twowindsbear

How about using that program or feature that shows where the a/f sensor was 'looking' when the camera a/f'ed the pic, and post the results?

lighthouse Loc: No Fixed Abode

I have been following, and I am telling her that she has nothing to worry about with this shot, and I then explained why.
naturepics, I AM a pixel peeper when sharpness and noise and halos count.
I pixel peeped this image to determine that there is no problem here with the sharpness of this image.
Yes, the grass slightly in front is sharper than the deer.
No the deer is not so soft that it matters at any print size up to 30 inches wide. And the shot is unlikely to be printed any larger.
In conjunction with the other thread I have determined exactly what caused this very slight focus error.
This is shot in AI Servo mode, and the stalk of grass in front of the face is directly under the focus point, so the camera has focused on that stalk of grass.
So there is no front focus problem and no back focus problem with her set up that can be discerned from this shot. And in conjunction with her other images at long lengths they show me that there is no problem in this area at all with her set up.
This image is very acceptable "as is".
All that is required is a slight different field setup in some situations.

Nightski

Here it is.

Where my focus points were

(Download)

oldtigger Loc: Roanoke Virginia-USA

did you use back button focus on this shot?

Billyspad Loc: The Philippines

Only one other contributor seems to have mentioned the PICTURE. Loads of chat about DOF and other garbage. This is a snap shot taken with seconds to think so lets view it from that angle first.
The animal is beautifully framed in its natural habitat some of which is soft and some in focus. It works wonderfully well. Color is superb, soft and gentle like the creature in the picture. The out of focus background is just wonderful.
I do not possess the biggest screen in the world but can assure you this would make a large print and more importantly its work you can be proud of.
Your not in a studio you have no time to set anything up its a case of aim and shoot and so luck plays a role in this. You got very lucky and produced a winner.

Whats wrong here is you allow doubt to be put in your mind about exactly how good this is by getting bogged down wth the technical side of things and allow further doubts to creep in when pixel pickers want to compare the right eye with the left???
Just tell em to get a life Sandra.
Photography is an art form. It demands feeling and soul. This you have captured in mounds, in heaps, in enormous quantities. Stuff the DOF calculator up someones butt and just allow your passion to come through.
To get this shot 100% perfect you need 100% luck. Your luck was running at 99%. Takes a sad man to worry about the one percent that's missing.
Leave em to polish their lens collection read reviews and compare bokeh. You just do what your good at and enjoy shooting pictures and allow your soul to shine through.

Nightski

lighthouse .. thank you for taking the time to look at all the settings. It has really helped me to see what was going on, and I've learned a valuable lesson ... now I am going to be thinking about which AF mode I am in! LOL

It is quite clear now why the deer's right eye is not as sharp as it's left eye. I was looking back at another shot I posted here too .. i was so worried about that lens. But I took this seagull shot at 500 mm, and that tells me the lens is doing even better than I expected when I bought it. I expected that it would not be sharp at 500mm ...

I took this shot October 18th of this year .. about a few weeks before the deer shot.

http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-254241-1.html

oldtigger Loc: Roanoke Virginia-USA

ignoring any question of sharpness, Nightski has presented a wildlife shot for critique.
How about composition, color, contrast?
Is this Nat. Geo's next shot of the week?

lighthouse Loc: No Fixed Abode

This is a beautiful shot.
I love the mood of the "look through" viewpoint.
The feel of the early morning or late afternoon.
The furtiveness of the animal without it looking so nervous that all you get is a rump shot.
Color is spot on.
Contrast is perfect.
I do like this composition but if it was my shot I would crop the tree trunk completely, and not a hundredth of an inch more.
Doing that still retains the "look through" and makes the deer that little more dominant in the image.
Nat Geo? Who cares.

oldtigger Loc: Roanoke Virginia-USA

She certainly captured the mood.
Tan deer, tan woods and tan grass, color was out of her control.
Do feel a touch of contrast might add snap.
Keeping the diagnol of the tree but cropping grass off the right and then off the top to restore ratio seemed to balance the shot in my eye and bring the deer to the forefront

Billyspad Loc: The Philippines

So we have progress at last. The PICTURE is being reviewed!!!

Nightski

Hahahahaha .... :lol: thank you, Billyspad .. love a little humor!

Nightski

I have not learned how to do that yet. :oops:

Billyspad Loc: The Philippines

Sandra its NOT humour. Just a fact that pixel peepers generally have no soul so they see technical before impact and composition color etc.
Technical is way down the list on the sort of work you do. Just needs to be about right. You want it perfect borrow a stuffed deer put it in the woods and shoot away. You will get perfect focus DOF bokeh and whatever else you think you require. No one will know its been dead since 1986. Glass eyes are spot on these days. What it will be is a cold photograph without feeling but technically perfect.
I think you show soul in your work just anxious that you do not lose it whilst being overly influenced by the DOF spotters and lens polishers.
Remember your an artist not an engineer!!

Nightski

Oh my gosh .. you're in danger of sounding like Graham ... Sandra .. forget the technical stuff and just get out and shoot ... lol ... that's what he tells me every time I'm stressing over DOF.

oldtigger Loc: Roanoke Virginia-USA

Just a thought, you may be jambing the shutter button down instead of squeezin it.
Buck fever can be a hard habit to break..