124655318_640aa4667f.jpg


but you will always get the non conformist hound who won't be 'posed', your savour is your flashgun. This one is flashed
4124772227_1e903597b8.jpg
 
i think all those doggy shots are fab
being an ex 2 jack russel man i can see the love in all of them
well taken
cheers
 
RichardtheSane said:
Something I find while shooting dogs is you get a lot more reflections on the eyes.
I have found that shooting in subdued light helps greatly - not totally overcast just weak light.
4110041331_8e5c7f3a9f.jpg


Or good winter sunlight and a well positioned beast
4124655318_640aa4667f.jpg


but you will always get the non conformist hound who won't be 'posed', your savour is your flashgun. This one is flashed
4124772227_1e903597b8.jpg
Click to expand...

Begger it, think I need a new flashgun then. My cheapy Jessops one doesn't exactly work...... Thanks for that, the second and third are pretty good to what I'd like.

Forbiddenbiker said:
Those look pretty good to me :thumbs:

...I was gonna add expose for the eyes for best results but it looks like you already have.

Nice.
Click to expand...

I havn't, these aren't my shots, they're from another photographer, how do I expose for eyes then? Light eyes do I under/over expose, and dark eyes the other way, or what? I'm not exactly sure.

And what happens in the case of that Brindle Whippet x I posted, when eyes and fur are same colour?
 
Ah right ta!

I simply meant, like anything, if you nail the exposure you'll have more to make pop later in PP. So if the eyes are going to be the main subject then they also need to be exposed as the main subject, compromise for the rest of the dog type thing.

As Richards shots show, good light makes for good exposure. Your shot (I think, Tiler's post), brill shot I think, but the exposure on the eyes needed to be compromised for it, not that that’s a crit, just an observation, the shot totally works for me as it is.

Poorly exposed eyes after a heavy PP

Fox094.jpg


Slightly better exposed eyes, very little pp.

Fox091.jpg


Slighty odd example, just using images allready up. I think you can see the difference.
 
Not odd at all!
So for the shot I posted, should I have over exposed a little, then?

Those are cracking shots btw, especially that second one!!


I'll give it a go today if the weather holds out, cos I have a dog for the day today :) cheers
 
I personally really don't like shots of dogs with out of focus noses.

The be all and end all of whatever mode you use is that you use a small enough aperture to get the whole head in focus from front to back. It's no good having a nice blurry background if the subject's nose is out of focus!

If you must use a wide aperture, you could try nudging the focus a bit further forward towards the nose and you may then get the eyes AND nose in focus.

As for PP sharpening.. Hacker's tutorial will do ya!! :thumbs:
 
Cheers guys :-D

Janice - I knowwwwww, I'm awful for not remembering to change setting and then getting noses our of focus. I think I shall, for the next few days leave my apeture a little smaller and see how it goes.


Will try hackers tutorial tomorrow if I manage to get a good head on shot of the dog I'm with.
But I'm also at a friend's next week who wants me to try and get some shots of her baby, so I''ll try hackers tutorial for then for definate!
 
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